32 ENDOCRINE GLANDS 



to thyroid disturbances. Glycosuria has frequently been 

 noted during exophthalmic goitre. Other cases seem to 

 bear some relation to disturbances of the pituitary, the 

 occurrence of diabetes during acromegalia is not excep- 

 tional; if at first the origin might be pressure on the floor 

 of the third ventricle (Loed, Launois, Roy, Marcel Labbe), 

 instead of a functional pituitary deviation, it is neverthe- 

 less, occasionally a suggestive sign in divulging a pituitary 

 lesion. Finally, adrenal diabetes has attracted consider- 

 able attention and we recognize more and more the im- 

 portance of this gland in the etiology of certain cases of 

 glycosuria. The investigation of a possibility of glyco- 

 suria, the appreciation of its degree and rythm can put 

 us on the track of an endocrine disturbance. The relation 

 of glycosuria to the injection of suprarenalin or pituitrin 

 has suggested certain very interesting conclusions which 

 in the future may be of considerable clinical importance. 



Diabetes insipidus, more so than diabetes mellitus, can 

 have a clearly defined significance, and a series of recent 

 studies has shown its value as an indicator of para or 

 pituitary disease; the injection of the extract of the pos- 

 terior lobe of the pituitary will temporarily cause the 

 polyuria to disappear in certain cases. Investigations 

 should, however, be carried out on the possible influence 

 of the nervous system, which has been brought out by the 

 recent work of Camus and Rousey who were able to cause 

 a polyuria by irritation of the floor of the 3rd ventricle. 



Intellectual and mental disorders should also be investi- 

 gated. We have known for a long time that backward- 

 ness, imbecility, idiocy, etc., have been recognized as be- 

 ing the result of myxedematous hypothyroidism. This is 

 also recognized as the cause of torpidity and sleepiness, 

 mental instability and various psychoses occur quite often 

 in Basedow's disease. In the same manner, in acromegalia 



