THE first ligations of the inferior vena cava were performed by Kocher in 1883 and Billroth in 1885,1 these procedures being the results of operative trauma and both being followed by a fatal outcome. The first successful ligation was performed by Bottini.2 Two ligations of this type were performed in 1906 and a third in 1910 by Trendelenburg,3,4 all for thrombophlebitis of the pelvic vein with septicemia, 1 patient recovering. Martens5 has reported 2 cases of ligation of the vena cava and 9 of the iliac vein for thrombophlebitic pyemia, 7 of the 11 patients surviving. Krotoski,6 summarizing the literature . . .