As a part of a general investigation of the organic functions in schizophrenia (Hoskins and others1), a study was undertaken of the sedimentation rate of erythrocytes. For the past decade this reaction has been recognized as a sensitive index of damage to tissue or of infection. The elaborate series of tests utilized seemed to assure the detection of complicating physical illnesses. With the elimination from the study, of patients with other diseases, it was thought that if any elevation of the sedimentation rate was found, it could be attributed to factors inherent in the psychosis.
An examination of the literature on the application of this test in schizophrenia shows a marked lack of consistency of results. The sedimentation rate has been found to be retarded,2 normal3 or increased.4 It has been noted to vary during different stages of the illness, having a normal value in the