Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-01
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CLEVELAND, January 1.-Isolation
of five new hormones was reported to
the American Association for the Ad-
vancement Of Science, meeting here to-
day.
These are specific chemical sub
stances poured into the blood stream
by the ductless glands, extremely small
amounts Of which produce radical body
changes, to such an extent that the
search for them has become one OF
the leading quests of medicine.
The newly isolated hormones play
notable part in the phenomena OF ma
tllrity and reproduction. Three of them
were obtained from the female corpus
luteum, it was reported by F. L. Hisaw,
H. L. Fevold and r. K. Meyer OF the
University of Wisconsin. Hitherto the
widespread effects of secretion from
this gland have been attributed to
single horHnone, oeStr1n.
The first of the new substances Is
relaxin, injection of 35-1000s Of MILL
gram Of which in guinea pig follow
pelvic hgaments to an extent seen in
nature only just before the birth OF
young. Neither relaxin nor oestrin
alone can produce this effect, nor can
oestrin unless followed by injection Of
the newly discovered hormone.
One Still Unnamed.
The second is corporin which also,
the scientists reported, is closely tied
I'D with oestrin, but has specific ac-
ton of it's own which regulates the
body behavior in preparation for the
birth process. This also must be adj
ministered after the injection OF
measured dose of oestrin, but II the
latter Is present in large amount 1t has
exactly the opposite effect and prevents
the specific action of the corporin.
The third new corpus luetum hor-
none has not been named and appears
to have a specific but slight effect in
pregnancy. 1t has been very well iden-
tined chemically, however, and pre-
pared in a highly purified condition,
which UP to the present has been done
only in rare instances for endocr1ne
secretions.
The same experimenters also re-
ported the isolation of two powerfully
specific hormones from the anterior
lobe OF the minute pituitary gland at
the base of the brain. The first sub
stance, which is soluble in water, regu-
lates physiological maturity. When in
iected into immature rats, the expert
mentors reported, these were brought
to sexual maturity in three days. The
second, which Is not soluble in water,
seems to act as brake on the first.
All five of these substances, 1t was
pointed out, may prove OF extreme I'M
portance in medicine when their ma
ture and behavior for various types OF
organisms is better understood.
Mechanistic Explanation.
Delvlns into the sub-microscopic
world on the dark frontier of life, Prof.
A. A. Schaeffer of the University of
Kansas. presented to the association
evidence Of peculiaritieS in the molec-
ular organism of protoplasm which
may 60 far toward resolving the myS-
terry Of animal and plant dif1erences
and behavior.
Prof, Schaeffer, observing the move
ment OF organisms from microscopic
amoebae moving along a glass rod to
aViators spiralling out of the clouds,
found a general law underlying be-
havior rooted in organic and physical
chemistry-the composition OF proto-
plasm from two fundamental types OF
molecules, one of which is an aggrega-
ton of atoms so assembled physically
that 1t twists toward the right WhlIe
the other twists toward the left.
From this conclusion comes radical
mechanistic explanation OF living proc
esSes, including the division of sex, OF
plant and animal Kingdoms, and OF
numerous finer distinctions of classes
and individuals. Thus he has found
that among those groups OF plants ana
lower animals where the left" mole
cules, properly placed, give a "ieIt
spiral structure to the body division
into male and female is lacking, while
it appears in the right" groups.
sex" he saws, seems to be asSo-
ciated fundamentally with molecule.
more particularly with the right
stereoisomeric molecule." Among some
lower organisms left can be changed
to right by the activation OF the atoms
composing the protoplasm molecule by
light.
ACCOMPANIED By Fields.
"The organization of molecules at the
forward end Of the moving amoeba or
in the developing embryo" DR.. ScnaeI-
fer said, "is accompanied by the lorna
acteriStiCs from the nature OF the MOLE
cules. There can be no spontaneous
molecular organization without an &C
companying field, and this field Is the
organism.
ut follows from this that the char
acteristics of the organism are due to,
or rather correlated with, positional re-
lationships of the molecules. This is
true not only Of the fundamental char
acteristics Of the organism but with
the more detailed characteristics with
which genetics mostly deals. 1t Is
scientifically indefensible to suppose
that mass Of matter Of whatever size,
in system such a. Q molecule or an
organism. can give rise to particular