THE ESSENTIAL DUCTLESS GLANDS 235 



A very different symptom complex is noted in condi- 

 tions connected with hyperadrenia, where an excessive 

 amount of adrenin is sent into the blood stream. This 

 occurs when one or both of the adrenals are attacked by 

 malignant tumors. Premature development is the most 

 prominent symptom. Children appear to become rapid- 

 ly grown-ups, not only in their size, but in their sexual 

 development. So Sajous (6) relates of a case, reported 

 by Owen Richards, where "a girl of 7 years was as tall 

 as a person of 20." Add to it an obese body, enormous 

 appetite and thirst, a swarthy or dark-hued skin, a 

 harsh and deep voice, and you have the full syndrome 

 of the condition known under hyperadrenia. Lit should 

 be remarked here that adrenin is the active prin- 

 ciple of the adrenal medulla, while the rare condition of 

 hypernephroma, just referred to, is essentially a hyper- 

 trophy of the adrenal cortex, which is an entirely differ- 

 ent structure from the medulla, despite its proximity. 

 H. R. H.] 



There is another role, however, that the adrenal 

 glands play in the life of the organism, namely, the one 

 which is related to the different emotions of the indi- 

 vidual. In his excellent work, based upon numerous 

 experiments, Cannon (7), the Harvard physiologist, 

 established beyond doubt the fact that during emo- 

 tional excitement, or painful stimulations, the adrenal 

 secretion is increased. The significance of this increase 

 becomes clear when we remember that the adrenals are 

 antagonistic to the pancreas ; that the increased adrenal 

 secretion at the same time inhibits the action of the 

 pancreas, sugar becomes liberated, which, as we know, 

 is so essential in muscular exertion. At the same time, 

 the increased adrenal secretion raises the blood pres- 

 sure, which does not permit the waste products of the 

 fatigued muscles to accumulate and clog its actions. 

 Again, the tendency of adrenin to increase the coagula- 

 tion of blood becomes an important factor at a time of 



