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A clinical review of 173 cases of encephalitis from July to November, 1958 in and around Patna has been presented. The records when analysed brought out the following points:

A prospective hospital based study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics of the Kasturba Hospital, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, Wardha to predict the mortality in children admitted with fever and unconsciousness using the Modified Glasgow Coma Scale (MGCS) score. Forty eight children were admitted with fever and unconsciousness; cases of febrile convulsions, epilepsy and cerebral palsy were excluded. MGCS scores were assessed on admission and repeated at 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and 72 hours after admission in each case. Diagnosis in each case was confirmed by history, examinations and investigations. All the cases were regularly followed up till death/discharge. The overall mortality was 29.1% (14/ 48) out of which 85% (12/14) died within the first 24 hours. Mortality was highest in the toddler age group and in patients with pyogenic meningitis. There was a significant association between death and MGCS scores on admission with a post test probability for discharge being only 10% with a score of less than 5 and 99% with a score of more than 10 respectively. MGCS scores on admission can be used to predict mortality in patients hospitalized with fever and unconsciousness. The scale is simple, easy, can be applied at bed side and does not need any investigations. Its application in developing countries with limited investigative and intensive care facilities can help the treating physician decide regarding referral and counseling the parents regarding the probable clinical outcome.

Myoclonic jerks presenting with fever have only rarely been reported and have often been misdiagnosed as febrile seizures. The presentation may be dramatic enough to provoke unnecessary investigation and treatment. Considering the benign nature of this condition, it is important that the condition is recognized by the physician so that hospitalisation and diagnostic procedures such as lumbar puncture and electroencephalogram are prevented. The authors report three cases of febrile myoclonus and review the subject.

Amyloidosis, either primary or secondary, may be defined as a group of chronic infiltrative disorders that have in common a beta-pleated sheet configuration on X-ray diffraction examination, a fine fibrillar non-branching appearance on electron microscopy and an apple-green birefringence when examined under polarised light after staining with Congo-red. Renal amyloidosis is a rare entity in the pediatric age group and is almost always secondary in nature, related to chronic infections and inflammatory conditions. It occurs 2–7 years after a chronic inflammatory process; however an onset as early as 9 months of life is known. Te diagnosis of amyloidosis is suspected on the basis of clinical features and is established by obtaining an appropriate tissue biopsy and demonstrating amyloid with appropriate stains. All the tissues obtained must be stained with Congo-red stain which is the singlemost useful diagnostic test to define amyloidosis. In order to differentiate the primary from secondary variety, the deposits may be treated with potassium permanganate before Congo-red staining. In secondary amyloidosis, the green birefringence seen under polarized light is abolished. Therapeutic approaches include specific measures to reduce the amyloid deposition and general measures to relieve symptoms related to involvement of specific organs. The prognosis in renal amyloidosis is relatively poor, with a median survival of 9–13 months in primary amyloidosis complicated by renal involvement, and more than 50 months in secondary amyloidosis. We have reported a case of secondary amyloidosis following tuberculosis and have discussed the clinical features, diagnosis and management of amyloidosis.

Atotal of 315 strains of Escherichia coli causing diarrhea in infants and children received at the National Salmonella and Escherichia Centre, Central Research Institute, Kasauli, during the year 1981 were studied for serotype and enterotoxigenicity. One hundred and eighty eight strains belonged to infantile diarrhea cases and the predominant serotype isolated was 05, followed by 017, 01, 025, 035 and so on. One hundred and twenty seven strains belonged to childhood diarrhea cases and here the most common serotype was 025, followed by 017, 02, 060, 057 and so on. Seventy strain (22.21%) were enterotoxigenic, of these 18 strains (5.71%) produced LT, 46 strains (14.60%) produced ST and only 6 strains (1.90%) produced both LT and ST.