CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS 295 



ever, that ascorbic acid has no value as a replacement therapy 

 in adrenal insufficiency. Nor conversely does the adrenal 

 cortical hormone act in preventing the development or in 

 mitigating the symptoms of scurvy. The results of previous 

 authors who had claimed otherwise were due in part possibly 

 to the contamination of their crude extracts with ascorbic 

 acid, and in part to a misinterpretation of the significance of 

 their observations. 330 



Vitamin G (2? 2 ). Purified adrenal cortical extracts have no 

 demonstrable effect on the development of avitaminosis in rats 

 deprived of vitamin G. The failure of young animals main- 

 tained on a vitamin-G-free diet to grow can not be attributed 

 to adrenal insufficiency, for administration of the cortical 

 hormone does not stimulate growth in such animals. The 

 presence of this vitamin in the adrenals must be considered in 

 the same light as has been indicated in our discussion of vita- 

 mins A, B, and C. 247 



As already indicated the vitamins are also found in as high 

 a concentration as they occur in the adrenals in other organs. 

 Moreover, adrenalectomized animals maintained on adequate 

 doses of the cortical hormone manifest no symptoms of vitamin 

 deficiencies. We are justified in concluding, therefore, that it 

 is only incidental that these vitamins occur in the adrenals. 

 The susceptibility of the adrenal gland to conditions of avi- 

 taminosis is also not unique, for other endocrine organs (thy- 

 roid, pituitary, sex glands, etc.) are equally affected by dietary 

 deficiencies. The vitamins, apparently, are essential for the 

 well-being of a great number, if not all, of the organs and tissues 

 of the body. The similarity between certain clinical mani- 

 festations of dietary deficiencies and of adrenal insufficiency 

 are due to the fact that the cortical hormone is also necessary 

 for the well-being of a number of tissues and organs. Hence, 

 deficiency due to either vitamin or hormone leads to a mul- 

 tiplicity of manifestations (in the gastro-intestinal, nervous, 

 cardiovascular, endocrine and other systems) and to a super- 



