THE SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM 207 



ances of the pineal secretion. He believes that the 

 exaggerated growth and precocity are due to hypo- 

 pinealism, obesity to hyperpinealism and cachexia to 

 apinealism. This conception is manifestly insufficient to 

 explain all the facts, but the conception of Marburg has 

 been the starting point of experimental investigations. 

 Berkeley has noticed in young animals fed pineal gland, 

 an evident action on the physical development. Cornell 

 and Goddard have obtained in backward children after 

 pineal organo therapy, a stimulation of the intellectual 

 development. Biach and Hulles, on examining the pineal 

 gland of animals which had been castrated early, have 

 found an atrophy of the gland. Harroax, having 

 obtained a complete removal of the pineal gland in guinea 

 pigs and rats, has found a precocious development of the 

 sexual glands. 



All these observations should be confirmed. There 

 seems, however, to be some relationship between the 

 pineal and the genital apparatus. At the present time, it is 

 impossible to say if the syndrome of macrogenitosomia 

 is due to hypo or hyperfunction of the pineal gland, for in 

 certain cases the development is contradictory. The 

 hairs are well developed, but the penis and testicles are 

 atrophic. In certain cases, the pineal has been found 

 compressed, and the question comes up if we are not 

 dealing with complex pluri-glandular modifications. 



TREATMENT. 



There is no treatment except the alleviation of the 

 symptoms. Sooner or later the signs of intracranial 

 hypertension predominate. The patients are nearly 

 always improved by lumbar puncture if the aqueduct 

 of Sylvius is not compressed. Ventricular puncture or 

 decompressive craniotomy are the only therapeutic pro- 

 cedures which will help the patient. 



