63 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



suffering from Addison's disease eliminate appreciable quantities 

 of this substance. In the following year Albanese found that 

 a dose of i milligram of neurine is always fatal to a decapsu- 

 lated frog, while it takes four times that amount to kill one in 

 the normal condition. From these results Marino-Zuco and 

 Albanese concluded that Addison's disease and the effects of 

 artificial destruction of the suprarenals are due to neurine 

 intoxication. The work of numerous other experimentalists 

 leaves no doubt as to the protective antitoxic action of the 

 suprarenal capsules, though it is uncertain whether this is 

 effected by removal of specific toxic substances, or by the 

 secretion and output into the blood and lymph of active 

 substances which are directly or indirectly antitoxic. 



It was proposed by Cybulski in 1895 that the effect of the 

 compounds secreted by the capsules is to keep up the tone of 

 the vasomotor, cardiac, and respiratory centres which are so 

 acutely depressed by the destruction of these glands. He showed 

 that intravenous injection of aqueous suprarenal extract raises 

 arterial pressure, slows the pulse, and quickens respiration. 

 These results were confirmed by Salvioli and Pezzolini in 1902. 

 More recent work leads to similar conclusions, and as stated by 

 Hoskins in 191 5, " The sum total of available evidence seems to 

 indicate that the essential feature of adrenal deficiency is an 

 interference with fundamental metabolism, possibly oxidation, 

 in which the more active tissues of the body suffer first." 



The discovery of the physiological action of the substance, 

 or substances, secreted by the suprarenal capsules led to 

 attempts to effect their isolation. In 1896 Frankel obtained an 

 impure substance which he termed " sphygmogenine," and one 

 year later Abel and Crawford prepared " epinephrine." In 1900 

 v. Fiirth obtained a similar body under the name of " suprarenin." 

 By isolating "adrenalin" in the crystalline form in 1901 Takamine 

 proved the former substances to be mixtures. Shortly afterwards 

 Aldrich independently prepared the pure substance. Takamine 

 proposed the formula Ci H 16 O 3 N, but Aldrich preferred C 9 H I3 3 N, 

 which was confirmed by v. Fiirth and by Pauly in 1903. V. Fiirth 

 proved the presence of a benzene ring, a methyl-imido group, 

 and three hydroxyl groups, two of which were attached to the 

 nucleus. The next year Jowett found that, by methylation 

 and subsequent oxidation, trimethylamine and veratric acid, 

 (CH 3 0)j[3, 4] . C fl H 3 . C0 2 H, were produced, proving the presence 



