SOME CATALYTIC ASPECTS OF DISEASE AND DRUGS 239 



and strychnine, and their actions appraised. Then experiments 

 were made with chemically modified drugs. For example, in 1868 

 Drs. A. Crum Brown and T. R. Fraser found that by introducing 

 a methyl group into strychnine, theobaine, or brucine, their 

 tetanizing action was changed into a paralyzing one (Sir T. C. 

 Allbutt). Then synthetic organic drugs appeared: antipyrine 

 (1883), phenacetin (1887), acetylsalicylic acid or aspirin (1899), 

 and salvarsan (1912). This last was known as "606," because that 

 was its identification number among the many compounds being 

 tested out by Professor Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915, Nobel prize, 

 1908), founder of modern chemotherapy, in his search for "magic 

 bullets" which would kill pathogenic organisms but spare the 

 patient. Strangely enough, Sir William Henry Perkin, whose 

 chance discovery of the aniline dye Mauve opened up the synthetic 

 dye industry, was actually trying to synthesize quinine. We still 

 await its synthesis; but chemotherapy has meanwhile produced 

 quinacrine (Atebrine), plasmoquin (Pamaquine), and plaudrine. 

 The sulfa drugs are recent valuable synthetics, though sulfon- 

 amide was known about half a century before its pharmacological 

 potency was revealed by G. Domagh (Nobel prize, 1939). In 

 penicillin and streptomysin we have again relied on biological 

 synthesis, though formidable technological problems had to be 

 solved to produce the final drugs. 



Many if not all drugs which are effective in small amounts 

 operate on specific enzyme systems. Since much depends on 

 purity of the drug, the dosage, the kind of animal tested, and 

 many other conditions, it is not surprising that the literature is 

 at times a bit confusing. Results of experiments made on isolated 

 enzymes in vitro may not parallel what happens in vivo, where 

 conditions are much more complicated. Much recent work has 

 been summed up by Professor Frederick Bernheim of Duke Uni- 

 versity 47 and by A. J. Clark. 48 



The luminescence of various bacteria, fish, and insects (glow- 

 worm, fire-fly) is due to the reversible oxidation of luciferin (an 

 organic compound) by an enzymic catalyst, luciferase. 49 Other 

 conditions being normal (e.g., state of culture, supply of oxygen 

 and glucose, temperature, pressure), a growth of suitable bacteria 

 tends to maintain a constant level of luminosity, which is affected 

 by various drugs. Professors Frank H. Johnson and Henry Eyring 

 of Princeton University found that sulfanilamide inhibits lumi- 

 nescence, acting as if the drug combined with a prosthetic group 



