APPENDIX 318 



Extract of thyroid gland tissue is indicated in cases of 

 undeveloped thyroid (cretinism) and in all conditions where 

 the normal activity of the gland is impaired (myxoedema 

 following atrophy from disease or loss of the gland by 

 operation). The most brilliant results in the whole domain 

 of organotherapy have been seen in thyroid extract feed- 

 ing in cretinism. In these cases it is customary to begin 

 with a dose of 5 grains of the crude extract three times a day 

 in capsule form. This may be gradually increased accord- 

 ing to the effects produced. Thyroid extract has also been 

 employed with success in a great number of other conditions 

 in which defective oxidation is supposed to be a factor, 

 especially obesity, certain skin diseases, and joint affections. 

 It may be used sometimes with good results in the second 

 or atrophic stage of exophthalmic goitre, where there is a 

 functional insufficiency of the thyroid gland, but never in 

 the acute or early stage. Numerous attempts have been 

 made to isolate the active principle of the gland in a more 

 or less pure form, leaving behind the toxic products. Beebe 

 has succeeded in obtaining a thyroprotein or concentrated 

 extract of the thyroid gland which is standardized to con- 

 tain 0.33 per cent, of iodine. By the use of this standardized 

 product the dosage can be more accurately controlled than 

 in the case of the crude extract. The principal symptoms 

 that the therapeutic limit in thyroid administration is being 

 approached are rapidity of the pulse, overactivity of the 

 sweat glands, and marked loss of weight. 



Adrenal GiiAND 



The functional activity of the adrenal glands is due to a 

 substance known under various names, such as adrenalin, 

 suprarenin, epinephrin, etc. This substance is a heart 

 stimulant and powerful vasoconstrictor. For therapeutic pur- 



