NOMENCLATURE OF CORPUS LUTEUM HORMONE

Abstract

DURING the past year, the progestational harmone has been isolated from the corpus luteum in pure form and its constitution established. Heretofore, two different names have been used in the literature for this hormone (progestin, luteosterone). For the sake of international uniformity, we agree to use hereafter in the scientific literature only the name progesterone for the pure hormone. As is known, the pure harmone exists in two different forms, one melting at 128° (uncorr.) and the other at 121° (uncorr.). The higher melting form (Compound B of Wintersteiner and Allen1 and Compound C of Slotta, Ruschig and Fels2) will be known as progesterone, and the lower melting form (Compound C of Wintersteiner and Allen and Compound D of Slotta, Ruschig and Fels) as progesterone. We hope that these names will be generally accepted in the scientific literature.