14 THE INTERNAL SECRETIONS 1920 



AN EXPERIENCE WITH A DEFECTIVE BOY 



The most glowing success I have had the one that 

 gave me the biggest boost and brought the most joy to 

 several people with hormone treatment was in a case 

 of "defective" development, or hypoplasia, as it is 

 sometimes called, in a boy nine years old. 



Not only was dwarfism very pronounced in this boy, 

 but he was very "backward" mentally. He could only 

 articulate a very few words ; and had not even learned 

 his letters. Eight months ago I put him on another 

 stock prescription, this time containing thyroid, thymus 

 and anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. I did not 

 make any very bright promises as to results, because 

 of a previous failure with thyroid, but had the parents' 

 promise to keep up the treatment, interrupted during 

 every fifth week, for at least twelve months. There 

 was no apparent improvement during the first four 

 months ; but, two weeks ago the boy was brought to my 

 office the only time since the beginning of the treat- 

 ment. "I have brought Albert for you to see how much 

 better he is," the mother enthusiastically exclaimed. 

 Well, that boy had grown two inches ; could talk fairly 

 well and his facial expression was entirely changed and 

 was much brighter than before. 



Now here is a case that would have, undoubtedly, 

 been a wasted life, a physical and mental dwarf, a 

 hopeless idiot, a burden to his family and society. But 

 I am hopeful that by continuing treatment indefinitely 

 he will develop into a fairly useful citizen. And, let me 

 say, that not all the doubting doctors will ever be able 

 to make this mother believe that the improvement in 

 her boy is only a case of "coincidence." 



Yes, organotherapy has come, and it has come to 

 stay. Only a very few years ago the subject was sel- 

 dom mentioned in the medical press. Now you can 

 hardly pick up a medical journal without finding an 



