THE  AMEBIC  AN 
JOURNAL.  OF  PHARMACY 
The  micro-crystalline  active  principle  of  the  suprarenal  glands, 
Adrenalin,  is  quite  stable  when  chemically  pure.  Since  it  is  a  pure 
principle  with  a  definite  chemical  formula  1  the  powder  does  not 
readily  decompose  when  kept  under  ordinary  conditions.  However, 
because  of  its  comparative  insolubility  in  water  and  its  great  physio- 
logical activity,  the  preparation  most  suitable  for  therapeutic  use 
is  a  i  in  iooo  solution  of  Adrenalin  Chloride,  which  is  an  addition 
product  formed  by  the  action  of  dilute  hydrochloric  acid  upon 
Adrenalin.  In  dilute  solutions  such  as  this,  the  Adrenalin  Chloride  is 
readily  oxidized,  if  no  preservative  is  added  to  the  solution  and  it 
is  exposed  to  the  air.  The  oxidation  and  consequently  the  deteriora- 
tion of  the  solution  is  recognized  by  the  fact  that  the  solution  becomes 
pink,  then  red  and  finally  brown  in  color. 
Due  to  this  tendency  to  deteriorate  by  oxidation,  it  is  claimed 
that  a  dilute  solution  of  Adrenalin  such  as  a  I  in  iooo  solution  would 
not  withstand  sterilization  by  boiling  since  the  heat  would  naturally 
tend  to  hasten  the  oxidation  greatly.  The  solution  is  sterile  when 
put  on  the  market,  but  many  physicians  wish  to  make  doubly  sure 
by  sterilization  immediately  before  use. 
The  following  experiments  were  carried  out  with  the  intention 
of  determining  first,  how  many  times  a  solution  of  Adrenalin  Chlo- 
ride may  be  sterilized  in  a  variety  of  ways  without  deterioration, 
and  second,  the  relative  stability  of  such  a  solution  compared  with 
that  of  a  solution  of  a  synthetic  product.  The  latter,  with  analogous 
properties  and  identical  composition,  is  claimed  2  to  be  more  stable 
than  Adrenalin  which  is  obtained  from  the  suprarenal  glands. 
(i45) 
