Psychosomatic Medicine 7:347-352 (1945)
© 1945 American Psychosomatic Society

Effects on Industrial Production of the Administration of 5 Pregnenolone to Factory Workers, II

¹ Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
² Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology and the American Optical Company

A study of piece work production has been made of 173 male and female workers making optical goods when they were taking placebos and when they were taking pregnenolone.

A significant increase of 4.2% in overall production was found for 77 workers taking 50 mgm. pregnenolone per day over their previous production levels. This is 1.3% higher than their levels on placebos.

Decrease in wastage and repairs for 39 workers amounted to 18.9% when they were taking pregnenolone and 13.7% when they were taking placebos as compared to their pre-experimental levels.

Ninety-six workers were studied for three months. A third of them took 70 mg. per day pregnenolone pills, another third took 25 mgm./day pills, and a third took 0.1 mgm./day pills (a placebo for all practical purposes). The 70 mg. group showed most pronounced improvement in earnings and in the saving of wastage. The 25 mgm./day group fell between the 70 mgm./day and the 0.1 mgm./day groups. There was thus demonstrated differences in dosage on improvement of industrial production resulting from the ingestion of pregnenolone.

Some improvement of production due to pregnenolone tends to be retained after the termination of medication.