THE EFFECT OF TETRONAL ON THE PRODUCTION OF H/EMATOPOR- PHYRIN IN THE URINE. By FREDERICK G. GERMUTH, Division of Research, Bureau of Standards, Baltimore, Maryland, U. S. A. The author lias endeavoured to show in a previous researeh(l) concerning the 492 THE INDIAN MEDICAL GAZETTE. [Sept., 1929.

employment of the sulphones (sulphonal and that the general relation existing* between the trional) in the treatment of certain mental three compounds, sulfonal, trional and tetronal diseases, that following an increase in ethyl groups as regards their ability to accelerate the for- present in the molecule of the compounds con- mation of hsematoporphyrin in urine is in the stituting this series of hypnotics, there is also a proportion: 1.00 sulfonal: 1.34 trional: 1.56 corresponding increase in the amount of tetronal. hsematoporphyrin (C3i H38 N4 Oc) contained The fact that an increase in ethyl groups in the urine of patients to -whom the drug is in the molecules of these compounds imparts a administered. It has been shown(l) that greater degree of therapeutic activity is the portion of the porphyrin produced in the generally afforded recognition. Apparently, trional urines was greater than that present the production of haematoporphyrin in the urine in the samples of urine obtained from those is considerably influenced by the molecular patients who had been treated with sulfonal alkyl structure of the sulphone ingested. in the relative proportions: 1.0 sulfonal: 1.34 References. trional. In the discussion following the pre- i sentation of this work, the author observed (1) Germuth (1927). "Occurrence of Haemato- " in Urine Administration of/Trional." it would be of interest to learn in this con- porphyrin following American Journal of Pharmacy, 99, November. nection whether the continued use of tetronal (2) Salkowski. Zeitschr. f. Physiol. Clifm., 15. is capable of producing an amount of (3)* Garrod. Journ. of Physiol., 13 an/ 17; Salliet, hcTsmatoporphyrin in theoretical excess of that Revue de Medicine, 16. / engendered by the administration of trional. In view of the facts herewith presented, it / would appear feasible in the absence of ex- perimental data to anticipate this condition." The paper here presented furnishes results obtained in experimental clinical studies, employing the soporific tetronal: C2H6\q // so,c2h0 C2 H / \ S02C,Hr, Experimentation developed the fact that the method advocated by Salkowski(2) furnish- ed a better means of ascertaining the quantity of the sought-for' substance in the samples of urine than that of Garrod(3), the latter method finding wider employment in the determination of traces or minute portions of the porphyrin. For the benefit of those who may not be familiar with the technique involved in the procedure utilized, it is here- with presented: Method Employed. A mixture consisting of equal portions (by volume) of saturated barium hydroxide solution and ten per cent, barium chloride solution is added to the sample of urine under examination; precipitation of the solids resulting. The precipitate, which is washed at least three times with warm (37? C.) water, contains the h?ematoporphyrin. This is permitted to stand one hour at room temperature in ethyl alcohol acidified with hydrochloric acid (1 c.c. of HC1, sp. gr. 1.20, in 25 c.c. of 95 per cent. CzHjOH), and then fdtered. The alcoholic fdtrate is thoroughly mixed with a like volume of chloroform, and two volumes of distilled water added. This is carefully shaken, and a lower layer of chloroform is obtained which contains a very pure hrematoporphyrin, while the upper layer of alcohol and water contains other pigments in addition to a small amount of the compound. Results. The patients from whom the samples of urine were obtained had been treated with tetronal for at least three weeks prior to examination, the dosages employed being fairly constant. Meticulous attention was accorded to ten samples, representing the twenty-four hour output of patients to whom the medicine had been given. The observation was made