STELLATE GANGLION BLOCK IN CEREBRO- VASCULAR ACCIDENTS *

NOT until a relatively short time ago was interest rekindled in a more active treatment of cerebrovascular occlusions in the hope of decreasing the degree of neurologic residua. Stress had been placed upon the desirability of good nursing care and supportive attention. Drugs of the vasodilator group received but scant mention, there being little to suggest that any last-ing benefit might result from a short period of vasodilatation. Since it appeared more logical to alter the cerebral blood supply directly in the treatment of various neurologic disorders, Royle lf 2 suggested and performed thoracocervical sympathectomy in such conditions as early as 1932. However, because of his rather extravagant claims of clinical im-provement in cases of congenital spastic hemiplegia and spastic paraplegia, lethargy of encephalitis, congenital mental deficiency, deafness and dis-seminated sclerosis, this work was either discounted or overlooked and eventually slipped into oblivion for many years. In 1936, Villaret and Cachera 3 demonstrated that the vasoconstrictio