in 1945 Jackman and Lubert (1) reported that they had noted a frequent association between syphilitic aortitis and calcification of the ascending aorta. Their series of cases appeared to demonstrate that, while calcification of the ascending aorta appears on routine roentgenograms of the chest in only about 25 per cent of the cases of syphilitic aortitis, it is a valuable diagnostic sign when present. The only previous mention of this finding which they (or the present writer) were able to find in the literature were the casual statements of Snellen (3) and Schatzki (4). These authors merely reported figures and impressions and made no effort at statistical analysis. The article of Jackman and Lubert led the present writer to investigate the serology and clinical cardiac findings in several cases showing calcification in the ascending aorta on routine admission chest roentgenograms. These patients were found to have positive Wassermann reactions and in one case a definite aortic insufficiency. The suggestion of syphilitic aortitis on the basis of this sign was skeptically received and consequently the present study was undertaken. The material is divided into three groups. Group I consists of all of the cases of syphilitic aortitis, proved at autopsy, which could, be found locally, in which chest roentgenograms were available. Group II consists of all cases of clinically diagnosed syphilitis aortitis with chest roentgenograms. Group III is made up of consecutive cases in which calcification of the ascending aorta was demonstrated on routine chest examination. Pertinent information on each patient was carefully tabulated. The individual case data are omitted because of space limitations. Analysis of Findings For the purposes of control, 400 roentgenograms of the chest were examined. These were consecutive cases drawn from a routine file, unselected except for age and sex. Distribution by age and sex was made to correspond to that of the combined clinical and autopsy groups in which syphilis was present. Calcification of the ascending aorta was found in 2 cases in this control group, an incidence of 0.5 per cent. Twenty autopsy protocols of cases with a definite diagnosis of syphilitic aortitis and with chest roentgenograms were available. Of these, 11 showed calcification of the type under consideration. In 2 of the 11, aneurysm was present. Two other cases showed aneurysm without calcification. Therefore, 9 of 18 cases, or 50 per cent of cases of aortitis without aneurysm, proved at autopsy, showed calcification in the ascending aorta. There were 39 cases in which the diagnosis of syphilitic aortitis had been made at the University Hospital or the Minneapolis General Hospital. Of these, 21 showed the calcification in question. Four of the 21 were felt to have aneurysms of the aorta. Omitting these, 17 cases, or 43 per cent of the total number, showed calcification. Of the total number 66 per cent had positive Wassermann reactions.