paracentesis of the pericardium was performed under local anesthesia (ethyl chlorid) but no fluid was obtained. The patient's condition rapidly grew worse, all symptoms increasing in severity and the dyspnea became intense (respirations, 60). The leucocyte count leached 89,000. The septic condition was then believed to be due only to a pyogenic infection of the aortic valves. Death occurred on the evening of January 7. Autopsy.-This revealed a large mass of fleshy, vegetative excrescences on

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... aortic valves, about the size of the end of the thumb. When these were removed for the purpose of mak-