Utilisation of Indian Dioxorea Plants for Preparation of Cortisone

cortex leading to the discovery of cortisone (Mason, Myers and Kendall, 1936; Wintersteiner and Pfiffner, 1936 ; Reichstein, 1936). The beneficial effect of pregnancy on rheumatoid arthritis was first observed by Hench in 1938 but the antirheumatic arthritic action of cortisone was established as late as 1949 by Hench, Kendall and their collaborators. Since then beneficial effect of cortisone has been observed in a number of other diseases (Carlisle, 1950 ; Pearson and Eliel, 1950 ; White and Marshall, 1951). Cortisone is also known as Kendall's compound E and has been found to be 17 < hydroxy-ll-dehydro-corticosterone.