QUANTITATIVE PHARMACOLOGICAL STUDIES— 
ADRENALIN AND ADRENALIN-LIKE BODIES." 
By W. H. Schultz, 
Associate Pharmacologist, Division of Pharmacology, Hygienic Laboratory, United States 
Public Health and Marine- Hospital Service. 
The active principle of the adrenal gland, like some of the other 
internal secretions, is unique in its action. It is supposed to fulfill 
a function both in normal and in pathological conditions of the 
human body that makes it a substance of the greatest interest. But 
aside from the importance that attaches to it because of this, adrenalin 
has come to hold a place in therapeutics which, until recently, could 
not be filled by any other known compound. Soon after the dis- 
covery of its physiological action, adrenal extract came into exten- 
sive use as a st}q)tic and, to a more limited extent, for other purposes. 
With the discovery of methods for the isolation of the pine principle 
of the gland, a still wider field of usefulness was fomid for it as a 
drug, whereupon numerous preparations were placed upon the market 
and manufactining fu’ms widely advertised the importance of the 
pure product. The different preparations, however, varied greatly in 
physiological activity — some even being worthless, this being due partly 
to a lack of care in the process of preparation and partly to the nature 
of the container and solvent used in bottling the extract. Intrave- 
nous injections of the active principle have been suggested in cases of 
surgical shock, and for such it is a matter of the greatest moment 
that the solution be of a known concentration. Obviously, too weak 
a preparation would fail to produce the desired effect and too strong 
a solution might not only tlmow too great a strain upon an already 
weak heart, but cause an after depressing effect no less dangerous. 
It is evident, therefore, that every container should be so stamped 
as to indicate not only the actual strength of the solution in terms 
of pure base, but it should be standardized pharmacologically against 
a preparation of known purity, and each package so labeled and 
dated. At least this should be done with solutions intended for 
Manuscript submitted for publication April, 1909. 
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