Evening star., 1937-04-15
Work Relating to ChIorophyI
Described at Meeting
of Scientists.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
Stan CORRESPONDENT OF The Star.

which are very close-although not
identical-with that from which
chlorophyl itself is formed in the
presence of light.
Some Of them have very queer
properties When as little of 10 mil
ligrams Of some of DR.. Rothemund's
new substances are injected into rats
the animals show no effect when kept
in darkness, but die in few hours as
soon as they are exposed to light.
showing that some very powerful
physiological reaction has taken place.
| At the same time, DR.. Rothemund
announced, he has proceeded in the
opposite direction by isolating from
corn kept in the dark the pro-
tochlorophyl which is turned into
chlorophyl when the plant is brought
out into the light.
Fundamental Reaction.
| The fundamental reaction which Dr.
Rothemund described is that which
takes place when pyrolle is brought
| into contact with an aldehyde. A
| pyrolle is made up Of molecules of
ringlike structure. each ring contain
| ing four atoms of carbon, five of hydro
| gen and one of nitrogen. Four of
these pyrolle rings DR.. Rothemund
found, exist in both chlorophyl and
the closely related hemin which is the
red coloring matter of the blood.
An aldehyde is the chemical term
for acknowledgements mole
cule one end of which is left free.
To this loose end" other molecules
can attach themselves. Various forms
| of aldehydes play a significant part IN
many chemical reactions by which it
is possible for the chemist to create
! substances which do not exist in
| nature.
When pyrolles are attached to aide
hydes, DR.. Rothemund found sub
stances are found which are close to,
but probably more complex then, the
| protochlorophyl which he extracted
from the yellowish leaves of corn
grown in the dark. In much the same
way he can produce substances close
to the protohemin which supposedly
is the precursor Of the red coloring
matter IN the blood which acts as the
oxygen carrier.
Other Products Synthesized.
DR.. Rothemund has attached the
pyrolle rings to IA aldehydes and
from each combination obtained
form Of protochlorophyl and form
| of protohemin. He also has syn
thesized similar products by other
methods.
None Of his products, he said, is
quite that which is found in nature.
Eventually, he believes, he or some
body else will hit on a combination
which will be indistinguishable from
the natural product.
1t is owing to chlorophyl, Dr. Rothe-
mund pointed out, that a plant is
able to utilize the energy of the sun
to extract carbon from the carbon
dicxide of the air and thus build up
its own substance, which in turn is
the basic food supply of animal life.
Without chlorophyl life as it now
exists would be impossible and with
out hemin. or some similar oxygen
carrier, animal life would be i'm
possible.
The problem OF the actual syn
thesis of either chlorophyl or hemin,
he pointed out, is complicated by the
fact that these substances cannot be
actually isolated as such. The very
processes Of getting them out of the
leaves or out of the blood breaks them
down.
New Local Anaesthetics.
Synthesis Of two new local anaes-
thetics, one of which is 10 times as
potent pain killer as either cocaine
or novocain, was announced by Dr.
Samuel D. Goldberg and DR.. Willet
F. Whitmore of the Brooklyn Poly
technic Institute.
The first of these is monocain
Tests with animals indicate that it
produces an effect equal to that Of
novocain when injected in much
smaller quantities. The second, amyl-
caine, may have considerable value as
a pain killer when rubbed on the sur
| face of the skin.
The new drugs, it was explained, re-
suited from an investigation inspired
by the fact that the combination of
novocain and epinephrin, now COM
monty used by dentists and by surgeons
for minor operations, has very unfa-
vorable reactions on some patients who
are abnormally sensitive to it. The
effects OF monocain and amylcain on
human beings have not yet been tested.
Successful isolation rrom rsh oils of
pure vitamin A in the form of yellow,
needle-like crystals was announced by
DR.. Harry N. Holmes and Ruth E. Cor
bett Of Oberlin College.
Lack of the vitamin in diet is known
to result in a curious disease of the
eye. increased susceptibility to colds
and decreased growth and vigor. 1t
| exists in nature in butter, egg yolk and