THE duration of life after an acute coronary-artery occlusion has long been regarded as brief, and it is only in recent years that the more optimistic viewpoint pronounced in 1912 by Herrick1 has been justified. In increasing numbers, cases have been reported of survivals for as long as seventeen, twenty-four and even forty years.2345 As an explanation of this change in prognosis, it has been suggested5 that the myocardial infarction that is being diagnosed in mild and atypical forms would have been dismissed years ago as so-called "acute indigestion" or never have been brought to the attention of a physician, . . .