38 THE INTERNAL SECRETIONS 1920 



But there is a group of structures in the human or- 

 ganism whose functions are not as well understood, be- 

 cause their activities are not as readily observable 

 under normal conditions. We do, however, recognize 

 definite changes produced in the well-being of the indi- 

 vidual by a hypo- or hyper-function of one or more 

 of these structures. They are the so-called glands of 

 internal secretion, including the hypophysis, the thy- 

 roid, the parathyroids, the thymus, certain parts of the 

 pancreas, the spleen, the adrenals, the ovaries, the tes- 

 ticles, the prostate and perhaps others. It is these 

 structures to which our attention should be directed 

 when we think of the above-mentioned phenomena. 



Especially must we concentrate our investigation on 

 these structures as being the possible cause of the trou- 

 ble, when conditions, such as have been mentioned 

 above, become marked in the absence of any chronic 

 infection or affection, such as tuberculosis, chronic kid- 

 ney disease, organic heart disease, etc. 



In all such or similar cases the first step toward a 

 rational treatment is to correct errors in diet as well as 

 in the mode of living, and to remove all sources of in- 

 fection, if such be found and their removal is possible. 



If these hygienic measures fail to bring about an im- 

 provement in the condition, it is only logical to assume 

 that some one or more of the glands of internal secre- 

 tion are at the bottom of the trouble; and then we 

 must, by virtue of necessity, turn our attention to these 

 glands and try to find out which particular gland or 

 glands are at fault, and also to determine the character 

 of the fault, i. e., whether they are secreting too much 

 or not enough for the organ. We can then institute our 

 treatment accordingly. In cases of the first instance 

 the oversecretion will have to be checked, either by 

 drugs tending to inhibit such action, or by the removal 

 of a smaller or larger part of the gland in question. In 

 the second instance, the administration of the active 



