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Funkenstein and his co-workers have reported extensively upon the use of the epinephrine-methacholine (Mecholyl) test as a prognostic aid in electroconvulsive therapy, 1 but did not extend their early observation that the diagnostic grouping by this means was not a random one. 2 Hoskins commented upon sympathetic underresponsivity in schizophrenia, 3 and there are also reports of similar reduction of activity in the parasympathetic system of depressive patients. 4 We therefore tested the blood pressure responses to these two drugs in patients with schizophrenia, endogenous depression, and mixed neuroses. Method and Subjects This method has been previously reported. 5 All subjects were given epinephrine and methacholine (Mecholyl) on separate days. The 21 schizophrenics ranged in age from 16 to 49 years, with a mean of 35.1 years. The 22 patients with endogenous depression ranged in age from 26 to 56 years, with a mean of 47.9 years. The 25 patients
R. Bruce Sloane (Wed,) studied this question.