PIP: A study of 1830 puerperal tubal ligations performed from 1936-1950 at the John Hopkins Hospital is reported. Major indications for the sterilization were great multiparity, chronic hypertension, and repeated cesarean section or hysterotomy. The Pomeroy technique was used most frequently (80.8%). 17 of the operations failed to prevent pregnancy;y Early puerperal sterilization by the Pomeroy technique resulted in 3 pregnancies and sterilization by the same method accompanied by cesarean section or hysterotomy resulted in 7 failures;y A death rate of .3% was observed for the Pomeroy technique. As a result, the Irving technique was substituted in cases of cesarean section or hysterotomy. It is concluded that the hazards of the Pomeroy technique approximate those of undisturbed fertility and that sterilization on the grounds of multiparity alone cannot be justified.