FREDERICK S. HAMMETT 



does the anterior lobe of the hypophysis, yet the proof that tethelin is a 

 distinct chemical entity is anything but clean-cut and conclusive. This, 

 however, does no detract from the fact that there has been developed a 

 method for the preparation of a concentrated . substance the therapeutic 

 applications of which are promising to be of considerable value. 



Not only does tethelin accelerate body growth and growth of carcino- 

 mata, but it also hastens tissue repair as expressed in the replacement of 

 tissue after inanition or in the healing of granulating wounds as shown by 

 Robertson (d) (1916). Such findings immedia tely open up the possibility 

 of its therapeutic value in such conditions. A study of the pharmacology 

 of the substance by Schmidt (1917) showed that its therapeutic application 

 is unaccompanied by harmful effect. Robertson (1916) had already shown 

 that the intravenous administration of tethelin does not cause any appre- 

 ciable rise in blood pressure, but "very large doses (5 mg. per kilo.) dis- 

 solved in physiological saline and injected into rabbits lead to a slight and 

 transient fall in blood pressure, followed in a few minutes by a return to 

 normal and a slight increase in amplitude of the heart heat. Repeated 

 administrations of this dose at intervals of a few minutes lead on each 

 occasion to a transient fall of blood pressure, while the amplitude of the 

 heart beat increases considerably." The effect in any instance is not nearly 

 so great as that produced by the inhalation of a whiff of amyl nitrite. The 

 intravenous injection of tethelin does not cause diuresis. Schmidt (1917) 

 showed that no alexin-fixation was obtained in rabbits given six intravenous 

 injections of 50 mg. each of tethelin dissolved in salt solution over a period 

 of two weeks, and bled ten days after the last fixation. Hie also found that 

 the compound is incapable of acting as the antigen in the Wassermann 

 test; that it is non-toxic when injected intraperitoneally in 100 mg. doses 

 into the guinea-pig ; that it causes no abnormal temperature changes when 

 thus administered; that when intravenously injected no effect on the blood 

 proteins is produced as determined by the ref ractometric method : that it 

 does not markedly stimulate leucocytosis ; that it can serve as a medium 

 for the growth of B. coli and B. proteus but not for B. bulgaricus ; that it is 

 not split by lipase or trypsin and that it does not stimulate contraction of 

 the isolated uterine segment of the cat or guinea-pig. 



Clinical Use of Tethelin. This work having shown that tethelin is 

 both non-toxic and non-antigenic and is hence therapeutically without 

 danger, Barney (1917-18) studied its action on indolent ulcers of several 

 types. With one exception it was not used in any case where the usual 

 ointments and stimulators of granulation tissue had not been extensively 

 tried without success ; nor was it used in luetic ulcers. The treatment con- 

 sisted in applying tethelin in solution on gauze or as a powder directly to 

 the sore. In all six of the reported cases improvement or cure was ob- 

 tained. Mayo (1918) also employed combined injections and applications 

 of tethelin to a burn caused by electrical discharge and obtained a cure 



