In 1896, Marfan1called the attention of physicians to a peculiar familial condition featured by very long and thin bones. The syndrome was so clearcut that other cases were soon recognized and studied. Prior to 1932, about eighty-four cases had been reported, but with the present recognition of associated conditions of the eyes and heart it is probable that many more instances will be found by ophthalmologists and pedologists. The entire bony system is affected, but the changes are especially noticeable in the hands and feet and the spinal column. The hands are very long and narrow, with delicate fingers, a feature which has suggested the name now commonly used—arachnodactyly. The arms and legs are long and slender and the feet so much longer than normal that the patient has great difficulty in getting shoes to fit. The spinal column and the muscles are not strong enough to