14 THE INTERNAL SECRETIONS—192Z0 
AN EXPERIENCE WITH A DEFECTIVE Boy 
The most glowing success I have had—the one that 
gave me the biggest boost and brought the most joy to 
several people—with hormone treatment was in a case 
of ‘‘defective” development, or hypoplasia, as it is 
sometimes called, in a boy nine years old. 
Not only was dwarfism very pronounced in this boy, 
but he was very “backward” mentally. He could only 
articulate a very few words; and had not even learned 
his letters. Eight months ago I put him on another 
stock prescription, this time containing thyroid, thymus 
and anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. I did not 
make any very bright promises as to results, because 
of a previous failure with thyroid, but had the parents’ 
promise to keep up the treatment, interrupted during 
every fifth week, for at least twelve months. There 
was no apparent improvement during the first four 
months; but, two weeks ago the boy was brought to my 
office—the only time since the beginning of the treat- 
ment. “I have brought Albert for you to see how much 
better he is,” the mother enthusiastically exclaimed. 
Well, that boy had grown two inches; could talk fairly 
well and his facial expression was entirely changed and 
was much brighter than before. 
Now here is a case that would have, undoubtedly, 
been a wasted life, a physical and mental dwarf, a 
hopeless idiot, a burden to his family and society. But 
I am hopeful that by continuing treatment indefinitely 
he will develop into a fairly useful citizen. And, let me 
say, that not all the doubting doctors will ever be able 
to make this mother believe that the improvement in 
her boy is only a case of ‘“‘coincidence.”’ 
Yes, organotherapy has come, and it has come to 
stay. Only a very few years ago the subject was sel- 
dom mentioned in the medical press. Now you can 
hardly pick up a medical journal without finding an 
