THE KINETIC SYSTEM 205 



were very slight or no histologic changes in the brain, 

 the adrenals or the liver. 



It might be questioned whether the control of the 

 adrenals and the liver exerted by morphia is through 

 its action on the brain or by direct action on the two 

 other organs. Since morphia inhibits brain activity 

 and since severing the nerve connection between the 

 brain and the adrenals also inhibits adrenal action and 

 prevents histologic changes in the adrenal and the 

 liver, it seems probable that morphia controls the ad- 

 renal output. Granting that morphia can prevent 

 activation by adrenin, the question arises whether or 

 not it can prevent the action of adrenin injected intra- 

 venously. That is, can opium neutralize the effects 

 of adrenin per se? On experiment, we found that 

 opium could not prevent the action of adrenin in- 

 jected intravenously, since under deep morphinization 

 injections of adrenin still caused an increase in the 

 force and the frequency of the heart beat, a rise in the 

 blood-pressure and an acceleration of the respiratory 

 rate. We conclude, therefore, that while opium cannot 

 prevent the action of adrenin per se, it can prevent 

 the fabrication of adrenin by the adrenals. We know 

 clinically that the activity of the thyroid is controlled 

 by large doses of opium. It is known that adrenin 

 measurably governs the functions of the liver ; that in- 

 directly the fabrication of adrenin, in part at least, is 

 governed by thyreo-iodin ; that directly or indirectly the 

 output of thyreo-iodin is controlled by the brain ; and 

 that the brain is controlled by morphia. Indirectly, 

 therefore, morphia would be expected to prevent histo- 

 logic changes in the liver due to emotion, to toxins, etc. 



