KINETIC DISEASES 235 



the cardinal symptoms of Graves' disease may be pro- 

 duced in a normal person by the excessive administra- 

 tion of thyroid extract, and in the patient with Graves' 

 disease the administration of thyroid extract, even in 

 small quantities, causes an immediate exacerbation of 

 the symptoms. In like manner, adrenin, when con- 

 tinuously administered to a normal animal, is said to 

 produce lesions similar to arterio-sclerosis, and it ag- 

 gravates the symptoms of cardiovascular disease when 

 given to a patient with that disease. Like results can- 

 not be obtained by the administration of the secretion 

 of any other gland in the body. In Graves' disease 

 the thyroid is always enlarged ; in cardiovascular 

 disease, the adrenals in many instances are enlarged. 



Moreover, since in Graves' disease immediate im- 

 provement follows any measure by which the activity 

 of the thyroid gland is depressed, i.e., division of 

 nerve supply, lessening of vascular supply, removal of 

 a lobe, removal of general causes of activation by rest, 

 diversion, change of scene and dietetic control, it is 

 reasonable to suppose that the condition of the patient 

 with cardiovascular disease also would be improved 

 by any means which would depress the activity of the 

 kinetic system especially of the adrenals. The 

 most efficient treatment now employed in cardiovas- 

 cular disease consists in depressing cerebral activity 

 by means of prolonged rest, diversion and dietetic 

 control, but it is reasonable to believe that more striking 

 and immediate benefit might be secured by depressing 

 the activity of the adrenals directly by dividing their 

 nerve supply or removing a portion of the glands. 

 This belief is strengthened by the fact that in our 



