Chemico-Functional Integration 



some fullness : "Considerable stress has been laid upon the 

 antagonism of different internal secretions by various au- 

 thors. I believe we should gain a truer insight into their 

 working if we dwelt rather upon their harmony. It does not 

 strike me as a very high conception of the human organism 

 that health should consist in the balance of dissentient or 

 antagonistic forces. It would seem far more ideal that all 

 the internal secretions should work together for the common 

 good of the organism, and that when some special demand is 

 made upon a particular gland the others will work in har- 

 mony with it. Every gland is probably necessary for the 

 perfect activity of the rest, and the harmony between the 

 glands is demonstrated by physiological experiments. . . . 

 When it is found that the removal of an organ constantly 

 induces either atrophy or hypertrophy of some other organ, 

 we can reasonably deduce that in the first case the organ 

 removed is essential to the welfare of the one that atrophies 

 in its absence, and in the second case that the hypertrophying 

 organ is endeavoring to replace the lost one, in some de- 

 gree, and that therefore the two organs have a kindred 

 function." 16 



As an example of the first case, the fact is cited that the 

 removal of the thyroid or of the anterior part of the pitui- 

 tary induces the atrophy of the testicles or the ovaries. The 

 second case is illustrated by the hypertrophy of the supra- 

 renal from the removal of the thyroids, and also by the 

 hypertrophy of either the thyroid or the pituitary on re- 

 moval of the other. "The demonstrated facts of hyper- 

 trophy," we read, "clearly point to an entente or even a 

 triple alliance between thyroid, hypophysis and suprarenals. 

 And the genital system is absolutely dependent upon the 

 integrity of these three." 1T 



Stating now, in a single paragraph, the results of inves- 

 tigations in this field, we have : The different parts and ac- 

 tivities of the organism are maintained in their normal state, 



