THIS STUDY DESCRIBES THE PSYCHOTROPIC EFFECTS OF A COMPARATIVELY NEW DRUG, SULPYRIDE, WHICH HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY USED IN FRANCE AND ITALY SINCE 1960 TO TRAIT GASTRIC ULCER AND DIZZINESS SYMPTOMS. DAILY DOSES OF SULPYRIDE WERE ADMINISTERED IN AN ITALIAN PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL TO EIGHT CRIMINALLY INSANE INMATES SUFFERING FROM AGGRESSION AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. WITHIN 5 DAYS, PATIENTS APPEARED TO LOSE ALL AGGRESSION URGES AND TO BECOME WELL ADJUSTED IN THEIR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS AND EVEN IN WORK SITUATIONS, TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY WERE GRANTED WORK RELEASES, IN SOME CASES RELEASED ALTOGETHER. HOWEVER, SULPYRIDE WAS FOUND TO BE STRICTLY A MAINTENANCE DRUG, WHOSE BENEFICIAL EFFECTS CEASED THE MOMENT THE PATIENTS STOPPED TAKING IT. SULPYRIDE ALSO DID NOT SEEM TO PRODUCE ANY HARMFUL SIDE EFFECTS OR TO SEDATE THE PATIENTS IN ANY WAY. IN OTHER WORDS, THE DRUG APPEARED TO RELIEVE THE SYMPTOMS OF AGGRESSION AND SCHIZOPHRENIA, WITHOUT CURING THE UNDERLYING PATHOLOGY, BUT ACTING ONLY UPON THE ETIOLOGY OF AGGRESSION. THE EFFICACY OF THIS DRUG POINTED TO THE HORMONAL CORRELATIONS OF AGGRESSION. AT PRESENT, HOWEVER, NOT ENOUGH IS KNOWN ABOUT SULPYRIDE TO ANSWER LEGAL AND MORAL QUESTIONS CONNECTED WITH THE USE OF BEHAVIOR-MODIFICATION DRUGS. ITALIAN, FRENCH, ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND GERMAN SUMMARIES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE APPENDED. -- IN ITALIAN.