Evening star., 1950-10-27
Nobel Prize Awarded
To Two Mayo Doctors
And Swiss Professor
BY the Associated Press

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Oct. 27.
The 1850 Nobel prize in medi-
cine was awarded Jointly last
night to two Mayo Clinic doctors
and Swiss professor for their
work on two hormones that re-
lieve rheumatoid arthritis and
open a new field of research on
other diseases.
The winners are DR.. Edward C.
Kendall, "a, chief of the bio
chemistry laboratory of the Mayo
Clinic at Rochester. Mimi; DR..
Philip S. Hench. 81. head of a
Mayo Clinic medical section; and
DR.. Tadeusz Reichstein, So, pro-
fessor of chemistry at the Uni
versity of Basel. They will divide
prize money of 164,303 crowns
($31, 1,715O.
The official citation said the
prize was awarded "for their dis
coveries regarding the hormones
of the adrenal cortex, their struc-
ture and biological effects.
Studied COrtisone and ACTH.
Cortisone and ACTH are the
hormones-cell secretions that
stimulate the activity of cells
elsewhere in the body-on which
the three have specialized.
In addition to work at the
clinic, DR.. Hench and DR.. Kendall
are both professors in the Mayo
Foundation, which is part of the
graduate school Of the University
of MinneSota'S Medical Depart
ment. Part of their cortisone re-
search was carried on with uni
verSity funds. DR.. Reichstein has
worked independently in Basel.
The Caroline Institute, which
awards the prize, decided that Drs.
Hench, Kendall and Reichstein
had made the greatest contribu-
tions toward the discovery of cor
tisone. which is produced by a cap
like gland atop the kidneys called
the adrenal cortex. The cortisone
discovery led to findings that
a hormone isolated at
Berkeley, Calf. had almost ex-
actly similar effects. ACTH is
produced by the pituitary gland
at the base of the brain.
King to Make Presentation.
The award marks the third time
IN SO years that the medical prize
financed by the Nobel Founda-
ton under the will of Alfred
Nobel, the inventor of dynamite
has been divided among three
men.
1t will be formally presented to
Drs. Hench, Kendall and Reich
stein by Crown Prince Gustaf
Adolf at colorful ceremonies here
December 10. The 1850 winners
for physics, chemistry and litera-
ture, to be chosen November 9,
also will receive their prizes atI
that time. The 1850 peace prize
has been awarded DR.. Ralph
Bunche, an American Negro, for
his work as United Nations medi-
ator in Palestine.
DR.. Kendall, tall, genial research
chemist, isolated cortisone a dec
ade ago, but little was known
about its possible uses for years
because the substance was diff
ficult to make.
Production Improved.
DR.. Hench, physician. was
studying rheumatoid arthritis at
the Mayo Clinic at the time and
his experiments led him to believe
the hormone might be valuable
for the ailment.
After World War II, Merck &
Co., of Railway. N. j., joined forces
with DR.. Kendall in the produc-
ton of small amounts of cortisone
with improved methods. Thus DR..
Hench obtained enough to start |
experiments on Is to 18 patients. |
AS a team, DR.. Kendall and DR.,
Hench had received three awards
previously this year for their work.
DR.. Kendall was born in South
NorWalk, Conn. He is a graduate
of Columbia University, New York.
He went to the Mayo Clinic in
1914. He is married and has one
daughter.
Graduated in Pittsburgh.
DR., Hench is a native of Pitts
burgh. He received his doctor of
medicine degree from the Univer-
sity of Pittsburgh in 1920. He
became a fellow in medicine at
the Mayo Clinic in 1923. He is
and has four children.
DR.. Reichstein, born in Wlocla-
week, Poland, became a natural
lied citizen of Switzerland in 1914
He is married and has a daughter.
A veteran of Is years of work
with hormones, he expressed his
gratitude in Basel yesterday for
recognition by the Nobel Prize
Committee,