THE CONQUEST OF DISEASE 



acromegaly and giantism are diseases of over- 

 stimulation of the organism with this material. 

 Berkley, Hirshfeld and others have found that 

 the thyroid, pituitary gland, and adrenal 

 glands are all linked together by a system of 

 nerves. Howell, S chafer and Osborne have 

 found that the secretions of these organs all 

 have an interdependence. It seems that the 

 thyroid secretion is essential for the stimulation 

 of the pituitary gland and the energizing of 

 the adrenal glands. These discoveries are 

 leading to an understanding of some of the 

 strange phenomena heretofore set down as 

 derangements of the nervous system. Children 

 which belong to the mentally deficient are 

 found lacking in thymus gland; and we are 

 now upon the threshhold of an effective treat- 

 ment of these children, having as its basis the 

 overcoming of the real defect instead of striv- 

 ing to whip into activity minds made dull by 

 being overwhelmed with unneutralized toxins. 

 Addison's Addison's disease is a peculiarly fatal con- 



disease, dition accompanied by a bronzing of the skin 



and evidences of a severe toxemia. Many 

 autopsies have shown that it is associated with 

 disease of the suprarenal capsules, resulting in 

 destruction of their secreting cells. Commonly 



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