Acute Serous Encephalitis

In the summer of 1923, one of us (Brown), working at the Children's Hospital in Boston, observed six cases of a rapidly fatal disease in children, attended by symptoms referable to the central nervous system. In five of the cases necropsy was performed and revealed intense edema and congestion of the brain. In the summer of 1924. Symmers, working independently at Bellevue Hospital, observed five cases presenting clinical and anatomic changes identical with those encountered in Boston. Interestingly enough, four of the Boston patients were admitted to the hospital in the month of July, within a period of nine days; the remaining case was observed in the month of October. Three of the Bellevue patients entered the hospital within a period of thirty-six hours, at a time when the heat was intense and, for a while, the suspicion was entertained that there was some connection between the external temperature and