IN the last century, Meltzer and Welch (1884) had already noticed haeniolysis of erythrocytcs of oxen caused by mechanical trauma. Later, Rous aiid Turner (19 16) investigated erythrocytes of shecp arid dogs and found the resistance to shaking to bc quite unrelated to osmotic rcsistancc. These findtngs, howevcr, drew no further attention until 1944, when Slien, Castle aiid Fleming considered this phcnomcnon of mechanical haemolysis again and described a quantitative method for its mcasuremcnt. They observcd an cnhanced mechanical fragility of erythrocytcs in congenital haemolytic jaundice (hcrcditary sphcrocytosis) and the test was introduced into clinical laboratorics for the &fferential diagnosis of haemolytic disorders. Sincc thcn the method has becn modified by Young (1947), Maicr (I~so), Matthes (rgjo), Gardner, McElfrcsh, Harris and Diamond (1951)~ Tolentino ( I 95
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