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This record of the fifth and final conference on the adrenal cortex completes a series of informal discussions by a limited group of investigators and guests. All five volumes are published at cost, and are designed for the advanced technical reader.
The recent brilliant discovery of Electrocortin (now known as Aldosterone) by Reichenstein and his associates is discussed by Dr. H. L. Mason who had, interestingly enough, crystallized the same compound. Electrocortin is a mineralo-corticoid found in the human adrenal cortex which has an activity of from 50 to 100 times that of desoxycorticosterone and its discovery is an important advance in adrenal physiology.
There are discussions on the salt and water factor of the adrenal cortex, the metabolism of adrenal steroids, and on whether ACTH is a single substance or a mixture of hormones.
There are references to psychologically disturbed patients. On p. 60 Dr. Thorn describes an alteration in the normal diurnal variation of steroid secretion in severe psychological stress. On pp. 61 and 62, Dr. Pincus describes work on psycho-neurotics who show no diurnal variations, even though they sleep well, and states 'the psychiatrists suggest that these are people who have rather interesting dreams.'
On p. 63, Dr. Dorfman describes increases in steroids following electroshock treatment in a 24-hour period.
No psychiatric data are given in these cases and this could not be expected at a conference of this kind. The psycho-analyst would certainly be very interested in further informal discussions which had as their aim the correlation of psychological data with physiological findings and comparative studies of such cases.