CHYLE, LYMPH, TRAN8UDATION8 AND EXUDATIONS. 133 



of fat, leucin, succinic acid, lactic acid, and glucose. The large 

 quantity of xanthin bodies, chiefly adenin, is remarkable 179 p. m. 

 in the fresh gland, or 19.19 p. m. in the dried substance (KossEL 

 and SCHINDLER). Potassium and phosphoric acid are the promi- 

 nent mineral constituents. OIDTMANN found 807.06 p. m. water, 

 192.74 p. m. organic and 0.2 p. m. inorganic substances in the gland 

 of a 14-days-old child. 



The Thyroid Gland. The chemical constituents of this gland 

 are little known. BUB^OW has obtained a protein substance called 

 by him " thyreoproteine," by extracting the gland with common-salt 

 solution or by very dilute caustic potash. This body has about the 

 same amount of nitrogen but smaller amounts of carbon and 

 hydrogen than the proteids in general. The fluid found in the 

 vesicle sometimes contains a mucin-like substance which is pre- 

 cipitated by an excess of acetic acid. Besides these, other sub- 

 stances have been found in the extract of the glands, such as leucin, 

 xanthin, hyper xanthin, lactic and succinic acids. OIDTMANN found 

 in the thyroid gland of an old woman 822.4 p. m. water, 176.7 p. m. 

 organic and 0.9. p. m. inorganic substances. He found 772.1 p. m. 

 water, 223.4 p. m. organic and 4.5 p. m. inorganic substances in an 

 infant 14 days old. 



In " STRUMA CYSTICA " HoFPE-SEYiER f ound hardly any albu- 

 min in the smaller glandular vessels, but an excess of mucin, 

 while in the larger he found a great deal of albumin, 70-80 p. m. 

 Cholesterin is regularly found in such cysts, sometimes in such large 

 quantities that the entire contents form a thick mass of cholesterin 

 plates. Crystals of calcium oxalate also occur frequently. The 

 contents of the struma cysts are sometimes of a brown color due 

 to decomposed coloring matter, methaemoglobin (and haematin ?). 

 Bile-coloring matters have also been found in such cysts. (In regard 

 to the paralbumins and colloids which have been found in struma 

 cysts and colloid degeneration, see Chapter XL) 



Little is known in regard to the functions of the thyroid gland. 

 From a chemical standpoint the view is worth suggesting that the 

 so-called myxoedema, which is a slimy infiltration of the subcuta- 

 neous cell-tissue of the head and throat (besides other disturbances) 

 stands in connection with the failing of the activity of the thyroid 

 gland. HORSLEY and HALLIBURTON found in monkeys, but not in 



