The activation of the male sex hormones. II

I. The activation of testosterone by esterification. WE showed in an earlier paper [1936, 1] that on injecting testosterone and palmitic acid at different sites in the body of the rat an activating effect could no longer be observed when the sites of injection were too far apart. In our opinion this suggested that the carboxylic acids have no effect on the sex organs themselves, but rather a local effect at the site of injection, in creating more favourable conditions for the absorption of the administered solution. Deanesly & Parkes [1936, 1], who confirmed the fact itself, suggested that the increased effect was due to retardation of the absorption of testosterone. They point to the retarded effects of benzoates of oestrone and oestradiol and are of the opinion that one cannot exclude the possibility of esterification of testosterone by the acid added, even during the preparation of the solution. However, the possibility of activating testosterone by primary alcohols and especially the fact