[HIV infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. I]

This is the first of three articles on AIDS, in which the story of HIV infection, its etiology and pathogenesis, its pathology and clinical features, and finally its hygienic-prophylactic measures will be reviewed in the light of our present knowledge. Although the subject has been amply illustrated by many writers, it has been deemed useful to review it in this journal in order to present readers with an account of what is known so far and what must be the subject of further rapidly evolving research.