THE PITUITARY AND THE ADRENALS. 187 



also originate from the adrenals, with some disordered func- 

 tion of the pituitary gland as primary factor. That the latter 

 organ is associated with the characteristic symptoms of acro- 

 megaly i.e., those not observed in exophthalmic goiter is 

 practically established; we have seen that the thyroid gland 

 also gives rise, probably through its arsenic, to special cuta- 

 neous symptoms. Our first line of inquiry, therefore, should 

 enable us to ascertain whether the pituitary is also, as are the 

 thyroid and thymus glands, connected functionally with the 

 adrenals. 



Vassale and Sacchi 4 found, in 1892, that complete destruc- 

 tion of the pituitary gland in dogs and cats had fatal conse- 

 quences within two weeks. The symptoms that followed removal 

 were rigidity of the gait, fibrillary muscular contractions and 

 spasms, anorexia, depression, and lowering of the temperature. 

 In more recent experiments they ascertained that all these 

 phenomena, including the hypothermia, could be relieved by an 

 injection of extract prepared from bovine pituitary. In one 

 of the animals experimented upon the symptoms, after lasting 

 for some weeks, gradually disappeared. It was then killed and 

 the fact revealed that the gland had only been incompletely 

 destroyed. Arnoldo Caselli 5 has also found that complete 

 abolition of the functional activity of the pituitary in dogs and 

 cats caused, in the first instance, slowing of the respiration and 

 acceleration of the pulse, then mental depression and disturb- 

 ances of movements. The latter were characterized by arch- 

 ing of the back and spastic gait, without tonic or clonic con- 

 tractions of the limbs. Progressive cachexia then appeared, 

 the animal dying comatose. These results have been indirectly 

 sustained by those of other observers. Oliver and Schafer, for 

 example, found that extract of pituitary caused a marked rise 

 of blood-pressure, with increased force of the heart-beat: an 

 action which they compared to that of suprarenal extract, but 

 with the difference that no slowing of the heart-beat occurred. 

 Szymonowicz reached the opposite result: He found that in- 

 jections of pituitary extract produced in dogs a slight fall of 



* Vassale and Sacchi: Rivista Sperimentale de Freniatria, p. 83, 1894. 

 5 Arnoldo Caselli: "Studii anatomici e sperimentali sulla Fisiopatologia della 

 Glandola pituitaria," 1900. 



