Evening star., 1939-04-04
New Family Of Drugs
To Produce Sleep
Made at U. Of Virginia
Chemical Society Also
Told OF first Synthetic
Cortin Production
By THOMAS r. HENRY.
Star Stan CORRESPONDENT,

BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
Star Stan Correspondent.
BALTIMORE, April Am en-
tirely new family of producing
drugs. closely allied to the opiates
but possibly with far different
physiological effects, is being pro-
duced by University of Virginia
chemists.
Several of those already made
have been turned over to the United
States Public Health Service for de-
termination of their biological prop
critics by animal tests by DR.. Alfred
Burger of the Virginia faculty. The
work represents a new departure in
efforts at the Charlottesville labora-
tory for the past 10 years to build
up from coal tar products narcotics
which would have all the anaes-
thetic effects of morphine without
its abit-producing tendencies. This
now has been taken over by the
Public Health Service.
This work demonstrated that
drugs very similar to morphine, and
on the whole even worse habit
formers, could be built up from a
coal tar derivative known as phe-
nanthrene. whose molecule contains
a chain of three benzene rings, the
basis of much of organic chemistry.
A score or more of drugs were pro-
duced in this way. The best of them
were protected with public service
patents and placed in the custody
of the Public Health Service so they
could be kept from the hands OF
the general public.
SubstitutiOns Tried.
In the present experiments re-
ported by Prof. Burger and Dr.
Harold w. Bryant the benzene rings
in the phenanthrene formula are
being replaced by similar rings OF
another coal tar product known as
thiophene. 1t differs from benzene
in that two of the oxygen atoms
are replaced by single sulphur
atom. :, The sulphur atom has l6
outer electrons, just double that OF
the oxygen atom, so that the oaslc
electronic conflguratlon OF the
molecule is kept the same.
About six years ago Prof, Burger
said today, a Swiss chemist, Prof.
Erlenmeyer of the University OF
Basel found that the benzene for
mula could, be replaced by the sui
phur-containing compound without
altering the physiological action OF
the respective drugs. The Virginia
chemists now are testing this rela-
tionship in more complex formulas
in which thiophene is connected
with other ring-shaped organic
groups.
Seek a General Law.
During the past 10 years. they re-
ported, DR. Erich Mosettig Of the
University of Virginia has been syn
thesizing coal-tar products with
strongly narcotic effect. They wish
to see how closely their own prod
ucts will ape the benzene ring ones.
The work may lead, they pointed
out. not only to the production of
new drugs but may help establish
general law of physiological effects
and atomic structure.
At present, DR. Burger said. mo
definite predictions based on
sound theoretical correlation can
be made in the synthesis of drugs.
The scientific laboratories of our
great pharmaceutical houses are
faced every day with the task of
learning by trial and error whether
the new drugs they have devised
will fulfill their expectations in ami
NAL and clinical experiments. The
present investigation is part of
preliminary attempt to draw some
well-founded conclusions in this
confused field. It is hoped that as
an outgrowth of this and similar
researches some regularity between
the chemical formula Of a drug
which can BE planned in the lab
oratory and its action on the Or
ganism may be found.
Synthetic Cortin Made.
First synthetic production of a
hormone- like substance which func-
tions like the life-preserving and
energy-creating secretion from the
cortex of the adrenal gland was an
nounced here today
1t has been made successfully in
the laboratory by Prof. T. Reich
stein of the University of Zurich,
Switzerland, the American Chemical
Society was told by DR.. H. L. Mason
of the Mayo Clinic at Rochester,
Mimi, where the most intensive
American research on the chemistry
of the adrenal cortex has been in
progress for the last eight years.
The new substance, he said, is one
of the female sex hormones, pro-
gesterone, to the molecule of which
has been added a single atom of
oxygen. 1t is known as desoXycorti-
costerone. 1t can be produced from
either of two starting substances,
both abundant in nature. One is
cholesterol, white. fatty alcohol,
tasteless and odorless, which IS
found most abundantly in brain
tissue and can be obtained from the
brains of slaughtered animals. 1t
also is found in small amounts in
bile, gallstones and in the yolks of
eggs. Probably all bodily organs con-
tain some of it. The other is stig-
mastered, very similar complex
alcohol which can be obtained from
certain families of plants.