Abstract
Since the first observations of hypoplastic and aplastic thalidomide deformities in infants (McBride, 1961; Lenz, 1962), the literature on this subject has grown to many hundreds of communications. Experimental investigations in almost all cases have been undertaken to show whether thalidomide and its metabolites have any teratogenic effects in experimental animals. Numerous review papers are available on this subject, e.g. Giroud, Tuchmann-Duplessis & Mercier-Parot (1962), Somers (1963), and Salzgeber & Wolff (1964).