During the past ten years the treatment of carcinoma of the colon and rectum has been vastly improved. At this clinic the resectability of lesions of this type has risen from 50 per cent in 1928 to 89.9 per cent for the year 1938. In the same period the operative mortality has also been greatly reduced. A mortality of 36 per cent in 1928 has been lowered to 10 per cent in 1938. These figures are but an index of what has occurred generally when there has been an especial interest in this subject. The improvements have been due largely to the better preparation of these patients for operation, improved anesthesia, increased experience in the actual removal of these lesions and better postoperative care. The end results following the removal of malignant lesions of the colon and rectum are among the most satisfactory of any group of patients with malignant