There can be no doubt but that the constant overloading of the stomach with rich or difficultly digestible food is responsible for a large number of cases of arteriosclerosis. Every one must have noted the increase in force and volume of the heart beat after the ingestion of a large meal. The constant repetition of such processes conceivably can lead to damage to the vessel walls through hypertension. In the metabolism of food in the intestines there are substances produced which are poisonous when absorbed directly into the circulation. Ordinarily these substances are rendered harmless either before absorption or are detoxicated in the liver to harmless substances. It is conceivable that a constant overproduction of such poisons would eventually damage the defensive mechanism of the body to such an extent that some of the poisons would circulate in the blood. An expression of a surplus of one, at least, of these decomposition products is the appearance of indican in the urine. It is not believed that indicanuria has the importance attached to it which some authors would have us believe. It is found too often and in too many varying conditions, nevertheless it undoubtedly does reveal the presence of perverted metabolism. In how far the toxins absorbed from the intestinal tract are responsible for the production of arterial disease, it is not possible to say. Some observers lay great stress on this factor as a cause of arteriosclerosis. The author believes that the rôle played by the absorption of products of perverted intestinal metabolism is an important one. The primary change is an increased tension in the arterioles which later leads to thickening of the coats of the vessels and to the other consequences of arterial disease. A vicious circle is thus established which has a tendency to become progressively worse. =Mental Strain=