[Medial necrosis of the pulmonary artery in ruptured aneurysm].

Fifty years ago the first author of this paper described the entity known as idiopathic medial necrosis of the aorta. The present report describes two cases of ruptured aneurysm of the main pulmonary artery. The histologic alterations of the arterial wall were the same as in the much more common aneurysms of the aorta, viz.

[Significance of internal medicine for geriatrics--independent gerontology].

An overview is given of the evolution of gerontology in the German-speaking regions, which really began only after the Second World War. Geriatrics had no support from the official societies of internal medicine, who regarded it only as one of their specialties. Prominent in its future were always not only important developing geriatric cases in some medical university clinics, but the problems of the elderly for the caring heads of medical outpatients' clinics, old peoples' homes and nursing homes.

[Longitudinal aging research over 20 years. Electrocardiogram, blood pressure, body weight, pulse wave velocity, accommodation latitude and retinal arteries of the eye].

We report on a longitudinal study of 80 men - from 10-60 years old at the beginning of the study - in the period 1955-1975, giving the results of ECG, blood pressure, body weight, vital capacity and other measures. A striking change was noted in the ECG, with the axis deviation shifting with age to the left. It is highly significant that the QRS-complex remained stationary, giving an individual indication for the entire life-time.

[Infectious diseases and pneumonias in advanced age in morbidity statistics].

Based on the new statistics of diagnoses from over 7 700 000 cases each year of the Swiss Hospital Association it can be demonstrated that all infectious diseases can also occur in the older age up of 65 years. Statistical data are given for each single infection. The morbidity of old people is rarely seized in contrary to mortality.

[The longevity of a Swiss family during 200 years (author's transl)].

The longevity of a Swiss family with 867 descendants during 200 years from 1778-1980 is given in detail. The lifetime of 65 years or more was reached by 178 members, whilst in the years from 0-64 years 125 died and 564 are just today on life. 49% of the family members reached 70 years or more, all these born before 1910, in which period the average life-time at birth was between 49-52 years.

[Introduction to the "Guidelines of Medical Ethics" of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences].

The guidelines of medical ethic are recommendations of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences to the medical doctors to overcome the difficulties of medicine and modern technics and social problems. In an introduction the duties of the physician and his behaviour in the hippocratic mind are exposed, without asking for an oath. The recommendations give I.

[Smoking and mortality in Swiss physicians: results of an 18-year survey].

A prospective mortality study of tobacco smoking of Swiss physicians is reported over a period of 18 years (1955-1973). The mortality rate increases with the intensity of the daily smoking quantity, going till to the double of non-smokers. This elevation is not seen in late smokers.

[Imported diseases, the epidemiological challenge of communicable diseases (author's transl)].

Imported infectious diseases being seen more often in consequence of intensive human contacts with developing countries through labourers and tourists, but also in consequence of immigration and of import of exotic diseases and of food, favoured by the quick air traffic, can be divided into 5 groups: 1. Imported diseases from the tropics (exotic diseases) 2. Imported agents from the tropics with human infection in the native country 3.