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Diisopropylfluorophosphonate (DFP) is a drug which has been made available for physiological and pharmacological investigation as a result of researches carried out on the alkylfluorophosphonates by McCombie and Saunders (1946) for the Ministry of Supply. The anticholinesterase action of these compounds was recognized in 1941 by Adrian, Feldberg, and Kilby (1947). Later, Mackworth and Webb (1948) showed that DFP was the most active of such compounds, its anticholinesterase activity being 30 times that of eserine from which it also differs in inhibiting the enzyme irreversibly. DFP Table I.Thirteen schizophrenics and nine manic depressives were given a total dosage of 13 mg. of DFP over a period of seven days (1 mg. on the first day, 2 mg. on each succeeding day). The drug was also administered-to the remaining four schizophrenics over a longer period, averaging 37 days, using a mean total dosage of 43 mg.To assist in evaluating the results obtained in the psychotic patients an attempt was made to administer an equivalent dosage of the drug to 10 normal subjects, but in six of these not more than 7 mg. could be given because of severe symptoms. The administration of large doses of atropine to the remaining four subjects considerably reduced the incidence of these symptoms, but it was possible to give the total dosage of 13 mg. to two subjects only, the others tolerating 11. and 7 mg. respectively. Regular psychiatric, physical, and EEG examinations were carried out during the investigation and estimations were made of the true and pseudocholinesterase activity of the venous blood,

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