CHOLESTEROL STUDIES IN SYPHILIS

Abstract

Variations in the cholesterol content of the blood in syphilis have been the subject of interesting research by Pighini,¹Henes²and others.³All these data are valuable, but they are few. In order to be able to make a more definite deduction, we have undertaken to examine this problem in greater detail. There are a number of procedures for the determination of cholesterol.⁴Of these, we chose that recommended by Myers and Wardell.⁵With a few modifications, it became comparatively simple to handle about a hundred determinations a day. The details of the technic are described in a paper received for publication by the<i>Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine</i>. Thus equipped, we set out to determine the cholesterol content of normal blood, for without it no deductions could be made regarding pathologic variations. None of the values recorded in the literature could be used,