214 THE PITUITARY, THYROID AND ADRENALS AS A SYSTEM. 



to the important trophic influence of the pituitary gland on the 

 central nervous system of vertebrates," . . . which, "in 

 more definite terms, means (a) enabling them to take up and 

 assimilate oxygen from the blood-stream and (b) to destroy 

 and render innocuous the waste-products of metabolism, and 

 that at root these two functions are intimately related and are 

 really at root part of one process (vital, or biochemical), an 

 adequate assimilation of oxygen by the nerve-tissues securing 

 an adequate destruction (by oxidation) of the waste-products." 

 Of course, Andriezen here does not distinguish between the 

 two lobes: t.e., he refers to both jointly. 



"The predicable results of the ablation or destruction of 

 the gland would, therefore," continues this investigator, "be 

 those due to (a) a malassimilation of oxygen by the nerve- 

 tissues, and simultaneously (b) an insufficient destruction, and, 

 therefore, accumulation of waste-products, thus bringing about 

 a rapid nutritional failure and death of the central nervous sys- 

 tem. In general terms, we would, therefore, expect in the 

 animal: 



"1. Depression and apathy (the commencing failure of 

 activity of the nerve-centers), and 



"2. Muscular weakness (the first peripheral effect). 



"3. Loss of fine co-ordination and equilibration (correlated 

 to Nos. 1 and 2), and 



"4. The development of twitchings and irregular contrac- 

 tions (spasms) of the muscles (in relation to the further prog- 

 ress of nutritive failure of the nerve-centers). 



"5. A want of sufficient heat-production and subnormal 

 temperature. 



"6. A wasting of the body-tissues (in relation to the more 

 rapid failure of nutrition of the central nervous system). 



"7. A probable compensatory polypnoea, or attacks of 

 dyspnoea (the peripheral indication of the failure of the nerve- 

 centers to assimilate oxygen). 



"8. A rapid progress toward death. Future research must 

 negative or confirm these statements." 



All the phenomena considered by Andriezen as "predi- 

 cable results of the ablation or destruction of the gland" are 

 ascribed to the organ as a whole, irrespective of any influence 



