Cccxvii. Metabolism of Polycyclic Compounds. I. Production of Dihydroxydihydro- Anthracene from Anthracene. by Eric Boyland and Alfred Aaron Levi

POLYcYcLIac aromatic hydrocarbons are known to produce two distinct pathological changes in animals. Thus under certain conditions naphthalene produces cataract in rabbits, whilst under other conditions derivatives of 1:2-benzanthracene produce cancer in some species. It is possible that animals might deal with toxic hydrocarbons in either of two ways; the compounds might either be converted into more active pathogenic substances or be detoxicated by conversion into some harmless compound. Our present knowledge of the metabolism of aromatic hydrocarbons with the exception of benzene and naphthalene is very scanty. It has been known for some time that the urine of naphthalene-fed animals liberates naphthalene on boiling with acid [Baumann and Heuter, 1878]. Bourne and Young [1934] have isolated naphthalenemercapturic acid from the urine of naphthalene-fed rabbits. Bergel and Pschorr [1903] isolated phenanthrolglycuronic acid from the urine ofrabbits which had been given phenanthrene in their food, but they were unable to determine the constitution ofthis glycuronic acid compound. EXPERIMENTAL.