functionless vestige of a cæcum. As there is no tendency towards the inheritance of characters due to mutilation, and since the surgeon’s knife now prevents this death-trap from claiming its toll of possible parents, we must look upon the rudimentary cæcum, with its liability to inflammation, as a permanent burden on the human race. In justice to the appendix, however, it must be pointed out that it has acquired its criminal reputation during the past twenty years. The frequency of appendicitis has increased so enormously during this period that it ought to be possible to correlate its prevalence with the introduction of the cause upon which it chiefly depends. The colon has a length of about 5 feet. Its greatest width, about 3 inches, is at its commencement, but it is everywhere much wider than the small intestine. Whereas the wall of the small intestine is smooth externally, the wall of the colon is sacculated. Three muscular bands constrict it longitudinally; circular bands at intervals of about 1 inch or 1½ inch throw it into pouches. It ascends on the right side, lying far back against the body-wall, to which it is bound by peritoneum, which in this part of its course covers only its anterior surface. Having touched the under side of the liver, it loops forwards and to the left side, crossing the middle line just above the umbilicus. On the extreme left side it touches the spleen, getting very near to the back of the abdominal cavity. It then descends on the left side, again bound to the body-wall by peritoneum, although not so closely as on the right side, until it reaches the inner lip of the crest of the hip-bone. From here onwards the fold of peritoneum which attaches it allows it a free movement. This portion of the large intestine, the sigmoid flexure, may even fall over into the right groin. Lastly it curls backwards into the pelvis, as the rectum.