78 Blair Bell 



I do not propose to give a complete historical survey of the subject, for 

 it is hardly necessary again to describe the imperfect methods often 

 employed and tlie unreliable results obtained, which have been so well dis- 

 cussed by Crowe, Gushing and Homans (1910 (6)), Biedl (1910 (4)), and 

 otiiers. It may, however, be said that although a large number of 

 experimenters have attempted to operate on the pituitary-^for the most 

 part by the buccal route — in almost every case either the operation was a 

 failure from a scientific point of view, or post-operative complications 

 resulted in the death of the animal. This state of affairs obtained until 

 Paulesco (1908 (16)), Professor of Physiology at Bucharest, with the aid of 

 a surgical colleague, evolved the procedure, known as the bitemporal route, 

 which has led not only to the accomplishment of successful operations, but 

 also to more reliable results. Nevertheless, as already indicated, the 

 published accounts of operations experimentally performed on the pituitary 

 by the newer method of approach are still surprisingly few. It is probable 

 that, apart from the investigations of Paulesco (1908 (16)), of Harvey 

 Gushing and his colleagues (1909 (17)), (1910 (6)), and possibly also of 

 Silbermark (1910 (18)), Biedl (1910 (4)), and Ascoli and Legnani 

 (1912 (2)), no successful work has been done. Further, although Victor 

 Horsley (1886 (14)) was certainly the first to perform extirpation 

 experiments in this country, and probably in the world, hitherto there do 

 not appear to have been any other attempts either by surgeons or 

 physiologists in Great Britain — apart from later efforts (1911 (12)) by 

 the operator just mentioned — to conduct investigations on these lines. 



The present researches, then, have been concerned in testing the correct- 

 ness or otherwise of the experiments carried out by Paulesco, and by 

 Gushing and his fellow- workers; and in attempting to gain further 

 information concerning the experimental pathology of the pituitary. In 

 all cases reliance as to the structural conditions present was placed only 

 on the results of complete histological examinations. These histological 

 observations included the examination of the pituitary tissues removed^ 

 and of the site of removal ; also of the genitalia, before and after opera- 

 tion, and of the other endocrine^ organs after the production of the 

 pituitary lesions. Owing to the lack of laboratory assistance it was 

 impossible to make detailed metabolic and clinical observations. 



Operative Technique. 



In these experiments 27 bitches were subjected to operation, and of 

 these two died as the result of the operative procedures, as distinct from 

 the actual lesions produced on the pituitary. Only one of tlie deaths 

 could be attributed to faulty surgical technique, and in this case the 

 operation was abandoned owing to haemorrhage, from which the animal 



' The term "endocrine" is used in this paper in accordance with llie usual custom in 

 this Journah 



