It might be of interest to other practitioners of pediatrics to learn of a technique that I have found most helpful in detecting hernias in young children. It has been my practice to keep a supply of small rubber balloons in my office and to routinely, in the course of pediatric examination, ask the youngster to see if he can blow up the balloon. It seems that even the youngest toddlers are willing and able to attempt to blow up the balloon, with the exception of a very small minority who would probably be uncooperative in the face of any request. By employing this technique over the past several years, it has been possible for me to detect several inguinal hernias and one femeral hernia which had not been noted previously by the parent, in youngsters of pre-school age group.