HISTORICAL 6 



Sylvius suggested the idea that the adrenals altered the 

 blood in such a way as to prevent its coagulation in the body. 

 This theory was supported by Boerhave, Deidier, Tauvry, 

 and others. 



Bartholin first described the brownish fluid present in adre- 

 nals which are removed from the body sometime after death. 

 This fluid results from autolytic processes in the medulla but 

 was considered by Bartholin as an "atabiliary" juice derived 

 from the spleen and liver. He, therefore, called the adrenals 

 the "capsulae atabiliarae." Kerckring claimed that the adre- 

 nals secrete a juice which gives color and animates the blood 

 and produces fermentation in the heart. 



Severinus, apparently mistaking a band of fibrous tissue for 

 a duct, described the existence of an excretory duct leading 

 from the adrenals to the testicles. Valsalva described similar 

 ducts to the ovary and testicle and therefore claimed that the 

 adrenals were necessary for the proper functioning of the re- 

 productive organs. He supported this theory experimentally 

 by removing the adrenal of one side of a dog and the testicle 

 of the opposite side. The animal failed to copulate after this 

 operation which proved to Valsalva that the adrenals were in- 

 dispensable parts of the reproductive system. Meckel also 

 considered the adrenals as part of the sex glands. B66a 



The Academie des Sciences of Bordeaux in 1716 offered a 

 prize for the best thesis on the subject, "Quel est V usage des 

 glandes surrenalest" Montesquieu, the celebrated author of 

 the "Esprit des lois" was appointed to judge the contributions. 

 His subtle irony and apt criticisms exposed the sophistry of 

 the various theories advanced to explain the function of the 

 adrenals. He found no contribution worthy of the prize. 55 



During the eighteenth century, some advance was made in 

 the anatomical knowledge of the adrenals but more fantastic 

 theories were elaborated to explain their function. Thus 

 Senac suggested that the adrenals secreted meconium in the 

 fetus while Von Helmont believed that they elaborated a juice 

 which prevented the formation of renal calculi. Goodsir con- 



