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Twelve patients were studied following proximal-row carpectomy. Four had a follow-up of twenty years or more. The lesions for which the operation was done included Kienböck's disease, perilunar dislocations, and fractures of the carpal scaphoid. The major complaint of pain was relieved following surgery, and a functional range of motion was obtained. Mild degenerative arthritis of the wrist was not a contraindication and progressive degenerative arthritis of the radial capitate articulation did not occur. The operation did not result in weakness and all of the patients resumed their preoperative occupations. After conservative measures fail, proximal-row carpectomy rather than arthrodesis should be considered for disorders of the proximal row of carpal bones.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the use of transrectal sonographically guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy and to compare sonographic with digital guidance for biopsy. In 62 patients in whom prostatic carcinoma was suspected at digital rectal examination, fine-needle aspiration biopsies were performed transperineally under sonographic guidance and transrectally under digital guidance. These patients had 89 nodules, 73 of which were sampled with both techniques. Malignant cells were obtained under digital guidance in 17 of 73 nodules (23%) and under sonographic guidance in 16 (22%). An additional seven nodules, which were not seen sonographically, were sampled under digital guidance and proved to be negative. In nine other nodules that were nonpalpable and evident only with sonography, malignant cells were obtained under sonographic guidance in three. These findings indicate that sonographic guidance for fine-needle aspiration biopsy is as good as digital guidance for palpable lesions.

Differential counts of follicles of different sizes in the ovaries of intact and hypophysectomized strain A mice of various ages have been analysed statistically. The influence of age on the number of follicles in each size group is described. The number of small follicles in the ovarian pool declined exponentially, whereas numbers of follicles in other groups displayed two peaks, one during immaturity and the other in adult life. These appeared sequentially in follicles in successive groups. The proportion of follicles growing and dying was estimated and age dependent fluctuations in the time spent by follicles in each group were demonstrated. Further calculations then determined the mean inflow and outflow of follicles to and from the various groups throughout the lifespan. Hypophysectomy during post-puberty decreased only slightly the utilization of small follicles from the pool and did not prevent their subsequent development to the two-layered stage. Many follicles then died at this stage of development, indicating that the initial main site of gonadotrophic action may be on medium sized follicles with two layers of granulosa cells.

Immature octopods (Tremoctopus violaceus) have been found with numerous fragments of tentacles of the coelenterate Physalia attached to the suckers of their dorsal arms. The probable method of acquisition, the evidence of adaptation for holding the tentacles, and the possibility that the octopod uses these coelenterate tentacles as offensive and defensive weapons are discussed.