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SUMMARY Discriminant function analysis was used to determine the optimum combination of haematological and biochemical tests which gave the best discrimination between hospital patients with high and low alcohol intakes. We studied 265 patients with alcohol-related disease, 133 gastroenterology outpatients drinking less than 20 g of alcohol per day, and 104 patients with a variety of non-alcoholic liver disease. Values of mean cell volume (MCV), serum bilirubin, aspartate transaminase, serum alkaline phosphatase (AP) and y glutamyl transferase (yGT), serum albumin, serum globulin, and uric acid were determined in each patient. The best discrimination between the three groups of patients was provided by a combination of mean corpuscular volume, log1o yGT, and log1o serum alkaline phosphatase. In women, 92% of the high alcohol group, 100% of the low alcohol group, and 87% of the non-alcoholic liver disease were correctly allocated by the discriminant analysis. The corresponding figures for the men were 80%, 100%, and 71%. Thus, over 80% ofpatients with excessive alcohol intake were correctly allocated by the use of three simple laboratory tests.Alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom has been increasing rapidly with an accompanying rise in the prevalence of alcohol-related diseases. As recognition of these patients is often difficult, there is a need for simple laboratory investigations to help identify those patients whose illness is associated with excessive alchol intake.The most widely used tests for this purpose are standard liver function tests, Vy glutamyl transferase (yGT), and mean cell volume (MCV) as measured using an electronic cell counter. Although yGT is a sensitive indicator of excessive alcohol intake, it is also raised in a variety of non-alcoholic liver diseases.' We have found mean cell volume to be raised in approximately 80% of hospital patients with excessive alcohol consumption

Summary The effect is described of maternal factors on the proportion of fetal chromosomal anomalies in a series of 2620 spontaneous abortions, of which 992 specimens were karyotyped. Maternal age was the most important factor associated with a rise in the proportion abnormal, followed by Social Class I or II and the use of oral contraception before conception. The problem of extrapolating from the proportion abnormal to absolute incidence of anomalies is discussed. In the case of increasing maternal age, the evidence suggests that the rise in incidence of spontaneous abortions with age is accounted for by an increased incidence of chromosomally abnormal fetuses. In the case of high social class and a history of oral contraception, the evidence on incidence is scanty and the rise in the proportion abnormal may either reflect a decrease in the abortion rate of chromosomally normal fetuses, or a small increase in the incidence of lethal chromosomal anomalies.