Physiology. — "A new form of correlation between organs." By 

 Prof. H. J. Hamburger. 



(Communicated at the meeting of May 26, 1923). 



on 



Thus far we were acquainted with two forms of cooperati 

 lu'lweeii oi'guns. As to the eldest known form, here tlie central 

 nervous system plays an im|)ortant rcMe. If any one pricks my 

 linger iine.Ypecledly with a needle, 1 immediately withdraw my 

 anil ; a cooperation lias taken place hetween the skin of the finger 

 and the muscles of the arm, and well by means of the spinal cliord. 

 Here we have to deal with a reflex. 



Some years ago we got acquainted with a second form of corre- 

 laiion between organs; this one is not effected by means of nerves, 

 lull here the bloodcnrrent is the mediator of the cooperation. For 

 instance, the glandiila tliyroidea produces substances, which are 

 (•iirrie(i through the body b}' the bloodciiri'ejit and influence the 

 metabolism and growth of distant organs. 



That nerves here don't play an essential role appears from the 

 fact, that the glandula thyroidea still exerts its influence, even when 

 ii is detached from its nerves and transplanted to another part of 

 I lie body. 



Now, in the last years experiments, performed in our laboratory, 

 have clearly demonstrated a third new fortn^) of correlation betuieen 

 organs. The starting point of these researciies, carried out by 

 Dr. R. Brinkman, IVliss E. van Dam and Dr. L. Jendhassik, was the 

 following experiment of 0. Loewi in Graz. The vagus nerve of an 

 isolated frog's heart, which is filled with a salt solution, is for .some 

 lime stimulated so that the heart stops its beat. Then the content 

 (if the heart is removed and transferred into another frog's heart, 

 which was isolated in the same way. Then the well-known pharma- 



M See my lecture at the opening of the Biological Buildings of Mc. Gill's 

 University in Montreal (Canada) in September 1922. See also: H. J. Hamburoer. 

 The increasing significance of permeability problems for the biological and 

 medical sciences ; the Charles E. Dohme Memorial Lectures. First Course, 10, 11, 

 12 October 1922, delivered in Baltimore; printed in: Bulletin of the Johns 

 Hopkins Hospital, June 1923. 



