2 INTRODUCTION 



introduced the English term, "suprarenal" which, although 

 descriptive of the glands as located in man, is a misnomer when 

 applied generally, and hence should be replaced by the more 

 generally applicable term, "adrenal." The term "glandulae 

 renales" introduced by Dienerbroeck was adopted in the 

 German "Nierendriisen" which has been displaced by the more 

 appropriate term "Nebennieren." The Italians refer to the 

 glands as "giandola" or "capsula surrenale" or as "soprarenale." 

 The Spanish use the expression, "swprarrenales." 



The seventeenth century contributed little to our knowledge 

 of the adrenals. The literature of this period consists of ana- 

 tomical descriptions which distorted the actual facts in order 

 to give support to fantastic hypothetical theories. Thus 

 Spigelius considered the adrenals as mere fillers of the ab- 

 dominal cavity to help support the stomach. This theory was 

 later retained by Highmore who also expressed the view that 

 the adrenals absorbed humid exudates from the nearby blood 

 vessels. Riolan believed that the adrenals supported the ab- 

 dominal nerve plexuses thereby preventing their weighing on 

 the renal vessels. This theory was refuted by Bartholin and 

 Molinetti who pointed out that the adrenals lay above the 

 nerve plexus and that the latter being firmly attached to the 

 vertebral column were in no need of any support. 



The proximity of the adrenals to the abdominal nerve plexus 

 suggested to Thomas Wharton that the glands withdrew some- 

 thing from the nerves. He therefore called them the "glandu- 

 lae ad nerveum plexum." Glisson maintained a similar view 

 while Collins was more specific and suggested that the adrenals 

 transported a fermentative liquor from the nerves to the kid- 

 neys. 



The association of the adrenals and the kidneys gave rise 

 to Molinetti's theory according to which the adrenals diverted 

 the blood from the kidney in order to avoid the excretion of 

 urine by the fetus. Molinetti's views were supported by 

 Coxe 133 of the University of Pennsylvania, the earliest Ameri- 

 can writer on the subject. 6668 



