On the simplified Zondek-Aschheim reaction and its practical significance

Zondek-Aschheim's biological response is one of the brilliant chapters of endocrinology's advances over the past ten years. At the present moment, thanks to this reaction, we are able to almost accurately establish the diagnosis of pregnancy even in those early periods when there is still no possibility of determining such by other research methods. In a short period of time (since 1927), this reaction has become widespread, due to the minimum percentage of errors with it. So, based on the questionnaire material Deut. m. Woch. (No. 51, 1929), Wagner received 451 positive answers out of 459 cases, Hornung — in 98% of cases, Pankow — in 100% of cases, Martins — out of 74 cases. 73 positive answers, Kehrer — in 100% of cases. According to our personal data, in 98% of cases we got a positive (correct) answer. The very authors of this reaction, Zondek and Aschheim, speak of the minimum percentage of errors bordering on zero.