Embolism in mitral stenosis.

A man was examined for a railway company because his disability had been ascribed to his employment. He had felt quite well and had been able to perform his work as an electrician until three months before he was examined, when he was suddenly struck down in the course of his routine work by an attack of left-sided weakness. Physical examination proved that this was due to cerebral embolism secondary to mitral stenosis. It was claimed that this embolism was due to physical effort. A search throughout many textbooks and articles gave no solution to the question of the relationship between exercise and embolism in this disease, and further cases met with in the course of practice were therefore subsequently tabulated in order to attempt to find an answer.