Meningo-Encephalitis in Mumps

It is fairly well known that meningo-encephalitis may occur during the course of mumps, but its frequency has never been ascertained. It is my purpose in this paper to show that meningo-encephalitis occurs quite frequently in mumps, though usually with such mild symptoms that unless one resorts to spinal punctures at the slightest indication the diagnosis will not be made in many cases. During the period of two and a half months in October, November and December 1937, routine spinal punctures were done on practically all patients with mumps admitted to the Willard Parker Hospital with the exception of adult patients and patients with mumps that occurred simultaneously with some other disease. About forty patients had spinal punctures done as soon after admission as was feasible. A complete physical and neurologic examination preceded the spinal puncture. All spinal fluids were examined in Dr. Josephine B. Neal's laboratory of the health