ADRENALIN. 359 



Adrenalin crystallizes in masses of needles or rhombic leaves. It is 

 soluble in water, and can be precipitated from its solution by ammonia 

 as a crystalline substance. Its aqueous solution containing hydrochloric 

 acid is levorotatory : (a) D = 50.72 (ABDERHALDEN and GUGGENHEIM *). 

 On heating adrenalin it turns yellowish brown at about 205 and decom- 

 poses at about 218 C. Its solution turns emerald green with ferric chlor- 

 ide in acid solution and carmine red in alkaline solution. Adrenalin 

 reduces FEHLING'S solution and ammoniacal silver solution. 



As above stated, it has been considered for some time that the color 

 of the skin in ADDISON'S disease was connected with the adrenals or their 

 chromogen. We know nothing positive in regard to this relation, 

 but it is nevertheless of interest that pigments and finally melanins or 

 at least dark-brown substances can be produced from adrenalin by the 

 action of enzymes. NEUBERG has brought about such melanin formation 

 by the extract from the metastases of a melanoma of the adrenals and also 

 with the extract of the ink-sac of the sepia, and ABDERHALDEN and GUG- 

 GENHEIM 2 with tyrosinase. This would indicate a close relation 

 between adrenalin and tyrosin, which also gives melanin with the sepia 

 enzyme, and indeed tyrosin has been considered as the probable mother 

 substance of adrenalin (HALLE 3 ). From the above-mentioned exper- 

 iments as well as from the investigations of ABELOUS, SOULIE and TOUJAN 4 

 on the formation of adrenalin in the adrenals under the coaction of autory - 

 tic products of other organs or organ extracts, no positive conclusions 

 can be drawn. 



Besides the action of producing a rise in the blood-pressure, adrenalin 

 is also of special interest because, as first shown by BLUM, S it also has a 

 glycosuric action. We will discuss the question of adrenalin glycosuria 

 and the relation which seems to exist between the internal secretions 

 of the thyroids, the adrenals and the pancreas, when we treat of the 

 formation of sugar and pancreas diabetes. 



1 Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 57. 



2 Neuberg, Bioch. Zeitschr., 8; Abderhalden and Guggenheim, Zeitschr. f. physioi. 

 Chem., 57. 



3 Halle, Hofmeister's Beitrage, 8. 



4 Compt. rend. soc. biol., 58, 59, 60. 



5 Deutsch. Arch. f. klin. Med., 91, and Pfliiger's Arch., 90. 



