80 ALBERT C. CKAWFOKD 



derivative, lie attempted to benzoylate it from a pyridin solution with 

 benzoyl chlorid. However, Moore found that boiling alcohol soon destroys 

 the pressor activity, hut not its ability to respond to iron salts. 



Moore (a) showed that the solubilities of the pressor compound were 

 those of Vulpian's reducing body, but stated it did not reduce Fehling's 

 solution. In later papers he argued that the pressor compound was not a 

 pyrocatechol derivative, nor identical with the chromogen, partly be- 

 cause old alcoholic extracts of suprarenal glands gave no pressor response, 

 yet gave the chromogen reactions (Moore (&) ; Moore and Purinton). 

 However, he stated that this might mean that the compound which raises 

 the blood pressure breaks into simpler ones, which also yield these color 

 reactions, but which have no pressor activity, and that the pyrocatechol 

 nucleus may have no direct connection with such activity. This may be 

 the explanation of Elliott's (&) experiments. 



Moore's main arguments were that simple pyrocatechol derivatives do 

 not raise the blood pressure (compare also Velich(a)), that his study of 

 Krukenberg's analyses suggested a pyridin derivative, while piperidin, a 

 reduced pyridin, exerts a pressor action (Tunnicliffe) and that on fusing 

 an extract of the suprarenals with KOH he obtained a pyridin odor. 



In this country the chemical work on the pressor compound of the 

 suprarenal gland was begun by Professor John J. Abel (Abel and Craw- 

 ford). He treated an acid extract with benzoyl chlorid and sodium hy- 

 drate by the Baumann-Schotten method, then decomposed the product with 

 sulphuric and glacial acetic acids. The resulting impure mixtures were 

 physiologically active ; the very active preparations gave both of Vulpian's 

 color reactions, while the less active reacted only with iron. 



Later he decomposed the benzoyl product by heating under pressure in 

 the autoclave with water or dilute H 2 S0 4 . After removing benzoic acid, 

 the solution gave a heavy precipitate with NH 4 OH. On drying this with 

 absolute alcohol and ether he obtained a grayish powder, which was al- 

 most insoluble in water, but which was soluble in dilute acids. 



Abel calculated an empirical formula C 17 H 5 NO 4 for this base and 

 C 17 II 14 NO 4 .COC G II r( for the benzoyl compound. He named the product 

 epinephrin or alkaloidal epinephrin. 



Abel (a) (c)(d)(h) found that the base, obtained by precipitation with 

 XH 4 OH, gave the iron, but not the ioclin reaction, was precipitated by 

 alkaloidal reagents, but possessed very slight physiological activity. How- 

 ever, he noted that physiological activity persisted in those preparations 

 which gave the iodin reaction. This inactivity and response to alkaloidal 

 reagents might have been partly due to incomplete saponification of the 

 hen/oyl product or to chemical changes produced by the severe (autoclave) 

 treatment or to the action of acids. 



When the benzoyl product was heated in an autoclave with dilute 

 II 2 SO 4 , a solution was obtained in which more complete saponification 



