THE METHOD of treating congenital atresia of the auditory canal has held interest for many years. The studies of Fraser,1 Altmann,2 and Richards3 emphasized the embryological and anatomical anomalies responsible for the condition. Various operators have attempted to make an external canal, which has often helped the hearing a little but has seldom produced improvement up to a serviceable hearing level. Recently, in 1947, Pattee4 reported five cases, in four of which there was considerable hearing improvement but still not above the serviceable level in the critical speech frequencies. In a recent discussion of another author's paper he stated that he had since added three cases, in all of which there had been an immediate improvement of hearing but in only one of which the improvement had been maintained. Early in 1949 Holmes,5 in an article on the microtic ear, stated: ... Realizing that there is