Insect Moulting Hormones: Dacrysterone, a New Phytoecdysone From Dacrydium intermedium

Dacrysterone, a new phytoecdysone, has been isolated from the bark of Dacrydium intermedium and shown to be 5β-hydroxymakisterone A (6). Makisterone A also occurs in this plant.

Treatment of pneumothorax in the newborn infant

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The recruitment of psychiatrists

The Recruitment of Psychiatrists Every teacher of psychiatry bears a dual responsibility. Not only must he inculcate the essential principles of his subject into medical students, irrespective of their eventual choice of career within medicine, but he must also help recruit into psychiatry a sufficient number of doctors to develop the psychiatric services of tomorrow. Moreover, the quality and personal attributes of these recruits must be such as to do credit to the profession.

Insect Moulting Hormones: The Phytoecdysones of Dacrydium Intermedium

The 2-cinnamate esters of β-ecdysone, polypodine B, and ponasterone C and the 3-p-oournarate ester of β-ecdysone have been isolated from the bark of Dacrydium intermedium as new natural ecdysone esters. β-Ecdysone, polypodine B, ponasterone C, and pterosterone also occur in this plant.

Effect of tolazoline hydrochloride on sputum viscosity in cystic fibrosis

Comparisons have been made between the effects of autonomic dysfunction and the pathophysiological changes in the exocrine secretions from patients with cystic fibrosis (Roberts, 1959). Cotton (1966) found that administration of tolazoline hydrochloride (an alpha-adrenergic blocker) to patients with cor pulmonale in the terminal stages of cystic fibrosis was associated with an improvement in the results of their lung function tests. This effect might have been due to an alteration of the abnormal viscosity of the bronchial mucus mediated via the autonomic nervous system, thus permitting easier expectoration. Measurement, by means of a Ferranti-Shirely cone and plate viscometer, of several different aspects of sputum viscosity is described. Tolazoline hydrochloride, administered to five patients with cystic fibrosis, was shown not to differ significantly from a placebo in its effect on sputum viscosity and dynamic lung volumes. We could not relate the improved lung function seen in Cotton's series to an autonomic effect of the drug on the physical properties of bronchial mucus in this condition.

Effects of feeding on respiratory mechanics of healthy newborn infants

Methods for the study of respiratory mechanics of the newborn infant are described. In 20 healthy neonates, small feeds had no adverse effect on respiratory mechanics.