The Indianapolis times., 1933-12-15
-Dietz on Science
CHEMISTS TEST
TUBE MAY GIVE
MAN NEW LIFE
Use of HormoneS Expected
to Control Health and
Personality.
BY DAVID DIETZ
Scripps- Howard Science Editor


health may both come out of the
chemists test tube.
This is the latest promise in the
work now being done to identify the
chemical nature of the hormoneS,
the mysterious substances poured
into the bloodStream by the ductleSS
glands, and the vitamins, the equally
mysterious substances required for
complete diet.
How chemistry is progressing in
this interesting field is discussed in
a recent paper by Professor julius
Stieglitz of the department of
chemistry of the University of Chi
cago.
The hornones and vitamins are
perfectly definite chemical princi-
pies or compounds, as definite in
their composition and actions as are
such well known drugs as morphine,
quinine and strychnine," according
to Professor Stieglitz.
Ended Haphazard Use
"Chemistry's first function has
been to isolate these mysterious and
powerful agents as pure crystalline
compounds, exactly as one of its
great contributions to medicine in
the past was to isolate from crude
drugs, the pure alkaloids, he con-
tinues.
These pure principles, strychnine,
atrophine, and many others, gave
physicians the opportunity of using
exact doses to secure perfectly def
mite effects in place Of haphazard
results with the crude drugs; it be-
came possible by hypodermic or in
travenous injection to obtain almost
instantaneous results.
we now are witnessing the ex-
tension of this mastery of the situ-
alton in the use of the hormones."
Many Lives Saved
The first hormone to be isolated
in chemically pure form was epine-
phrine, sometimes called adrenelin.
DR.. John A. Abel of Johns Hopkins
university obtained it in the form
cf pure crystals 1t has, as
Professor Stieglitz reminds us, saved
many a life.
'The dose Of this powerful drug
is one milligram, less than the
weight of an ordinary particle of
SALT Professor Stieglitz says.
Once a hormone has been isolated
in pure form, the next task, he con-
tinueS, is to analyze it and dis
cover its cheplical formula. When
this has been done, the way is
| opened for the synthetic manu-
/ facture of the hormone.
This has been done for epine-
'phrine," he says, "and the artificial
compound is in common use. This
study of the structures of hormones
may we'll lead to attempted i'm
provements on mother natures
products.
Cocaine Use Cited
"a famous Illustration of this
possibility is the local esthetic CO.
caine, an invaluable aid in sur
gerry.
The knowledge of the structure
OF cocaine led to the artificial drug
ncvoc2ine, or procaine, very much
cheaper, and not habit forming. as
cocaine is. Thousands of operations
now are carried out under the in
fluence Of procaine and similar
creations of the chemist.
In a similar way, mans intelIi-
gence may endeavor in time to
improve on blind natures hormones;
the results might be of inestimable
benefit to individuals and 10 the
race"
Mental Ailment Relieved
Professor Stieglitz looks forward
to the use of hormone therapy in
the treatment of mental diseases.
Results so far are highly encourag-
| ing.
Or. Hoskins of Harvard" he
says, has reported that five out of
eighteen victims of the dread dis
ease, dementia praecox, were so
benefited by the thyroid hormone
that they could be discharged from
treatment.
THE sooner chemistry offers med
icine the pure horomones, so that
exact therapy can be used, the more
rapid will be the progress in offering
the body the perfect balance of
these powerful agents which our
complex organization demands"