Evening star., 1929-01-04
PAIN ALIENATION
TRACED TO GLANDS
Scientists Plan to Bar Suf-
fering in Surgery and Ac-
CouChement Wins Prize.

By the Associated Press
/ NEW YORK, January "A chemical
achievement which promises to reduce
the age-old suffering of child birth
and help save the lives of surgical pa
tients and victims Of severe burns, has
been recognized with its highest award
by the American Association for the
Advancement of Science.
1t was the isolation and analysis of
the two hormones Of the posterior pitui-
tary gland by Dr. Oliver Kamm, head
of chemical research in the laboratories
of Parke, Davis &C. Co., at Detroit.
For this achievement DR.. Kamm was
awarded the annual Association prize"
of $1,000.
This is the first time that science has
been able to obtain from any OF the
mysterious ductless endocrine glands OF
the body two specifically different hor-
mones, the chemical messengers which
enter the blood stream as it passes
through the glands and enables them to
perform their functions of controlling
life processes throughout the body.
The pituitary twins" as the hor-
mones isolated by DR.. Kamm are called,
have been named Alpha and Beta. AL
though they are almost identical in
chemical structure, he told the chemical
and medical sections of the association
they control vastly different phySiolog-
ical processes of the body.
Product Is Expensive.
The function of the alpha hormone
is confined to controlling the speed of
certain physical actions in child birth
and costs 100000 pound in its pure
state The beta hormone is only one
third as expensive. Its function Is to
raise the blood pressure and control
the retention of water in the cells OF
the body.
Neither has yet been placed on the
market since only few grams of high
" purified alpha and beta hormoneS
are yet available. A single laboratory
experiment, DR.. Kamm explained, re-
quires the poSterior pituitary glands
from $4,000 cattle.
Bv Separating the two, scientists be-
lieve, DR.. Kamm has opened up whole
field of medical progress revolving
around the loss Of water by the tissues
in cases Of severe burns and shock from
surgery on aneSthesia, and has made II
possible to eliminate undesirable effects
obtainable in childbirth by the use OF
pituitrin containing both hormones.
TIE paper which won the association
prize for the Detroit scientist dealt
largely with his analysis of the dual
function of the beta hormone, and
especially its control over the amount
of water the tissues hold, which has
been one of the processes OF life Tor
which an explanation has long been
sought.
DR.. Kamm has found that the tissues
Of the body need water as much as DO
those Of plants and cannot be supplied
merely by the normal consumption oI
six or eight glasses of water q day, put
depend on the action Of the beta hor-
none and the sensitiveness OF the tis-
sues to 1t.
The portly person, he believes, prob
ably has his excess OF fat because OF
very active beta hormones and un-
usually sensitive tissues, while the thin,
scrkaWny individual probably owes his
condition to a deficiency in these chem
ical messengers and his tissues.
Theory Anent Burns.
The theory generally held to account
for the fatal effect of severe burns Is
that they produce a deadly toxin In the
body, but Dr. Kamm is inclined to be-
lieye that death in such cases results
from the abnormal drying Of the It's
sues, and that if this could be over
come, life might be saved.
DR.. Kamm,s discovery carries science
O long step forward in its understand
ing of the still mysterious ductless
glands, which have been recognized for
only few years as exerting a powerful
effect on the physical and mental lives
of all human beings and animals. Man,
however, is still merely at the threshold
of a great chemical era which will solve
the main mystery Of these glands, DR..
Kamm believes.
The results he has been able to OBJ
tain came after IL years of discourage
ing research and finally were aided by
the use of adrenalin. the hormone from
the adrenal gland which controls heart
action, when he and his associates were
able to prove in what is known as a
chemical foot race that adrenalin
. acted much more rapidly than pituitrin
and that, therefore, the latter presum-
: ably was a much heavier chemical, but
not too heavy to analyze, the home
stretch" of the task was reached.
This achievement Is one of a number
! In chemistry which have brought In
ternational fame among scientists to
,. DR.. Kamm. He was formerly professor
Of organic chemistry at the University
Of Illinois.