IT IS DESIRABLE, of course, to be able to predict the probable outcome of an illness with and without treatment. The physician can then evaluate therapy and inform the patient or his family and friends of the outlook. Up to the present time, however, in cases of complete paralysis due to a spinal injury or a neoplasm it has been possible to make only a grave and uncertain prognosis. Generalizations on prognosis in such cases have been made, but they all share the weakness of not being accompanied by the evidence on which they were based. They, therefore, lack the precision necessary for them to be especially helpful clinically. REVIEW OF LITERATURE A. Spinal Cord Injuries.— In referring to traumatic lesions of the spinal cord, Alcock13cited Riddoch as saying, for example, that "immediately following the injury there may be absolute loss of function in the cord below the