Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
November,  1901.  J 
Adrenalin. 
52S 
Last  summer  I  devoted  my  attention  to  this  subject  and  am  pleased 
to  announce  that  I  have  succeeded  in  isolating  the  active  principle 
in  a  pure,  stable,  crystalline  form,  the  base  itself.  I  do  not  by  any 
means  desire  to  usurp  the  credit  due  to  the  pioneer  investigators, 
yet  in  view  of  the  fact  that  neither  of  the  authors  quoted  above 
have  obtained  the  active  principle  in  a  pure  form,  and  that  there 
may  exist  some  room  for  controversy,  I  have,  therefore,  termed  my 
substance,  as  I  isolated,  "  Adrenalin." 
Isolation  of  the  active  principle  of  the  suprarenal  glands : — 
The  mode  of  preparing  the  active  principle  of  the  suprarenal 
glands  is  as  follows  :  Suprarenal  capsules  finely  disintegrated  by- 
suitable  means,  are  steeped  in  water  or  acidulated  water  for  a  period 
of  about  five  hours  at  a  temperature  varying  from  50  to  80  degrees 
centigrade,  with  frequent  agitation  and  with  the  addition  of  water 
as  it  evaporates.  The  temperature  of  the  mass  is  now  raised  from 
90  to  95  degrees  centigrade  for  the  period  of  one  hour  so  as  to 
coagulate  as  much  albumenoid  as  possible. 
As  the  active  principle  of  the  glands  is  prone  to  absorb  the 
oxygen  from  the  air,  to  form  inactive  substance,  it  is  necessary  to 
avoid  exposure  of  the  liquid  to  the  air  as  much  as  possible.  A 
layer  of  fat  floating  on  the  surface  of  the  mass  acts  very  conveniently 
for  this  purpose  and  at  the  same  time  it  has  an  effect  of  retarding 
evaporation  of  water  as  well.  Other  methods  of  preventing  oxida- 
tion may  be  employed  at  this  stage,  such  as  conducting  the  steeping 
process  in  an  atmosphere  of  carbonic  acid  gas.  The  mass  is  now 
pressed  and  separated  from  the  liquid  portion  which  contains  the 
active  principle.  The  mass  is  again  steeped  for  hours  in  warm  water 
slightly  acidulated  with  acetic  or  hydrochloric  acid,  in  order  to 
extract  the  residual  amount  of  active  principle.  The  liquid  sepa- 
rated from  the  mass  is  now  added  to  the  first  extract  and  allowed' 
to  separate  from  the  oil.  The  clear  extract  is  now  evaporated 
in  a  vacuum  pan  to  a  suitable  strength.  To  this  concentrated 
solution  about  two  to  three  times  its  own  volume  of  strong  ethyl 
alcohol  is  added,  or  more  economically  wood  spirit,  which  will  pre- 
cipitate both  inert  organic  and  inorganic  substances.  The  inert 
substances  thus  separated  are  washed  with  alcohol  so  as  to  free 
them  from  the  active  principle.  The  alcohol  solution  is  now  evapo- 
rated preferably  in  vacuum  still,  whereby  the  alcohol  used  is  duly 
recovered.    To  the  residual  liquid,  ammonia  is  now  added  until  the 
