This case is presented because of the low basal metabolism: minus 56 per cent. This is, as far as we can determine, the lowest reading that has been recorded. 1 REPORT OF CASE A single woman, aged 44, was admitted to the Boston Psychopathic Hospital, Nov. 5, 1922, apparently somewhat confused and disoriented. The family history was negative for endocrine disorders or mental disease, most of the ancestors having died of cardiac or arteriosclerotic conditions. The patient was born in Massachusetts, Aug. 23, 1878. The birth had been normal; she had been a full-term baby, weighing 8½ pounds (3.8 kg.). She had been a healthy, bottle-fed infant. Dentition had been normal. She had walked at 20 months. She had had the usual infectious diseases of childhood, including pneumonia at 12 and scarlet fever at 15. There was no history of convulsions, chorea, sleep walking, nail biting or tantrums. She was