The Authors report on 10 subjects of the same family affected by a malformation of the ocular region, which may be classified in the group of the ptoses with blepharophimosis. These symptoms, always present, were variably accompanied by other malformations (dislocatio lateroversa canthi medialis, duplicity of the lower lacrimal points, « elongatio » of the lower canaliculi, limitation of the superior recti, synophrys, hypoplasia of the iris, of the caruncle, of the plica semilunaris and of the tarsus). The existence of a hereditary congenital malformation, which may be called «ptosis with blepharophimosis », is confirmed. In the cases reported this is probably transmitted by a dominance trait.

The Authors report on dizygotic twins of 7 months and of different sex. Both twins were affected by iris atrophy, which in the male was associated with buphthalmos acquired at about 6 months of age.

The hypothesis is made that the primitive heredity consists in the iris malformation and that in this case the buphthalmos is secondary to it.

A family beloging to an isolated locality of Latium and comprising 362 subjects was studied. Among these subjects 63 cases of variably complicated iris atrophy, which the Authors distinguish in three degrees according to the severity of the disease, were found and studied. From the nosological point of view, glaucoma and hydrophthalmus proved to occur as secondary manifestations of the iris atrophy in this family. From the genetic standpoint it was confirmed that the transmission of the disease occurs by a dominance trait and that it probably corresponds only to a couple of autosomic allelomorphs. The penetrance seems to be almost complete, while the expressivity may be very variable.

The genetic aspect of tubercular diseases has been studied for a long time, using the genealogical method, which had forerunners even in the field of narrative, where some Authors, such as Emile Zola, described families in which there was a high frequency of tuberculosis. Then, many Authors gave scientific descriptions of genealogical trees largely stricken by this disease, demonstrating the necessity of stating this problem: Although tuberculosis is originated by a microbe, it can also derive from a particularly receptive, inherited ground. The statistical research, in the hands of Person, Govaerts, Pearl, Ickert and Benze, Geissler and others, indicated that the question was legitimate and that the answer must be positive, because the probability of being affected by tuberculosis is four times higher when the parents, instead of being healthy, both have the disease; because among the ascendants of tuberculous people one finds six times more affected individuals than among those of healthy subjects; and for other similar reasons.

Then, the twin method, used by v. Verschuer, Diehl and Mittschrich, Kallmann and Reisner, by Heilinger and Kunsch, by Vaccarezza and Dutrey, by Kallmann and Jarvik and by others, emphasized the hereditary factor in tubercular diseases.

According to recommendations in radiation and mutation genetics, made in 1956 at the Copenhagen Meeting of a study group of the World Health Organization, a registration of hereditary traits and clinical syndromes is being carried out within the District of Münster, Province of Westfalia (Germany) since 1957. One of the pathological conditions included in this research program is microcephaly investigated from a clinical as well as from a genetic stand-point. The preliminary results of our study on microcephaly in man are given in this report.

The Authors describe the case of homozygous twins affected by sickle-cell anemia. The patients were physically similar and showed identical haematological findings. One of them had suffered often of severe sicklemic crisis during one of these appeared also a noticeable neurological complication.

Therefore the Authors discuss the pathogenesys of sickle-cell anemia according to the modern views.

A deaf-mute boy of 14 years, who was examined owing to his poor progress in the special school for the deaf-mute, proved to be one of a twin. Both boys were born 6 weeks before the normal term by breach presentation at the end of an uncomplicated pregnancy. There was one placenta. The mother had noticed A's deafness when he was 11 weeks old, as he did not react to street noises as his brother did. The twin brother B is deaf in the right ear; he attends the secondary school and his performance is average.