A short review of infectious mononucleosis, with haematological and serological findings in 465 cases.

GLANDULAR FEVER, now known as infectious mononucleosis (I.M.), was described in children by Pfeiffer of Wiesbaden in 1889. Byers (1904) wrote of 33 cases in Northern Ireland, which occurred in the age group thirteen months to twenty-five years. An epidemic in a children's ward in Baltimore was reported by Burns (1909). The condition was well reviewed by Tidy and Morley (1921); and in 1923 Tidy and Daniel came to the conclusion that glandular fever was a clinical entity, an absolute lymphocytosis was usual and that it was the same condition described as 'infective mononucleosis'. A notable advance in diagnosis was made by Paul and Bunnell (1932), who found high concentrations of heterophil antibodies, in the form of sheep cell agglutinins, in the active stages of I.M. Since then important modifications by Davidsohn and Walker (1935) and Davidsohn (1937) have led to the development of the more accurate differential absorption test where the antibodies in I.M.