The spectra of cancer-producing tars and oils and of related substances

Abstract

THIS work deals with the application of optical methods to the identification of the cancer-producing agent present in tars and oils. The chemical separation of the cancer-producer will prove difficult since tars and oils are exceedingly complex mixtures, but the search has been narrowed by various investigations (see references in preceding paper) which suggest that the active agent is among the aromatic hydrocarbons with condensed rings. These compounds, represented by anthracene, possess the property of fluorescing intensely when exposed to ultra-violet light and the results and opinions expressed here are based on an examination of the fluorescence spectra and ultra-violet absorption spectra of several hundred substances, in part pure compounds, in part mixtures.