Two recent deaths due to hemorrhagic encephalitis in pregnant women resulting from the use of an arsenical compound prompted a study of the whole question of the treatment of syphilis in pregnancy. This investigation dates back to Jan. 1, 1937, and the material includes all clinic patients receiving antisyphilitic therapy, all patients admitted to the hospital with complications following treatment and, for comparison, all obstetric deaths and all nonpregnant women of the same age group (20 to 35 years) under treatment in the same clinic. No distinction was made between Negro and white patients. The pregnant women were divided according to the trimester of pregnancy in which treatment was begun. Fatal cases are reported in detail.
In preparing this report, we encountered many sources of error, and our results must necessarily be interpreted in a liberal sense. The outstanding error is the manner of comparison by reactions per thousand injections,