THE KIDNEY 



493 



will store up glycogen. This epoch making point has never before been 

 demonstrated in experimental pancreatic diabetes. Preliminary tests on 

 the human disease show marked improvements in the physical and mental 

 symptoms with a reduction of glycaemia and glycosuria. If, as the 

 authors express the hope, quantity production of the active internal 

 secretion of the pancreas can be perfected, it will give for the first time a 

 direct method of supplementing the physiological deficit in the necessary 

 internal secretion for controlling the metabolism of carbohydrates in the 

 human body. 



AU6.4 



FIG. 316^. (i) 5 cc. 4 day old extract of degenerated pancreas. (2) 5 cc. extract 

 of liver. (3) 5 cc. extract of spleen. (4) 5 cc. extract of degenerated pancreas. 

 (Banting and Best.) 



The Liver as an Internal Secreting Organ. That the liver is an organ 

 of manifold function is well known. The secretion of bile, the glycogenic, 

 lipogenic, urea, and uric acid forming functions have already been dis- 

 cussed. The glycogenic function as a mechanism for maintaining a com- 

 paratively constant supply of carbohydrate in the blood is a typical internal 

 secretory process though the secretion is in this case not specific and not a 

 typical hormone. Lipogenesis is of the same class. The urea, and in 

 birds uric acid, are waste products. The liver carries on these functions 

 by the aid of enzymes, i.e., oxidases, etc. There is also increasing evidence 

 that the liver is concerned with the metabolism of the amino acids though 

 the problem is not yet adequately understood. 



The Kidney. The proof of an internal secretion by the kidney is not so 

 clear, chiefly because of the disturbance in the elimination of waste pro- 

 ducts when this organ is removed. However, the convulsions which 

 follow nephrectomy are said to be diminished in intensity by the use of 

 extracts of the kidney. It is claimed therefore that the kidney produces an 

 internal secretion in addition to its primary function as an excretory 

 organ. 



