Herrick's original description of sickle cell anemia1 stimulated great interest in its genesis, course and treatment, and various aspects of the disease in Negroes have been reported.2 Later it was encountered in the white race. Of all reported cases of its occurrence in white persons, only 133 withstood careful scrutiny as to their authenticity with regard to the presence or absence of sickling, elliptic cells or ovalocytes or whether or not there was evidence of admixture of Negro blood.4
The purpose of this report is to point out the value of splenic puncture and the study of splenic tissue for evidence of sickling in those cases in which it is not apparent in the peripheral blood stream and also to record instances of sickling in 2 additional white families. The ancestors of both families were born and lived in Italy. Family F. originated in Vizzini in