The inhibition of guinea pig complement was investigated with 54 amidines, alkylamines, aralkylamines, and guanidines previously synthesized for inhibition of trypsin: based on these results, 15 new candidate inhibitors were synthesized. The I test inhibitors were derived from benzamidine, the hitter being a fair inhibitor. Inhibition by benzamidine was considerably enhanced by meta substituents such as isoamyloxy (18), phenoxypropyloxy (22), and p-acetamiduphenylbutyl (27). Of 28 paw-substituted benzamidines, only the benzamidine with an O(CH2)4OC6H4-p-NHCONHC6H3-2-OMe-5-SO2F substituent (37) showed good inhibition. The most potent inhibitor in the literature, maleopimaric acid (2), showed about 50% inhibition at 0.5 m.M; the same concentration of 18, 22, and 27 showed 50%, inhibition, whereas only 0.062 m.M of 37 was required. However, maleopimaric acid showed better total inhibition than the three benzamidines when the concentrations of the four compounds were increased. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.