A survey of the American literature shows the condition known as familial or hereditary lipomatosis or familial multiple lipomas to be practically unknown, and only a few isolated cases have been reported in other countries. Lipomas, occurring either as single or as multiple tumors, are common, but a definite familial or hereditary trend is so rare that we feel that the occurrence in a family which we observed is worthy of a report. The family showed the familial character of the disorder in a collateral rather than in a hereditary fashion, although it is felt that the latter tendency may manifest itself as the last generation grows older. So many siblings were affected in the second generation that the occurrence by chance of such tumors was incredibly remote and it was believed that some genetic factor undoubtedly played a part. Cockayne, 1 in his thorough work on inherited diseases of
