THE PITUITARY BODY 



pars neuralis and essential hypertension, as well as between a 

 proliferation of the oxyphils (secreting growth-promoting 

 hormone?) and the growth of sarcomata. 



Erdheim (1936) suggested that pregnancy-cells, which 

 clearly are not the source of prolan, secrete a hormone pro- 

 moting the growth of the fetus and some of the maternal 

 parts. He regarded the similar cells appearing in the pituitary 

 of patients with congenital aplasia of the thyroid as the 

 pituitary's attempt to compensate for the harmful effect of 

 thyroid deficiency on body-growth. 



The reduction in the percentage of basophils, as well as a 

 similar but less prominent change in the oxyphils, in the 

 pituitary of patients with Addison's disease has already been 

 described. 



Miscellaneous observations. — Andersen, Prest, and Victor 

 (1937) investigated the metabolism of the isolated pars 

 glandularis of the rat at different stages of sexual activity, 

 including pregnancy and lactation. They concluded that the 

 metabolism of the gland could not be correlated with the 

 percentage of basophils as determined by Wolfe and his col- 

 leagues. The pars glandularis was found to be heaviest dur- 

 ing oestrus. 



Several authors have reported their impressions of the 

 changes in the pars glandularis due to administration or 

 deficiency of various vitamins. Gi^dosz (1935) stated that 

 repeated subcutaneous injections of a solution containing 

 vitamin A into rabbits bring about an increase in the num- 

 ber of oxyphils and, to a less extent, in the number of 

 basophils. Intravenous injections of a solution of vitamin C 

 were followed by similar changes. The pituitary of vitamin 

 Bi deficiency (six human cases of beriberi) was investigated 

 by Marburg and Wenckebach (1936). The pars glandularis 

 frequently contained necrotic areas; the oxyphils and baso- 

 phils often were separated into adenoma-like groups. They 

 suggested that apparent holocrine degeneration of the baso- 

 phils of the pars neuraHs might be related to the circulatory 



[26I 



