Methods have been presented for the determination of main-line index and transversality of the distal plantar ridges. For studying the collective main-line formula, a scheme of ‘modal types’ for the four main lines has been introduced. The computation of the summational main-line index has been made possible by devising a scheme of numerical values for the various terminations of main lines D and A. Cases where the main line D or A is abortive or non-existent should be eliminated from the assessment of main-line index. The degree of transversality should be determined from the percentage proportion of the mean main-line index with the maximum possible index.

187 patients suffering from renal lithiasis have been examined to find out an association with ABO blood groups. It has been found that the incidence of Renal Lithiasis is comparatively higher in the patients of blood group A than in those of blood group O. The difference in percentage ratios A/(A+0)% in patients and controls is 17.96; the χ2 17.4331 for one degree of freedom shows that it differs from unity significantly. The frequencies of renal lithiasis in persons of blood group A against those of B, O and AB are 1.91, 1.59 and 1.31 respectively.

Twin and pedigree data are presented which indicate that relative length of hallux and adjacent second toe is based on simple Mendelian genetic factors. The normal anatomical trait involves two alleles and a single autosomal locus. The factor for relatively long hallux is recessive to the one for relatively long second toe. There is no evidence of sex influence. Penetrance is 100%. Expressivity is variable, and bilateral discordance is observed in a minority of heterozygous subjects. In every such case, the dominant genotype is expressed in the right foot. The recessive and dominant phenotypes occur, respectively, in 76% and 24% of the greater Cleveland area Caucasian population. Gene frequencies in this population are 87% and 13%, respectively, for the recessive and dominant allele.

M, N, S and P factors have been studied in a selected sample of the Rome population. A comparison of the findings with the sofar available data shows that the distribution of the examined factors is not influenced by the variations of the geographic position in Italy. The frequency of the « s » factor also appears to be greatly higher than that of « S ».

A case of puberal goiter in a pair of monozygotic twins is described. The striking similarity in the clinical and laboratory findings, including the histological pattern, is emphasised. The possibility that an hereditary factor plays a part in the pathogenesis of goiter is discussed.

The plantar dermatoglyphic prints of 125 male and 125 female Panjabi Indians have been studied in order to determine the relative incidence of symmetry and asymmetry.

Females tend to possess a higher degree of symmetry than males. On the contrary, asymmetry shows a preponderence in males.

The differences between males and females are statistically significant when total symmetry is compared to total asymmetry, or when a comparison is made between the three groups of S and A. However, when the total symmetry and the rest of the combinations taken together are studied statistically, the differences appear to be of doubtful significance.

Runts were observed in the offspring of mice which were injected, when newborn, with foreign bone marrow cells. The incidence of runting in the litters obtained from crosses between injected females and injected males was higher than in the litters obtained from crosses between injected females and normal males.

A description is made of a Caucasian family of Lithuanian and Italian ancestry living in Pôrto Alegre, Brazil, in which there is segregation of the gene which conditions the type of thalassemia which does not raise the fraction A2. The information obtained involves four generations in a total of thirty four individuals, eight of which were examined. Tests about the concentration of serum iron and the iron-binding capacity of thalassemic individuals resulted normal.

The hemoglobin pattern of 18 inbred strains of mice was studied by starch-gel electrophoresis. In 7 strains (C57BL/10, C57BL/6, C57BR/cd, C57L, C58, SWR, and SEC/1Re) the electrophoretic pattern was found to be of single-band type: in the remaining 11 strains (AKR, DBA/1, DBA/2, CBA, C3H/He, C3HeB/Fe, Fl/1Re, RF, 129, A, and A/He), 6 components were constantly observed when the electrophoretic run was carried out for 20 hours. Hemoglobin from late C57BL/6 fetuses showed an electrophoretic pattern identical to that of the adult animal. Hemoglobin from AKR and DBA/2 late fetuses and newborns showed an electrophoretic pattern similar to that of the adult animal, but the slowest band was more intensely stained as compared with the corresponding band of the adult animal.

Taste thresholds for phenylthiourea were measured among 58 Caucasoid subjects affected with both tuberculosis and leprosy. The frequency of non-tasters among them (12.1%) is significantly lower than that found among healthy controls (24.7%) but not different from the frequency of non-tasters among tuberculous patients (14.1%) or leprous patients (19.6%). These results suggest a correlation between taste ability to phenylthiourea and the constitutional susceptibility to tuberculosis and leprosy.