32 THE INTERNAL SECRETIONS 1920 



dividuals are merely considered "nervous," one is quite 

 aware and the real basis of their trouble is passed by. 

 A nervous disorder, however, should convey immedi- 

 ately to one the idea of a state of restlessness, unhappi- 

 ness, dissatisfaction, poor adaptation, which contains 

 as its underlying condition a conflict in the inner 

 psychic or psychobiologic harmony. 



The exact location of these higher brain centres is 

 still a matter of dispute, and yet there is evidence that 

 it has a close connection with the chromaffin system, 

 which it may be recalled is really a collection of endo- 

 crine structures. The most essential parts of the chro- 

 maffin system are the nervous or posterior lobe of 

 the hypophysis, the sympathetic ganglia and para- 

 ganglia of Kahn, and the nervous elements in the adre- 

 nals. This specialized nervous tissue has also been 

 found embedded in the kidney, and even carried down 

 with the ovaries and testicles in their development and 

 descent. 



Functionally, this system produces in the granules of 

 these cells the hormone adrenin. Exception has been 

 taken to recognizing the adrenals as internal secretory 

 organs because [Kahn] the chromaffin cells do not con- 

 form to the type of epithelial cells nor their grouping 

 to glandular structure, yet from a physiological view- 

 point the internal secretory conclusion is quite justified. 

 What can be the significance of this intimate association 

 between the glandular and nervous elements ? 



The production of adrenin in these cells is now an 

 undisputed fact. It enters the blood stream via the vein 

 directly. This product acts upon certain tissues and 

 increases the activity of metabolism. 



A young girl of 15 years was frightened by the sud- 

 den appearance of a burning mattress passing the win- 

 dow, in which she was sitting. This fright, with later 

 lack of sleep, produced a mental reaction not unlike that 

 seen in schizophrenia. The systolic blood pressure was 

 reduced to 90 mm., the pulse rapid and low tension. 



