A statistical report has recently been published of the first census of mal del pinto in the republic of Mexico. The commission which undertook this ambitious work was formed in 1929, under the leadership of Dr. Jesús Gonzáles Urueña. The volume of one hundred and seventy-one pages, containing detailed statistics, was published by the Department of Public Health.1 The information was obtained partly by public health officials and partly by means of a questionnaire sent to practicing physicians in the affected areas.
In spite of great difficulties, which were recognized by the commission, information of value was obtained concerning various manifestations of the disease and its possible etiology. It was apparently not feasible to carry out Wassermann tests on a large scale, which would have been of great value, in view of the fact that in this disease the incidence of a positive reaction is practically the same as