Experimental Operations on the Pituitary 1*25 



cause irritation with «,'lye<)suria and wastini;. while tumours interferinj; 

 with the stalk may produce rarln.hydrate tolerance. In the human subject 

 it is, of course, well known that tumours in the nci<,'hlM)urhood of the 

 pituitary usually lead to the syndrome dystrophia a<lijjos(>-jjenitalis, 

 by causing atrophic changes in the secretory cells. 



Paulesco(l911 (15)) has published a paper bearing on the experimental 

 aspect of this subject, but I have been unable to refer to it, f<jr at present 

 it is unobtainable in this country. 



Conclusions. 



1. The pituitary body is an organ that is essential to life : its removal 

 causes death within a few hours. In the cases which survive for lonirer 

 periods the removal has probably not been complete. 



2. The removal of very large portions of the pars anterior is incom- 

 patible with life. It appears certain from the evidence at our disposal that 

 it is the loss of this portion of the organ which proves fatal when total 

 extirpation of the pituitary is practised. 



o. Partial removal of the pars anterior may, if sufficient (juantity be 

 removed, cause genital atrophy. This may occur in the ab.sence of any 

 other symptom, although the animal may also remain undersized. 



4. Neither partial nor complete removal of the pars posterior causes 

 any symptom. The genital organs remain normal after operation, and 

 young animals continue to develop. Hence the secretion of the pars 

 nervosa is neither necessarily beneficial nor essential to life. 



5. Partial removal of the partes anterior and posterior causes no symp- 

 tom provided only a small portion of the pars anterior be removed. 



0. Clamping and separation of the infundibular stalk, by interfering 

 with the blood-supply and so causing degeneration in the cells of the partes 

 anterior and intermedia, lead to the condition known as dystrophia 

 adiposo-geni talis. 



7. Artificial tumours in the neighbourhood of the sella turcica may pro- 

 duce irritation, which is accompanied by glycosuria and emaciation ; or by 

 interfering with the blood-supply may lead to degenerative changes in the 

 cells of the pars anterior, and so give rise to the syndrome dystrophia 

 adiposo-geni talis. 



8. The pituitary body appears to be one organ and not two ; and the 

 essential and beneficial secretion is taken up by the blood stream, as in the 

 case of the other orsfans of internal secretion. 



» 



The investigations described in this paper were carried out in the 

 Pathological Department of the University of Liverpool, and I am indebted 

 to Professor Ernest Glynn for the facilities afibrded. The expenses were 

 defrayed out of a fund placed by Mr J. Arthur Smith at my disposal for 

 scientific research. 



