THYROID IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 81 



which did not produce an amboceptor of sufficient titer 

 when injected with sheep corpuscles. In both animals 

 the administration of thyroid was followed by a marked 

 increase of hemolytic power. 



These facts prove that not all authors agree upon the 

 role of the endocrine organs in immunology, but many 

 of them admit a highly important relation between the 

 thyroid and the formation of antibodies. Still one other 

 remark may be added: Gley (24), has introduced the 

 word "tachyphylaxia" into physiology. This means 

 that often after a first injection of an extract of an 

 endocrine organ, that is followed by a marked physi- 

 ological effect, a second injection has little or no effect 

 at all. This so-called tachyphylaxis does not seem to 

 exist in the influence of thyroid injections on immune 

 bodies. In the experiments of Miiller, a second injec- 

 tion of thyroid always gave a still larger increase of 

 the amount of complement than the first one. Miiller 

 even found that when in an animal thyroidectomy was 

 performed, injections of thyroid could produce a serum 

 higher in complement than was even seen in normal 

 animals when similarly injected. 



But enough of these general remarks. This bibli- 

 ography is by no means exhaustive ; and it cannot be 

 the aim of this paper to give a complete list of authors 

 and titles. Those reading Italian and interested in this 

 subject, may find much material in Barbara's book that 

 may be warmly recommended. Let us now discuss the 

 importance and clinical value of thyroid preparations 

 in syphilis and typhoid fever. 



THYROID EXTRACT IN SYPHILIS 



The thyroid treatment of syphilis should have an 

 enormous importance in medicine. All the same, its 

 existence is hardly known to general practitioners, 

 though this form of therapy is not at all new. Gordon 

 (25), Eye Piece (26), and Menzies (27), saw splendid 



