RECIPROCAL ACTION OF THE DUCTLESS GLANDS 7 



of Basedow's disease and of acromegaly there are no grounds for doubting 

 an increase in function of the ductless gland affected, though even here the 

 transition to pathological correlations is extraordinarily common. 



I will now quote some examples of the physiological correlations, con- 

 fining myself chiefly to the investigations I carried out in collaboration 

 with Eppinger and Rudinger. 



The total extirpation of the thyroid gland with careful avoidance of the 

 parathyroid glands the electric excitability must show no increase in con- 

 sequence of the procedure calls forth a diminution of the total processes 

 of metabolism. Let us examine a little more in detail the carbohydrate 

 metabolism in a thyroidless animal. The power of assimilation for carbo- 

 hydrates is increased. Now, as it has been known that the capacity of as- 

 similation depends upon the functional breadth of the insular apparatus of 

 the pancreas, we may draw the conclusion that there must be a relative or 

 an absolute increase of the function of the insular apparatus of the pancreas. 

 But the extirpation of the thyroid gland also diminishes the excitability 



X 



C. T. 



FIG. i. P, Insular apparatus of the pancreas; T, thyroid; C.T., chromaffin tissue; 

 , inhibition; +, reinforcement. 



of the vegetative nerves. For example, the glycosuric action of adrenalin 

 in addition to other actions, such as the production of a hyperglobulia is 

 diminished. As it is known that the excitability of the myoneural junction 

 of the sympathetic nerves depends upon the activity of the chromafrin tissue, 

 we may readily infer that the activity of this ductless gland (i.e., the 

 chromafrin tissue) is diminished, whether it be that the production of adren- 

 alin is diminished, or that the working of this hormone in the organs affected 

 is slighter because of the fact that an otherwise present sensitivization of the 

 organs fails to occur (Asher and Flack). A sensitivization for adrenalin has 

 also been assumed as due to the extract from the posterior lobe of the hypo- 

 physis (Kepinow). 



After the total extirpation of the pancreas there occurs an increase of all 

 metabolic processes with a high-grade diminution of the assimilation limits 

 for carbohydrates. In addition there are indications of an increased ex- 



