The Rh Blood Groups and Their Clinical Effects

The discovery of the Rh factor in 1940 by Landsteiner and Wiener was followed in rapid succession by its application to blood transfusions by Wiener and Peters (1940) and to fetal erythroblastosis (now called preferably hemolytic disease of the newborn) by Levine (1941) who had already described, in 1939, an atypical hemagglutinin which he attributed to transplacental immunization of the mother by fetal antigen. British contributions began to appear in 1943, and since then investigators in both countries have shared in the progress. The three co-authors have been the leaders in the field of Rh investigation in Great Britain. The monograph is divided in three parts. Race, who has added so much to the knowledge of genetics of the various Rh types, wrote the first chapter on classification. The lucid presentation of the British nomenclature of Fisher-Race will interest those who are trying to make up their minds about the