CHEMISTRY OF THE SUPRARENAL GLANDS 95 



solutions" (Shipley and Wislocki) and Wiechowski, who studied some 

 Bohemian toads, was unable to obtain epinephrin from their poison glands 

 although they are chromamn. Senso, a Chinese drug derived from a toad 

 skin, contains a substance which is either epinephrin or a compound closely 

 allied to it (Shimizu). 



As in the case of Bufo agua,, a toxic digitalis-like compound seems to 

 be associated with epinephrin, so Gunn thinks the effects of cobra venom 

 on the heart and blood vessels resemble those of epinephrin. Extracts 

 of skin give Ehrmann's pupillary reaction on the frog eye, but do not raise 

 the blood pressure, or give the iron reaction (Meirowski). Saline extracts 

 of the spleen raise the blood pressure, but epinephrin has not been even 

 thought of in this connection (Miller and Miller). Extracts of spleen give 

 a yellow reaction with iron chlorid. Extracts of shark sex glands exert a 

 pressor action in dogs (Brown and Joseph). 



Using extracts of pituitary gland Watanabe and I obtained a vaso- 

 motor reversal in cats such as Dale reported from epinephrin after 

 ergotoxin and argued that either epinephrin or a compound similar to it 

 was present in that gland, but the color reactions we obtained and which 

 resembled those from epinephrin were probably due to associated com- 

 pounds and the evidence at hand shows that as I purify the pressor com- 

 pound it yields no iron reaction. 



Roaf and Nierenstein believe that, in the mantle of Purpura lapillus 

 there is a substance which is allied to epinephrin as extracts of it give 

 the iron reaction and raise the blood pressure, and Roaf points out 'that 

 in the mantle is a black streak, which stains with chromium salts, from 

 which this compound is probably derived. 



The striking action of epinephrin and its isolation has diverted at- 

 tention from other constituents of the medulla, which demand study. 



Chemistry of Suprarenal Cortex 



It was shown that some extracts of suprarenal glands will cause 

 a fall in blood pressure (Metzger), and this fall has been attributed mainly 

 to cholin or its derivatives. The circulatory depressants histamin and 

 acetyl cholin have not been looked for. Cholin has been shown to be pres- 

 ent in the suprarenal glands, especially in their cortex (Hunt, Lohman 

 Modrakowski). 



Boruttau claimed that the side chain in epinephrin may be part of a 

 cholin nucleus, and Borberg suggests how epinephrin might be derived, 

 by splitting off a methyl group, from a theoretical "pro-adrenalin," which 

 might be a modified combination of neurin and pyrocatechol. Neurin is 

 chemically closely related to cholin. As cholin on decomposition yields 

 hydroxy-ethyl-amin the presence of the latter in the suprarenals might 

 be expected, at least under certain conditions. 



