My interest in the two rather bizarre tropical affections mentioned in the title of this paper has lately been increased by the opportunity of examining several cases of each disease. In reading over the views commonly held to account for their origin, one is struck by the fact that most of them are purely theories and, like most theories, not free from flaws. A short review of some of these may help to clarify what little knowledge we possess concerning the possible factors giving rise to the obscure conditions known as goundou and ainhum. GOUNDOU. Synonyms. —Anakhre(Agni name), Henpuye (Gold Coast)Gros nez, Mti(Zanzibar), Big Nose, Dog Nose,Uyulue(Bantu name). There have been proposed, among others, the following theories to explain the presence of the growth: That they are a sequel of yaws (Chalmers). That the condition is a disease sui generis (Braddon). That the condition