Preparation of Compounds of Potential Physiological Activity: Derivatives of Benzilic, Substituted Acetic and Substituted Glycolic Acids and Substituted Butanones

The continuing search of chemists, physiologists and medical researchers for natural and synthetic compounds which will alleviate or cure the illnesses of mankind constitutes a fascinating episode in the history of scientific endeavor. One chapter of this history is necessarily concerned with efforts to synthesize better, more useful antispasmodics. To present a comprehensive critical review of these efforts would require an extensive treatise and will not be attempted here. Several reviews are available which cover the literature to around 1950. The present survey will be a brief resume of the more pertinent material to the present time. It is hoped that this resume will afford to the reader some background in and appreciation of the field, together with an understanding of the synthetic approaches involved.