THE PITUITARY AND THE ADRENALS. 189 



fering from HowelFs observation in connection with the rise 

 of pressure. They recall the fact that the infundibular part 

 of the pituitary is mainly made up of gray, nervous matter. 



The same authors 12 obtained from decoctions of the in- 

 fundibular part of the pituitary (thus confirming Howell's 

 observation that this part alone of the gland caused the rise 

 of blood-pressure) "results resembling, in a general way, those 

 of suprarenal extract. They cause quickened respiration, in- 

 creased heart's action, and ultimately paralysis, commencing 

 in the hind-limbs/' facts which they demonstrate by tracings. 

 Yet these experiments were carried on at times with animals 

 under the influence of morphine and curare, both of which 

 drugs may induce, as we have seen, the above symptoms. At 

 other times and besides these two toxics, they injected atro- 

 pine, an agent which stands among the first of the blood- 

 pressure-raising drugs, through its ability to excite a high 

 degree of suprarenal overactivity. Hence they note that 

 "after the administration of atropine the rise of blood-pressure 

 which is got on intravenous injection of the infundibular ex- 

 tract is enormous and is accompanied by very little slowing 

 of the pulse." As all the experiments include the simulta- 

 neous use of two or three of the above agents, the conclusions 

 based on them lose their value for us, except in one connection, 

 which will be referred to later on. In further experiments 

 Osborne and Swale Vincent 13 obtained from a saline decoction 

 of the gland an alcoholic precipitate which produced depressor 

 effects, and with ammonium sulphate, a precipitate which pro- 

 duced pressor effects. The "depressor" effects, which could also 

 be obtained with extractives of any portion of the nervous 

 system and especially of the cerebral gray matter, could not 

 be prevented by section of the vagi. 



What can we conclude from this evidence? Gauthier's 

 clinical subdivision of acromegalic symptoms distinctly recalls 

 those produced by any form of active intoxication provided 

 the suprarenal glands, as herein suggested, are made the active 

 factors of these symptoms. His "erethic" stage is evidently 

 that due to overactivity of the adrenals; the "cachectic" stage, 



12 E. A. Schafer and Swale Vincent: Journal of Physiology, Sept. 18, 1899. 



13 Osborne and Swale Vincent: British Medical Journal, March 3, 1900. 



