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Summary Three instances are described of the association in early childhood of sucrosuria, mental retardation and an anomaly of the lower end of the ocsophagus, thus producing the three types of congenital abnormality in the one subject—inborn metabolic error, mental defect and an anatomical abnormality. Autopsy findings in one case revealed a congenital defect in the brain, thus ruling out any hypothesis that the mental retardation might be associated with a sucrosaemia. It is concluded that the sucrosuria resulted essentially from rapid absorption of the unsplit disaccharide but technical difficulties made it impossible to investigate further the failure of splitting or its degree. The previous, scanty, literature mostly deals with similar instances, as far as the sucrosuria is concerned, of exogenous origin. Careful study of the sugars fed and subsequently passed in the urine revealed a more complicated story than that of excessive alimentary absorption of sucrose and urinary excretion. Provisional “normal” values for urinary sugars obtained by chromatography are suggested. The close association of lactose and sucrose in the diet in relation to the occurrence of sucrose in the urine seems definitely established in the cases reported. Glucose metabolism was unaffected

Contains a discussion of infant and child mental health, unintentional injury issues, safety, interpersonal violence, and self-harm.

An infant of four months with clinical evidence of a cystic tumour in the upper and anterior mediastinum died at the age of nine months. At autopsy the tumour was found to be a teratoma. The occurrence of such tumours in children is briefly discussed with a full clinical and pathological description of the present case.

Ordinary school indicates placement with the normal educational system. E.S.N. indicates placement in a school for the educationally subnormal. T.C. indicates placement at a training centre. Hospital indicates placement in a hospital for the subnormal. Rudolph Steiner indicates placement in a special unit. * Consultant Chemical Pathologist, the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London W.C.I