46 



ENDOCRINE GLANDS 



radiodermia, which is particularly liable to occur on the 

 neck, is often an obstacle to the use of this type of treat- 

 ment. For this reason, this procedure is not the method 

 of choice; furthermore, hyperf unction is not the only cause 

 of Basedow's disease and the theory of dysthyroidism 

 possibly explains some of the failures of the method. 



The pituitary seemed to be susceptible to the X-rays 

 and Beclere has advocated its use in certain cases of 

 acromegalia. The few cases in which improvement was 

 observed allow us to believe that it may be possible to stop 

 the early evolution of acromegalia and gigantism by rad- 

 iation, and that it might also be possible to modify some 

 of the symptoms of adiposo genitalis with ocular symp- 

 toms. Unfortunately in such cases, there is such a mixture 

 of symptoms of insufficiency and hyperfunction that we 

 cannot expect much from radio therapy, which is, moreover, 

 difficult to apply and if Beclere, Jaugeas and others have 

 reported favorable results, here again, as in exophthalmic 

 goitre, we must abstain from any premature conclusions. 



Zimmern and Cottenot have thought that the adrenals 

 could be affected in a similar manner. They believed that 

 hypertension is often of adrenal origin, and that radio 

 therapy of the suprarenal capsule through the lumbar 

 region might be beneficial. This method, while without 

 any effect in cases of arteriosclerotic or albuminuric hyper- 

 tension, seemed to have improved real cases of uncompli- 

 cated hypertension and to have markedly reduced the 

 arterial pressure. This method has been experimentally 

 controlled by Zimmern and Cottenot, which has enabled 

 them in dogs to cause destructive alteration of the medulla 

 and of cortex of the adrenals. Here again, however, we 

 are dealing with inconstant results which we must accept 

 with considerable reserve. 



These examples to which we must add the thymus, very 



