Chemico-Functional Integration 



tween all the ductless glands the combined functioning of 

 which dominates most of the activities, normal and patho- 

 logical, of the organism. 



Sajous' elaborately worked-out theories of internal se- 

 cretions, especially in their relation to disease and medical 

 practice, are opposed at many points to prevailing opinion 

 based on present day research. Nevertheless regarded from 

 the standpoint of general biology there would seem to be 

 much merit in his effort on the one hand to find a common 

 ground in the metabolic processes for all the phenomena at- 

 tributed to endocrinal activity ; and on the other hand to 

 find a more consistent morphological and physiological basis 

 of definition and classification of internal secretions and the 

 structures which produce them than has yet been recognized. 

 For example, whether Sajous is right or not in contending 

 that the pituitary body does not produce an internal secre- 

 tion, certain it is that the non-glandular structure of its 

 posterior part, extracts of which alone have slowing effects 

 on the heart, is strongly suggestive to the critical naturalist 

 that the inclusion without qualification of this part at least 

 of the organ among the endocrine glands is an instance of 

 what is known to taxonomists as "lumping" in classification 

 -a kind of practice that advance in knowledge always finds 

 to be inadequate for purposes that are critical. Sajous' 

 late summary of his views is highly suggestive to the general 

 biologist, even though it is excessively theoretical in some 

 parts. 



As far as a much interested outsider can judge, the pres- 

 ent state of understanding of the relationships among the 

 internal secretions is set forth with exceptional judiciousness 

 by Waller. "There can be little doubt," the author opens 

 his discussion by remarking, "that the various internal secre- 

 tions are most closely correlated, yet perhaps the most dif- 

 ficult, and also the most fascinating problem of present day 

 medicine, is to assign to each its proper and right share of 



