ABSTRACT
1. An indirect paperchromatographic method is described for separating urinary oestrogens; this consists of the following steps: acidic hydrolysis, extraction with ether, dissociation of phenol-fractions with partition between the solvents. Previous purification of phenol fraction with the aid of paperchromatography. The elution of oestrogen containing fractions is followed by acetylation. Oestrogen acetate is isolated by re-chromatography. The chromatogram was developed after hydrolysis of the oestrogens 'in situ' on the paper. The quantity of oestrogens was determined indirectly, by means of an iron-reaction, after the elution of the iron content of the oestrogen spot, which was developed by the Jellinek-reaction. 2. The method described above is satisfactory for determining urinary oestrogen, 17β-oestradiol and oestriol, but could include 16-epioestriol and other oestrogenic metabolites. 3. The sensitivity of the method is 1.3–1.6 μg/24 hours. 4. The quantitative and qualitative determination of urinary oestrogens with the above mentioned method was performed in 50 pregnant and 9 non pregnant women, and also in 2 patients with granulosa cell tumour.