The Schönlein-Henoch syndrome (anaphylactoid purpura) compared with certain features of nephritis and rheumatism.

The aetiology of acute rheumatism and acute nephritis is still not fully understood and even less is known about the Schonlein-Henoch sN-ndrome. Gairdner (1948) drew attention to certain similarities between the Schonlein-Henoch sy-ndrome. acute haemorrhagic glomerulo-nephritis. acute rheumatism and periariteritis nodosa. He suggested that an upper respiratorstract infection associated w-ith the haemol\-tic streptococcus preceded the first three of these conditions so commonlyas to suggest bacterial hvpersensitix ity as an aetiological factor. He postulated that these conditions wxere related and that the pathological lesions had a x-ascular basis. This studaims at enlarging upon some of the points raised byGairdner. using large series of cases from southern Scotland.