Many years ago when Rowntree and Geraghty1 were investigating the elimination of phenolsulphonphthalein in abnormal renal conditions, it was observed that certain cases of intoxication in pregnancy showed an unusually high degree of elimination. It was suspected that these obstetric cases were complicated by some abnormality of the liver, which interested Dr. Whipple, who at that time was occupied with a study of experimental chloroform poisoning and hepatic injury.2
Subsequently, on several occasions in experiments dealing with experimental chloroform poisoning in dogs, it was observed that the renal elimination of phthalein was unusual. This applied to both phenolsulphonphthalein (renal function) and phenoltetrachlorphthalein (hepatic function3). Preliminary experiments recently (1926) carried out in this laboratory by Dr. D. J. Stephens and Dr. F. S. Hassett, were in accord with those tabulated in this paper. During the following year (1927), Dr. J. M. Scott and Dr. D. A. Weir completed