Registration No. 33-_____

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C.  20549

                         ------------------------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      Under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                         ------------------------------


                               ABBOTT LABORATORIES
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

     Illinois                                                    36-0698440
(State or other jurisdiction of                              (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                              Identification No.)

     Abbott Laboratories                                         60064-3500
     100 Abbott Park Road                                         (Zip Code)
     Abbott Park, Illinois
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                    ABBOTT LABORATORIES STOCK RETIREMENT PLAN

                            (Full Title of the Plan)
                           --------------------------

                                 Jose M. de Lasa
                               Abbott Laboratories
                              100 Abbott Park Road
                        Abbott Park, Illinois  60064-3500
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
  Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service:  (708) 937-5200
                           --------------------------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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                                                      Proposed
                                     Proposed         Maximum
                                     Maximum          Aggregate     Amount of
Title of Securities   Amount to be   Offering Price   Offering      Registration
to be Registered      Registered     Per Share (a)    Price (a)     Fee (a)
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Common shares         12,000,000      $31.88       $382,560,000    $131,918.17
(without par value)

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(a)   In addition, pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933,
      this registration statement also covers an indeterminate amount of
      interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the employee benefit plan
      named herein.  The filing fee has been calculated in accordance with Rule
      457(c) based on the average of the high and low prices of registrant's
      Common Shares reported in the consolidated reporting system on
      December 14, 1994.

Exhibit Index
Located at Page 5                  Page 1 of 8



                                     PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.   INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The registration statement on Form S-8, File No. 33-50452, which was filed by
the registrant on August 4, 1992 with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
"Exchange Act") and any amendment or supplement thereto, is hereby incorporated
by reference in this Registration Statement.  The registration statement on Form
S-8, File No. 33-51585, which was filed by the registrant on December 20, 1993
with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act and any amendment or supplement
thereto, is hereby incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement.


All documents subsequently filed by the registrant with the Commission pursuant
to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, and 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the filing
of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all shares offered have been
sold or which deregisters all shares then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to
be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part
hereof from the date of filing of such documents.

Item 8.   EXHIBITS

The following are filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement:

5     Opinion of Jose M. de Lasa as to the legality of the securities being
      issued and the compliance of the Abbott Laboratories Stock Retirement
      Plan with the requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security
      Act of 1974.

23.1  The consent of Arthur Andersen LLP as to the use of their report and
      references to their firm.

23.2  The consent of counsel, Jose M. de Lasa, is included in his opinion.

24    Power of Attorney

                                   SIGNATURES

      THE REGISTRANT.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in unincorporated Lake County, and State of Illinois, on
December 15, 1994 .

                                            ABBOTT LABORATORIES


                                            By /s/  Duane L. Burnham
                                               --------------------------
                                               Duane L. Burnham,
                                               Chairman of the Board and
                                               Chief Executive Officer


                                   Page 2 of 8





      Each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Duane
L. Burnham and Jose M. de Lasa, Esq., and each of them, as his true and lawful
attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution,
for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any
and all amendments to this registration statement, and to file the same with all
exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the
Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and
authority to do and perform each act and thing requisite and necessary to be
done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his
substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

SIGNATURE                    TITLE                        DATE

/s/ Duane L. Burnham         Chairman of the Board,       December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Chief Executive Officer,
Duane L. Burnham             and Director of
                             Abbott Laboratories

/s/  K. Frank Austen         Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Laboratories
K. Frank Austen, M.D.

/s/  H. Laurance Fuller      Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Laboratories
H. Laurance Fuller

/s/  Bernard J. Hayhoe       Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Laboratories
Bernard J. Hayhoe

/s/  Thomas R. Hodgson       President, Chief Operating   December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Officer, and Director
Thomas R. Hodgson            of Abbott Laboratories

/s/  Allen F. Jacobson       Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Laboratories
Allen F. Jacobson

/s/ David A. Jones           Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Laboratories
David A. Jones

/s/  Boone Powell, Jr.       Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Laboratories
Boone Powell, Jr.

                             Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Laboratories
A. Barry Rand

/s/  W. Ann Reynolds         Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Laboratories
W. Ann Reynolds

/s/  William D. Smithburg    Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Laboratories
William D. Smithburg

/s/  John R. Walter          Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Laboratories
John R. Walter

/s/  William L. Weiss        Director of Abbott           December 15, 1994

- -------------------------    Laboratories
William L. Weiss


                                   Page 3 of 8




/s/  Gary P. Coughlan        Senior Vice President,       December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Finance and Chief
Gary P. Coughlan             Financial Officer
                             (Principal Financial
                             Officer) of Abbott
                             Laboratories

/s/  Theodore A. Olson       Vice President and           December 15, 1994
- -------------------------    Controller (Principal
Theodore A. Olson            Accounting Officer)
                             of Abbott Laboratories




      THE PLAN.  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
the trustees have duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in unincorporated Lake
County, and State of Illinois, on the  15th  day of  December, 1994.


