This substance has been called epinephrine or adrenaline and has 

 been used in medicine for the past half century. 



Scarcely a night passes in the accident room of any large hospital 

 that patients suffering from asthma are not given an injection of epi- 

 nephrine, which gives dramatic relief to these sufferers in the course 

 of a few minutes. Many individuals covered with urticaria (hives) 

 obtain complete relief from this troublesome condition by an in- 

 jection of epinephrine. Due to the fact that this substance causes a 

 marked constriction of blood vessels, it is used thousands of times 

 every day in connection with local anesthetics. Every time a tooth 

 is extracted, every time a minor surgical operation is performed, this 

 substance is used in connection with the local anesthetic. 



Opinions may differ as to how much credit should be given to Abel 

 as the one responsible for the isolation of the first pure hormone. It 

 is quite true that he did not obtain the hormone of the adrenal 

 medulla as such but only in the form of a derivative, and it is equally 

 evident that during the decade in which he was engaged in this 

 problem, he fell into many pitfalls and made mistakes. It is now 

 well known that the so-called pure hormone obtained from the ad- 

 renals is a mixture of two substances, epinephrine and nor-epineph- 

 rine. Be that as it may no one can detract from the importance of 

 Abel's pioneering work in making available this valuable medicinal 

 for research and therapy. 



Shortly after the hormone insulin, which has revolutionized the 

 treatment and progress of diabetes, was discovered, Abel interested 

 himself in an attempt to obtain the hormone in chemically pure 

 crystalline form. This he succeeded in doing in 1926, in spite of his 

 sixty-nine years and his quaint and antiquated methods of chemical 

 procedure. This was the first isolation in pure crystalline form of a 

 hormone which must be considered as a protein. 



Abel's announcement of the crystallization of insulin was received 

 with skepticism by many chemists as a final proof of the isolation of 

 the pure hormone. The criticism was made that the highly potent 

 true hormone was adsorbed on a crystalline protein. But all criti- 

 cisms were finally met and Abel's great achievement of the chemical 

 isolation of insulin in pure crystalline form was soon completely 

 established. It is amusing to recall that for many months after the 

 preparation of the crystals, Abel himself was unable to repeat the 

 performance. He never, however, lost faith. Ultimately, he found the 

 answer and crystalline insulin is now commercially prepared. 



This great optimism in regard to the outcome of his researches is 



