DISTURBANCES OF THE PANCREAS 199 



Again, it will be remembered that Bossi 1 has shown Disorders of 

 that osteomalacia may be relieved by injections of pl 

 suprarenin, and that this author concluded that hi 

 this disease there is suprarenal insufficiency. Whether 

 this be so is very doubtful, for both injections of in- 

 fundibulin and the operation of oophorectomy will also 

 produce good results. Suprarenin, like infundibulin, 

 causes the retention of lime salts in the tissues, and thus 

 prevents the depletion of calcium salts from the bones ; 

 and in this way it may be said that suprarenin and 

 infundibulin are indirectly antagonistic to the excessive 

 ovarian secretion which is believed to exist in osteo- 

 malacia. 



Excess of suprarenal secretion. I have already Alterations 

 discussed the effect of suprarenal cortical hyperplasia 

 in connexion with alterations of sex-characteristics 

 (p. 166). In well-marked cases there is always ameno- 

 rrhcea with hypoplasia of the genital and mammary 

 glands. 



Disturbances of the Internal Secretion of the 

 Pancreas. 



Insufficiency of the internal secretion of the pancreas, Pancreatic 

 the result of lesions of that organ, leads to the disease 

 commonly known as * diabetes'. It is universally 

 accepted that the internal secretion is formed by the epi- 

 thelial cells which comprise the islands of Langerhans, 

 and that this secretion has functions separate and distinct 

 from those of the external secretion, being largely con- 

 cerned in the control of the carbohydrate metabolism. 



There is, however, no doubt that other internal 

 secretions are concerned in this metabolism, and that 

 there is some interrelationship between the pancreas and 

 the other hormonopoietic organs which is not fully 

 understood. It will, therefore, easily be realized how 

 little is known concerning the influence of minor dis- 

 turbances of the pancreas on genital disorders. It is, 

 1 Bossi, I.. M.. Zentralbl.f. Gyn'dk., 1907, vol. xxxi, p. 69. 



