Studies on the Masai.

scription of the study was published in the May issue of the Archives of Pathology, 1971 (2). The authors have been invited to write an editorial summarizing their experience for this journal. First of all, we would like to say a few words as to the genesis of such a research project. One of our group, Dr. K. Biss, served in a “mobile hospital” (a medically equipped Volkswagen) in Masailand as a volunteer physician under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Health of Kenya during 1965. He was then fully aware of the low serum cholesterol levels and total absence of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease among the Masai, in spite of their unusual but customary diet composed entirely of animal fat, carbohydrates, and proteins, as first reported by Mann et al. (3). Mann, Shaffer and Rich (4) believed that this might be due to freedom from emotional stress and an abundance of physical exercise. However, Dr. Biss was not