PITUITARY BODY 



267 



tending downward to the pericardium. It is two and one-half 

 inches Jong at the age of two- years, but dwindles slowly from that 

 time on, leaving very perceptible remnants only, during adult 

 life. A persistent thymus is one of the features of the condition 

 known as infantilism. It has been thought that its secretion 

 lowers blood pressure. 



Thyroid 



Small intestine 



Bladder 



Trachea 



- Thymus 



Lung 



Right auricle 



Right ventricle 



Stomach 



Part of transverse 

 colon 



Hypogastric 

 artery 



FIG. 171. VISCERA AT BIRTH. NOTE THE THYMUS BODY, THE SIZE OF THE 

 LIVER AND THE LOCATION or THE BLADDER AND THE HYPOGASTRIC ARTERIES. 

 (Morris after Rudinger.) 



THE PITUITARY BODY 



The pituitary body (Fig. 193) (hypophysis cerebri) is included 

 among ductless glands. It rests in the sella turcica of the sphenoid 

 bone. By investigation it has been learned that degeneration of this 

 body in the adult is the probable cause of the disease called acro- 

 megaly, which is characterized by an overgrowth or hypertrophy 

 of the bones of the face and extremities. Should this occur in 

 young children or while the bones are still developing, over-growth 

 of the skeleton or gigantism will result. Certain conclusions have 



