THE CHEMICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF CRYSTALLINE OESTROGENIC HORMONES
A crystalline oestrogenic hormone has been isolated from human placenta. This substance shows a melting point of 274 °C. (uncorrected). The carbon-hydrogen analysis gives: carbon, 74.8%; hydrogen, 8.8%. The mixed melting point with theelol shows no lowering. The substance differs physiologically from previously isolated female sex hormones. It is relatively inactive on the adult ovariectomized albino rat. The dose required is 16 γ as compared with 1.5 γ for theelol. It is, however, effective on the immature intact rat, 21 days old, in a dose of 1.2 γ. This is the same as theelol. On the immature castrate, the dose of the placental crystals is 10 γ, that for theelol is 3 γ. The presence of the ovary is believed to be the factor in the dosage ratio between adult spayed and normal intact animals. Transplantation of immature ovaries into immature or adult castrates, even though it does not render them cyclic, causes the weight of the placental crystals needed for an effect to fall to the immature intact dose.