2. What is the frequency of syphilitic involvement in the mate and children of paretics? In our series, we have found that about 15% of the marriages where one member develops paresis, result in sterility; that in 18% abortions, miscarriages and stillbirths occur; and that in 15% positive W. R. is obtained. We have adopted the motto: “=The families of paretics are the families of syphilitics.=” =Neurosyphilis: question of marriage.= =Case 98.= Mr. Jacobs’ wife was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of general paresis. A few weeks after her admission, she died as a result of her disease. According to our routine, her husband and the children were examined for evidences of syphilis. Mr. Jacobs’ blood serum was found on repeated tests to be positive. He resolutely denied any knowledge of a syphilitic involvement, but it was later learned from his brother that about two years before his marriage—that is, more than 25 years before we saw him—he had acquired syphilis and had had a very small amount of treatment. Mr. Jacobs was put upon antisyphilitic treatment in the form of injections of .3 gram of salvarsan every two weeks with occasional intramuscular injections of mercury salicylate. After seven months of treatment, the blood serum still remained positive. At about this time, the patient came to us to ask about getting married again. He said that he was living with his sister, who kept telling him that he was the cause of his wife’s death, and this was so unpleasant that he desired to start a home for himself again! 1. What advice should be given? It is a general opinion that the longer the period after the initial infection, the less the chances of infecting a partner. This chance is further reduced under antisyphilitic treatment, of which a considerable amount had been given in the case of Mr. Jacobs. However, when one considers the trickiness of syphilis and the fact that there is some chance of infection, which we would apparently overlook if we gave him permission to marry at this time, the only possible course was to tell the patient that he should not consider marriage until his Wassermann had become negative and remained so for some time. The children in this case were negative.