Abstract
WE wish to make the following comments on the communication by E. Friedmann in NATURE of April 20 (p. 622) under the above title:— (1) Dr. Friedmann apparently believes that the “strogenic activity of synthetic compounds was first observed by Blum-Bergmann1, and afterwards verified by Cook, Dodds and Hewett2 with compounds of analogous structure. The reverse is, of course, the actual sequence of events, as is shown by the reference to our original publication in the paper of O. Blum-Bergmann, wrongly quoted by Dr. Friedmann as O. Blum and E. Bergmann. (2) If Dr. Friedmann had read our detailed publication3 as well as our preliminary communication1, he would have realised that the generalisation which he now makes regarding the molecular conditions necessary for “strogenic activity does not accord with the facts. For example, our series of diols derived from 9: 10-dihydro–l: 2: 5: 6-dibenzanthracene contains inactive members as well as compounds having an extremely high order of “strogenic activity. Yet if Friedmann's generalisation were true they should all be active. Moreover, we have reported the “strogenic activity of certain hydrocarbons, which, of course, cannot conform to any rule concerning the relative positions of an aromatic ring and the carbonyl or hydroxyl group. In addition, we observed activity with ergosterol and calciferol, which contain no aromatic or analogous furane ring. In any event, the large doses of 1–keto–1: 2: 3: 4–tetrahydrophenanthrene necessary to produce “strus (50–100 mgm. in rats) preclude any far-reaching deductions from the inactivity of the isomeric 4–keto compound in similar doses. If, for example, the 1–keto compound had given positive results with doses of 0·1 mgm., and the 4–keto compound negative results with 100 mgm., there would have been more adequate basis for generalisation.
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References
O. Blum-Bergmann, Naturwiss., 21, 578; 1933.
Cook, Dodds and Hewett, NATURE, 131, 56; 1933.
Cook, Dodds, Hewett and Lawson, Proc. Roy. Soc., B, 114, 272; 1934.
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COOK, J., DODDS, E. Chemistry of strogenic Substances. Nature 135, 793 (1935). https://doi.org/10.1038/135793a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/135793a0
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