THE BLOOD SEDIMENTATION TEST AS A ROUTINE DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURE; A CLINICAL EVALUATION OF 2063 CASES *

T H E blood sedimentation test, one of the oldest and simplest of the lab-oratory procedures, was reestablished as a test for pregnancy by Fahraeus * in 1918. Although the specificity of the test for pregnancy was soon dis-proved, the procedure has received much attention since that time. In this country it has been used most frequently as a special rather than as a routine procedure. The larger portion of the literature dealing with the sedimentation test has been concerned with the factors influencing the rate, the various methods of determination, and the results obtained from the use of the test in certain diseases. Few authors have recorded observations based upon the routine use of the test. Cutler 2 reported his experience with the sedimentation test based upon the study of 5,000 cases observed in hospital, dispensary, and office practice. Schattenberg3 used the sedimentation test as a routine procedure in 1,100 cases consisting of applicants for health cards in the Dallas City Health Department, and patients in the outpatient dispensary o