54 



THE DISEASES OF THE THYROID GLAND 



part are filled with colloid. This contains the specific secretion, which, ac- 

 cording to the need, gets into the circulation, probably through the lymph 

 paths. Fr. Kraus therefore designates the thyroid a reserve or storage 

 gland. The thyroid is signalized by an especially high contents of iodine; 

 in the formation of the specific secretion, which is bound to an albuminous 

 body thyroglobulin. 



We may divide the diseases of the thyroid gland into those which for the 

 most part do not especially restrict its functions, but chiefly produce local 



FIG. 4.- 



Normal thyroid gland with colloid formation. 



symptoms, and those the principal symptoms of which depend on the 

 alteration of the internal secretory function. To the first belong certain 

 forms of the goiters, the tumors and the inflammations. The goiters are 

 discussed in the chapter on the cretinic degeneration. 



Tumors of the Thyroid Gland. Among the tumors are found most com- 

 monly adenoma, carcinoma, and sarcoma. The simultaneous occurrence of 

 sarcoma and adenoma in the thyroid gland has been reported (Saltykow 

 gives the literature). The tumors mentioned all show a great tendency 

 toward the formation of metastases. In carcinoma, bone-metastases are 



