The Authors descrive a case of ten-year-old dizygotic triplets (two monozygotic males and one female) of which the dizygotic twins on concordantely affected by congenital alopecia acromo-trichosis and transverse palmar line.

The findings are connected with a double hereditary disease (epilepsy and another ailment of the nervous system) found in the triplet's family tree.

The Authors point out that in the literature this si the first reported case of concordant alopecia congenita on monozygotic twins and that the term congenital alopecia might be very well be changed into hereditary alopecia.

The Authors have studied two sibs, 20 and 6 years of age respectively, which show hereditary cheratosis of the palms and sales, with spots of cheratosis in other loci too, in addition to dental dystrophia and expulsive gingivitis.

From the genetical point of view the most important factor is that neither parent is affected by the condition which on the other hand is generally considered as dominant.

The Authors suppose that the morbid genotype comes from the father's side of the family tree.

In the course of study and publication of various aspects of natality and birth statistics, the writer has had occasion to unearth and compile the reports and records of quintuplet and sextuplet births which have occurred in the United States. Seventeen cases of such quintuplet births have been found, mostly well attested; and five of sextuplets, two well attested and three not completely verified.

The source, character, and reliability of the information on which the records of quintuple and other high multiple births are based are matters for careful consideration and evaluation.

Of the 17 quintuplet cases here reported 12 may be accepted as well verified: either on the authority of the attending physicians by their reports published in medical journals, by formal certification of the births to public registries of vital statistics, and statements obtained by personal correspondence. Most of the cases were reported in the newspapers; but such accounts, especially of local and contemporary cases, publicised by responsible newspapers and news-gathering agencies, may usually with due discrimination be accepted as quite reliable, especially when substantiated by photographs or verifiable from other sources. The information concerning one case is derived from a newspaper account which there is no reason to question; two of the cases (1826) were reported in a high-class newspaper nearly a year later from the physician's old records; one news story is quite hearsay in character; and one case is based on family statements lacking in specific details.

The case is described of monozygotic twins similarly affected with a form of cerebellar atrophy characterized by primary lesions of the granular layer. The clinical and pathologic aspects of the disease are briefly discussed and the role of genetic factors in the determination of the condition emphasized.

The suitability and reliability of the Rh-Antigens is being discussed in details in the light of a great number of forensic serologic tests carried out in our Institute in cases of discussed parentage (859 contracting parties, 1251 males involved).

The frequency of paternity exclusions observed does greatly conform with the frequency expected. Differences noted are either very small or are in the range of standard deviation.

Authors emphasize that it is necessary to repeat the test especially if a criminal case is concerned or if an accused father can be excluded.

1. Investigations carried out on twins and the families have revealed that within the major group of brain gliomatosis and glioblastomatosis there is a minor group (up to day) of accumulated familiar clinical cases.

Topographically, they are tumours localized in the region of the ventricular germinative centres, that is to say, in the background of the brain (they are not cortical gliomas!). They depend on the disturbances and inhibition of the matricial cellules on the ventricular wall towards the cerebral cortex. Histologically they are considered as dysplasias with a blastomatosis character, that is to say, neoplastological productions on an heredogenetic basis the cause of which lies in histological disorders, disontoge-netic, and therefore, congenital.

2. A work hypothesis is settled and established according to wich 2 factors at least are necessary for the formation of a tumour: a local one, hereditary: the neuroglial dyplasia in the region of the ventricular germinal centres with a tendency to tumours degeneration; and another or several general factors dependent on endogenous and exogenous influences, which on account of a disturbance of the general constitution (for example, hormone mechanisms of puberty, of the premenopause and of the beginning of the involution) which would allow the tumour to develop starting with the tumours genetic disposition.

3. At the present time it is not known whether the genesis causing this neuroglial dyplasia and the concomitant malformations of other organs, sonsists in the mutation of a gen, since so far the gen is ignored as well the pleotropic effet of the action developed by the gen.

4. The fact, that within the major group, in the majority of cases evidently not hereditary of gliomatosis and glioblastomatosis, there should appear a minor group, hereditary, must be considered, within the general investigation of the neoplasias, as a further proof that the essential thing of the hereditary predisposition to the development of tumours, must be considered as a specific local factor.

5. The attention is called to the possible existence, within the astrocytomes of a small hereditary group of familial cases.

6. The casuistry so far known has been enlarged with 20 cases (discordant) of twins and 6 observation in families which were compiled at the Neurological Clinic of Miinster Westfalen University.

On the basis of serological observations in male twins of group A2 with irregular Anti-A1 (α1,) agglutinins in the serum the possibility of an inheritance of these antibodies is indicated. Further additional five individual observations are included.

Simultaneously it was possible to obtain in the above indicated twins a triple group-and factor paternity exclusion.

The following is proposed:

1. To place on a broad basis the examination of the inheritance of irregular Anti-A1 -Agglutinin.

2. To evaluate the previous «exceptions» to the rules of genetics concerning the system of blood groups and blood factors in the light of the currently known serological and anthropological armentarium.

Report about the problem of hereditary and non-hereditary causes of some typical human malformations by genes and phenocopies.

The example of mongolism shows that besides a genetical cause in some cases the opinion of a «dysplasmatical» origin in others is well proved.

Malformations of the medullar part of central nervous system, especially their severest forms as anencephaly and spina bifida aperta can be inhereted or non inhereted.

The German statistics after last world war (especially in the Russian zone) show, that anencephaly and spina bifida are most phenocopies.

Harelip and cleft palate are inhereted in the rule.Phenocopies are rare.

Malformations of the extremities are more inhereted than non inhereted. There are phenocopies, but more seldom than pathological genes. Their possibility is also given by the example of the well known experiments.

1. We discuss previous casuistic reports published until now on twins suffering from hereditary deafness of the dominant type.

2. One case of hereditary deafness in a pair of monozygotic twins is reported, the twins showing no considerable difference in their acustical defect.

Prove that deafness in this case was conditioned by heredity and did not arise from an explosion, is given by the mono-zygozity of the patients.

3. It is imperative that each case of questioned hereditary deafness described above should be controlled by audiometric test.

The a gives a general survey of the cardinal signs of the dysostosis mandibulo-facialis described, 1944, by A. Franceschetti and P. Zwahlen, and mention the 11 familial types of this clinical picture. He adds his 12th family where the father and two children are afflicted with the same dysmorphosis of the mandibulofacial type.

A comparative of the show the malformations of the thre members of this family. The diagnosis dith the new type of dysostosis described by Ullrich and Fremery-Dohna is also mentionned.

Two cases of cudden non-traumatic death associated with physical exertion in identical twins. The one observation concerned a famous rugby player who died immediately after a competitive game. Autopsy revealed cardiac hypertrophy and advanced myocardial fibrosis, excess lymphoid tissue, a larghe thymus gland with active Hassals bodies and hydronephrosis of the left kindney. A twin brother of the deceased died at about the same time during swimming. The second instance was studied by O'Brien. It refers to a man age 26 who died during physical work on the farm (pulling sugar beets). Post mortem examination showed a hemmorrahagic cyst with a pigmented wall and a thrombosed aneurysm of the left middle cerebral artery which had leaked. An identical twin brother of this man had died a short time previously while playing tennis.