158 ENDOCRINE GLANDS 



hyperplasia. The two glands are increased in size and 

 in weight. They are puffed out, deformed and have an 

 adenomatous appearance, which is always an indication of 

 glandular hyperf unction. The hyperplasia is most marked 

 on the medullary layer in some cases, while at others the 

 cortex is chiefly affected. When the medulla is hyper- 

 trophied the explanation of hypertension is simple, since 

 this tissue contains all the suprarenalin forming cells. 

 When, however, the hypertrophy is limited to the cortex, 

 the explanation is more difficult. According to Abelous 

 and Soulie, the cortex really secretes suprarenalin, which 

 is simply accumulated by the medulla, and Josue has 

 shown that the extract of the cortex had the property of 

 raising the blood pressure. The majority of investigators, 

 however, refuse to believe that the cortex secretes supra- 

 renalin and insist that after death suprarenalin diffuses 

 from the medulla into the cortex. Langlois has brought 

 out the theory that by changing the poisons of muscular 

 origin, the cortex prepares the substance from which the 

 medulla elaborates suprarenalin. 



2. EXPERIMENTAL OBSERVATIONS. The excess of 

 suprarenalin secretion explains all the following clini- 

 cal manifestations : 



(a) Suprarenalin has certain definite hypertensive and 

 vaso constrictor properties; it plays an important part in 

 the regulation of the blood pressure. 



(6) Josue has shown that the injection of small doses in 

 the veins of a rabbit causes a hypertrophy of the heart and 

 atheromatous degeneration of the arteries. 



(c) In large doses it will bring on acute edema of the 

 lungs comparable to that observed in nephritis. This 

 edema can be a consequence of a hypersecretion of 

 suprarenalin (Josue) . 



(d) The subcutaneous, intravenous or intraperitoneal 





