SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— B. 405 



Afternoon. 

 Visit to the Steel Works of Messrs. Stewarts and Lloyds Ltd., Corby, 



Northamptonshire . 



Tuesday, August 23. 



Discussion on Repercussions of synthetic organic chemistry on biology and 

 medicine (9.45). 



Prof. Sir F. Gowland Hopkins, O.M., F.R.S. — Introduction. 



Prof. E. C. DoDDS, M.V.O. — Synthetic oestrogenic compounds (lo.o). 



The demonstration of the oestrogenic activity of simple molecules, 

 bearing little or no relationship to the structure of the natural oestrogenic 

 hormones, indicates that a complete change of view must be made on the 

 question of the specificity of biological action. The work described shows 

 that oestrogenic activity can be obtained by a whole series of different 

 molecules without any apparent common physical or chemical property. 

 The high degree of activity of 4 : 4'-dihydroxy-a : |3-diethyl stilbene adds 

 considerably more interest to this subject since this substance is several 

 times more potent than the naturally occurring hormone. It would appear, 

 therefore, that biological activity may be imitated by a whole series of 

 substances, possibly quite foreign to the body. The bearing of this on 

 the whole question of hormones and vitamins is of the greatest importance. 



Prof. L. RuziCKA. — Relationship between chemical constitution and 

 physiological activity of androstane derivatives (10.20). 



The following androgens have been demonstrated in the human or 

 animal organism : (i) Androsterone and trans-Dehydro-androsterone in 

 human male urine ; (2) Testosterone in bull's testicles ; (3) Adrenosterone 

 in the suprarenal glands of bullocks and cows ; (4) Androstadienone in the 

 urine of a man suffering from a tumor of the suprarenal gland. Of con- 

 siderable importance is the quantitative difference in the physiological 

 properties of androsterone and testosterone. Doses of androsterone and 

 testosterone which exert an equal action on the growth of the capon comb 

 show a quantitatively different influence on the growth of the seminal 

 vesicles and prostate in rats, the testosterone being about five times more 

 active in this last test. The difference in activity was the main reason for 

 the preparation of numerous androgenic substances whereby it was hoped 

 to ascertain the characteristic chemical constitution that was associated with 

 typical testosterone activity. Only derivatives of androstane have been 

 found to possess androgene activity ; it has not been possible to prepare 

 androgenic compounds that differ in their constitution from androstane 

 derivatives in the same degree as Dodds has succeeded in obtaining artificial 

 oestrogens having a structure completely different from oestrane derivatives. 



More than fifty androstane derivatives have been prepared and their 

 growth-promoting action on the capon comb and on the auxiliary sex glands 

 of the castrated rat have been investigated. The majority of these andro- 

 stane derivatives can be classed together in one group, the members of 

 which differ from one another only in the details in positions 3, 5 or 17 of 

 the androstane nucleus. The physiological activity in both tests depends 

 upon the nature of the substituents in these three positions and on their 



