SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—B. 293 
ascorbic acid, had powerful antiscorbutic properties soon led to a general 
agreement that ascorbic acid was vitamin C. The easy preparation of this 
substance in quantity from paprica provided material for the determination 
of its constitution at the University of Birmingham (March 1933), and this 
was rapidly followed by the synthesis of the acid (August 1933) both in 
Birmingham and in Switzerland and the demonstration of the full anti- 
scorbutic potency of the synthetic substance. 
Prof. A. Szent-GyOrey1.—Isolation of ascorbic acid and its identity 
with vitamin C : physiological properties and clinical uses. 
There seems to be no cell life in higher organisms without ascorbic acid. 
The exact biological réle played by this substance is, however, unknown. 
The most characteristic chemical feature of ascorbic acid is its high reducing 
power and the reversible nature of its oxidation. There is little doubt 
that the biological function of this substance is connected with this reaction. 
In spite of its simple chemical structure /-ascorbic acid is a highly specific 
substance. Closely related substances with the same reducing power (for 
example, its stereoisomers) are unable to replace it in biological reactions. 
Not all animals are dependent on their food for ascorbic acid. All 
animals of our climate are capable of synthesising it. The inability of man 
to produce it pleads for his tropical origin. 
Ascorbic acid having become available for medicine only very recently, 
its medical applications are not yet sufficiently settled. The first clinical 
medical experiments, however, have revealed some very striking and un- 
expected effects. Ascorbic acid seems to be able to cure in a very striking 
manner several diseases against which medicine was helpless, such as 
purpura hemorrhagica, Werlhoff’s disease, certain forms of hemorrhagica 
nephritis and hemophilia, pyorrhea, etc. This is the more striking since 
these pathological conditions have not been thought to be connected with 
lack of vitamin. These curative effects suggest that humanity is suffering 
much more gravely from a lack of vitamin C than has hitherto been supposed. 
Also the major part of pathologic pigmentations can be made to disappear 
by ascorbic acid. So, for instance, patients with Addison’s disease can be 
bleached out again by the use of this substance. 
Summarising, we thus see that, in the short space of time of two years, 
the mysterious vitamin C has been identified, its chemical structure deter- 
mined, its synthesis effected. It has also been made available for industry 
and medicine, and its medical value ascertained. It is pleasant to note that 
this unparalleled advance is due entirely to the closest and friendliest 
international collaboration. 
Dr. E. L. Hirst, F.R.S.—The chemical properties and structure of 
ascorbic acid. 
Insight into the chemical structure of ascorbic acid originated from a study 
of its oxidation products. The first (reversible) stage terminates with the 
formation of an «-diketo-acid (III), which on more drastic oxidation gives 
rise to oxalic acid and /-threonic acid (IV), the constitution of the latter 
being proved by its transformation into d-tartaric acid (V). The stereo- 
chemical relationships and the main features of the structure of ascorbic 
acid were thus elucidated. Further advance became possible with the 
discovery that the first oxidation product at the moment of its formation 
is not the acid (III) but a lactone (II) which subsequently hydrolyses to 
the free acid. It followed from this observation that ascorbic was not 
