[The change of the weight of the pineal gland by formalin-fixation (author's transl)].

The weights of 94 human pineal glands were submitted a 3-day-fixation in 10 per cent neutralized formalin, resulting in a loss in weight in one half of the pineal glands and in an increase in weight in the other. After fixation of 4 weeks the difference between actual and initial weight had diminished, only 10.6 per cent of the pineal glands showed a difference larger than +/- 10 per cent. Therefore, the weights of formalin-fixated pineal glands may be used in statistical comparisons. The question why the weights change differently cannot be answered by us.