PATHOLOGY OF CHRONIC ARTHRITIS OF CHILDREN (STILL'S DISEASE)

Although chronic proliferative arthritis is less common in children than in adults, it is of great interest, since the circumstances underlying involvement of the joints in systemic disease are not clearly understood. With children, the progressive degenerative changes which so commonly damage the joints of adults can be ruled out, except congenital or acquired malformation of the joints, which does not usually complicate the picture. One of the first series of cases of arthritis in children was reported by Dr. George F. Still¹ in 1896. The records of twenty-two patients were discussed. Twelve of the twenty-two had concomitant changes in other organs and tissues and had in his opinion less change in the cartilage and in the bone of the affected joints than was present in the other ten children. Three of the twelve were examined post mortem. In the disease complex that has since often been referred to