514 
BIOCHEMISTRY: ABEL AND PINCOFFS 
This in itself is of no consequence, as this albumose does not appear to be 
toxic. 
The points that we wish to emphasize are these: 
1 . Carefully prepared commercial extracts of the posterior lobe of the 
hypophysis contain albumoses. 
2. Hypophysin, stated to be a mixture of the "isolated active sub- 
stances of the pituitary gland," is likewise contaminated with albumoses. 
3. All claims in respect to the isolation of pure principles, as made by 
the Hoechst chemists, must be looked upon, in view of our findings, as 
being without foundation. 
Other considerations also lend support to the last statement. 
One who is familiar with the high activity for the virgin uterus of 
fresh extracts of the hypophysis can only agree with Fenger when he 
asserts that the as yet unknown constituent of this gland which affects 
the uterus so powerfully cannot be less potent than /S-imidoazolylethyl- 
amine, and may be even more powerful. Fenger says that an acidu- 
lated methyl alcohol extract of the posterior lobe of the hypophysis, for 
which no claim to chemical purity can be advanced, "showed a uterine- 
contracting power somewhat stronger than pure jS-I."^ If we examine 
the tracings given by Fiihner in his experiments with the Hoechst 
products, experiments in which quantities varying from 0.05 to 0.5 
mgm. were tested on the guinea pig's uterus in a 100 cc. bath of Locke's 
solution, it will be seen that these products are much weaker than 
^-imidoazolylethylamine. Here again is evidence that the crystalHne 
salts of the Hoechst chemists represent mixtures of active and inactive 
principles and not pure chemical individuals. 
Further evidence that Hypophysin does not consist of chemically pure 
principles is given by the pharmacological tests made with it in this 
laboratory. Dr. D. 1. Macht has kindly compared the oxytocic strength 
of the preparation with that of Armour's Pituitary Liquid, this having 
been selected from among the American products because it most nearly 
approaches Hypophysin in respect to dry matter and a low albumose 
content. He reports that the Armour product, which makes no pretense 
of being a pure chemical principle, is ''several times more powerful in 
its action on the virgin uterus of the guinea pig than Hypophysin." 
There is no reason to assume that the Hypophysin used in Dr. Macht's 
tests had lost any of its original strength as the labels on the packages 
give no hint of instability or loss of strength with time. 
The question naturally arises whether the albumose or other proteose 
here shown to be present in all active pituitary extracts is not itself the 
uterine stimulant. The secondary albumose which was isolated by us 
