THRYOIDECTOMY AND THE SUPRARENALS 55 



suggested that the cortex produces prosuprarenin ; this structure of 

 view is supported by Schafer and Herring 1 , and it suprarenal! 

 appears possible. In addition, the cortex has direct 

 genital functions to which reference will be made 

 later. 



Now, the changes that seem to indicate increased 

 activity of the suprarenals occur in the cortex ; they 

 may be seen normally in pregnancy, and, so far as we 

 know, in ordinary circumstances. The normal appear 

 ances differ, however, from those associated with the 

 activity following thyroidectomy* 



In three of my animals actual calcareous deposits Calcareous 

 were found in the zona fasciculata subsequently to thesupra? 

 thyroidectomy (fig. 26). I have never seen this condition renal corteXt 

 in a normal suprarenal gland. What probably occurs is 

 the production of fatty substances in quantities greater 

 than can be immediately utilized ; then calcium soaps 

 are formed, and finally the calcareous deposits are 

 produced just as may occur elsewhere in the body 

 after a similar series of chemical reactions. Apparently, 

 and somewhat paradoxically, thyroidectomy stimulates 

 the suprarenal cortex to excessive secretion, and this no 

 doubt tends to produce calcium retention and prevent 

 its excretion. 



EFFECTS OF THYROIDECTOMY ON THE PITUITARY 



It has long been known that changes occur in the Effects of thy- 

 pituitary after thyroidectomy ; Rogowitsch 2 was the 

 first to call attention to them. Herring 3 states that the 

 only change to be noted is an increase in the number of 

 what he calls ' hyaline bodies ' in the pars nervosa. 

 These so-called ' hyaline bodies ' are supposed to repre- 

 sent the secretion of the pars intermedia ; but there can 



1 Schafer, E. A., and P. T. Herring, Proc. Roy. Soc., 1908, vol. 

 cxcix, Ser. B, p. 1. 



3 Rogowitsch, N., Ziegkr's Beitr. z. Pathol Anat. u. z, allg. Pathol, 

 1889, vol. iv, p. 453. 



3 Herring, P. T. f Quart, Journ, Exper. PhysioL, 1908, vol. i, p, 281. 