                                         ABBOTT LABORATORIES STOCK
                                         RETIREMENT TRUST


                                    By   /s/  Thomas C. Freyman
                                         ---------------------------
                                         Thomas C. Freyman,
                                         Chairman of Trustees


                                    By   /s/  Gary P. Coughlan
                                         ---------------------------
                                         Gary P. Coughlan,
                                         Trustee


                                    By   /s/  Ellen M. Walvoord
                                         ---------------------------
                                         Ellen M. Walvoord,
                                         Trustee


                                   Page 4 of 8




                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



              EXHIBIT NO.               DESCRIPTION


                  5                        Opinion of Jose M. de Lasa, as to
                                           the legality of the securities
                                           being issued and the compliance
                                           of the Plan with the requirements
                                           of ERISA.

                  23.1                     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP
                                           as to the use of their report and
                                           references to their firm.

                  23.2                     The consent of counsel, Jose M. de
                                           Lasa, is included in his opinion.

                  24                       Power of Attorney is included on
                                           the signature page


                                   Page 5 of 8







December 15, 1994


Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Park, Illinois  60064-3500

and

Messrs. Thomas C. Freyman, and Gary P. Coughlan,
and Ms. Ellen M. Walvoord, Trustees of the Abbott
Laboratories Stock Retirement Trust

Gentlemen and Ms. Walvoord:

I have examined the Registration Statement on Form S-8 to which this is an
exhibit, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection
with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended of 12,000,000
common shares of Abbott Laboratories, without par value, and of an indeterminate
amount of interests to be offered or sold pursuant to the Abbott Laboratories
Stock Retirement Plan, all as described more fully in said Registration
Statement.  I have also examined copies of the Articles of Incorporation and
By-laws of Abbott Laboratories (the "Company"), as amended, the Abbott
Laboratories Stock Retirement Trust (hereinafter referred to as the "Trust") and
the Abbott Laboratories Stock Retirement Plan (hereinafter referred to as the
"Plan"), and all amendments to said Trust and Plan to the date hereof.  In
addition, I have made such other examinations and have ascertained or verified
to my satisfaction such additional facts as I deem pertinent under the
circumstances.

On the basis of such examinations, I am of the opinion that:

1.    Abbott Laboratories is a corporation duly organized and existing under the
      laws of the State of Illinois, with corporate power to own and operate the
      property now owned by it.

2.    The common shares to be offered and sold under the Plan may be (a) such as
      have been purchased for that purpose from the holders thereof; or (b) such
      as shall be newly issued by Abbott Laboratories, all as described more
      fully in said Registration Statement.  All legal and corporate proceedings
      necessary to the authorization and issuance of the common shares
      heretofore issued have been duly taken and such common shares have been
      legally issued, and when utilized for the purposes of the Plan according
      to the provisions thereof, will be legally issued, fully paid and
      nonassessable outstanding common shares of the Company.  As to such common
      shares as may be issued hereafter, either directly for the purposes of the
      Plan or issued for other purposes and then acquired from the holders, they
      will, upon due amendment of the Articles of Incorporation and due
      authorization of the Board of Directors, if required, and upon receipt of
      the consideration for said common shares specified by the Board of
      Directors, be legally issued and, when utilized for the purposes of the
      Plan according to the provisions thereof, be legally issued, fully paid
      and nonassessable outstanding common shares of the Company.


                                   Page 6 of 8




3.    The Plan has been duly and legally authorized and adopted and the Trust
      created to implement the Plan has been duly and legally authorized and
      created and is a valid Trust enforceable according to its terms under the
      laws of the State of Illinois and the participants in the Plan have valid
      beneficial interests in the Trust, subject to the terms of the Trust and
      the Plan.

4.    The Plan and Trust as amended to the date hereof comply with those
      requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 that
      are applicable to the same.


I hereby consent to the use of this legal opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Very truly yours,


/s/  Jose M. de Lasa

Jose M. de Lasa


                                   Page 7 of 8




                    CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

      As independent public accountants, we hereby consent to the incorporation
by reference in this registration statement of: (i) our supplemental report
dated January 14, 1994, included in the Abbott Laboratories Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 1993; (ii) our report dated January 14, 1994,
incorporated by reference in Abbott Laboratories Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 1993; and, (iii) our report dated April 16, 1994, included in
Abbott Laboratories Stock Retirement Plan Form 11-K for the year ended December
31, 1993, and to all references to our Firm included in this registration
statement.



                                          /s/ ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP
                                          --------------------------------------
                                          ARTHUR ANDERSEN LLP

Chicago, Illinois
December 15, 1994



                                   Page 8 of 8