SummaryThe survey of 35 cases of primary chronic adrenocortical insufficiency (Addison’s disease) in the adult, led to a reappraisal of the main features of this condition and to emphasize important practical aspects of its treatment. The aetiology was of the auto-immune type in the majority of cases, with frequent additional endocrine disorders that developed before as well as alter the onset of adrenocortical failure. For this reason alone, a systematic follow-up of patients with Addison’s disease is a must.