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A new group of iron-containing metabolites, with growth stimulating properties for a number of microorganisms, has been isolated from streptomycetes and namedferrioxamines. It is proposed to include them, together with some known substances, like ferrichrome, coprogen and the terregens factor, which either contain or bind iron, in a new class of growth factors, thesideramines. The biological property of the sideramines is counteracted by iron-containing antibiotics from streptomycetes, thesideromycins. They comprise, besides known products like grisein and albomycin, two new groups of antibiotics, among them the highly potentferrimycins.

In their work,R. Heim andR. G. Wasson have reported on the ‘Myco-Ethnology’ of hallucinogenic mushrooms in Mexico. Further attention was paid to the taxonomy of different species of these mushrooms belonging to the genera Psilocybe, Stropharia etc. Data on the elucidation and synthesis of the active principle, Psilocybin, a new indole derivate, are given.