THE TREATMENT of hypertension in the past has been generally unsatisfactory, despite the introduction of many and varied forms of therapy. In the last few years, however, the purification of the Veratrum alkaloids and the synthesis of several new compounds which produce ganglionic or adrenergic blockade has led to a more specific approach to the treatment of hypertension. Increasing effort is being exerted to find an effective agent which will lower blood pressure and thus arrest the progression of the disease. Frequently, reports by original investigators are very enthusiastic, yet when the drugs are distributed for general use the results cannot be duplicated. This has been particularly true when the preliminary drug evaluation was carried out on hospitalized patients who were under strict control of highly specialized investigative teams. Failure of physicians in general office practice to reduplicate the results is largely due to the fact that exact control of