Several investigators have tried to demonstrate the presence of progestin in various tissues and fluids of women and animals. Until recently the corpus luteum of the sow was the only tissue from which progestin could be obtained. Clauberg and co-workers (1), demonstrated its presence in the human corpus luteum. They obtained an incomplete proliferation of the endometrium of the rabbit’s uterus with extracts from 55 grams of tissue. Pratt (2) and Clauberg (1), respectively, extracting a maximum of 40 grams of human corpus luteum, obtained negative results. Mazer and Goldstein (3) found progestin in the placenta of a 6 months pregnancy. Ehrhardt and Weigel (4), de Fremery, Luchs and Tausk (5), Portman (6), Philipp (7) and Fels (8) failed to demonstrate the presence of progestin in placentas of different ages. These observations are borne out by the author, who failed to find progestin in placentas of 3½ and 4½ months. An extract made from a 3½ months fetus also gave a negative reaction for progestin. Recently Adler, de Fremery and Tausk (9), Ehrhardt (10, 11), Ehrhardt and Hagena (12), Fels (13) and van Lankeren (14), using the technic of Allen and Meyer (15) for the separation of estrin from progestin, showed the presence of progestin in early as well as full term placentas. It is interesting that they got both positive and negative results.
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PAUL W. BLOCH (1936) studied this question.