PHYSIOLOGY OF EPINEPHRINE 105 



phosphorus, and similar poisons cause a diminution in the 

 epinephrine content of the adrenals but it is not certain if this 

 be due to an increased discharge or to injury of the mechanism 

 responsible for epinephrine synthesis in the gland. 



Starvation may reduce the epinephrine of the adrenals to 

 one-fourth to one-half of their normal content. After infec- 

 tious and debilitating diseases, the epinephrine content may 

 also be low but in these cases we must consider the effects of the 

 accompanying cachexia, the agonal drop in body temperature, 

 the asphyxia, etc. Diphtheria toxin, is particularly potent in 

 reducing the epinephrine content of the adrenals, but in dogs 

 poisoned by this toxin or by tetanus toxin there is no evidence 

 of an increased epinephrine secretion. 590 



Burns are accompanied by an increased secretion of epi- 

 nephrine. Injury to the kidneys or excision of the kidneys also 

 reduces the epinephrine content of the adrenals but there is 

 no evidence that epinephrine discharge is responsible for the 

 hypertension of renal disease. 637 



Irradiation with X-rays causes an increased discharge of 

 epinephrine. 639 



The epinephrine content of the adrenals in persons dying of 

 various diseases has been the subject of numerous investiga- 

 tions. 181 Different observers have reported extremely variable 

 results. The difficulty of obtaining the glands sufficiently 

 soon after death to avoid post-mortem changes and the reliance 

 upon analytical methods of doubtful accuracy account for 

 the confusing results found in the literature. Schmorl and 

 Ingier 329 , in their extensive study, did not find any note- 

 worthy decrease in the epinephrine content of the adrenals of 

 patients dead of various acute infections including diphtheria. 



In infectious fevers of man, Euler 187 found the epinephrine 

 content of the peripheral venous blood to be 1 to 500 million 

 to a billion which represents an increase over its normal 

 content. 



Herring 294 found the epinephrine content of the adrenals to 



