352 ENDOCRINE GLANDS 



which are manufactured in decreasing quantity by the 

 damaged organ; and introducing these products into the 

 organism, in other words, substituting the deficient 

 internal secretion. 



It is evident that this is a logical point of view and is 

 justifiable. All that is necessary is to recall the wonderful 

 effects of thyroid medication in the human or in the animal 

 whose thyroid has been destroyed or atrophied. All the 

 extracts of organs, it is true, have not such a wonderful 

 substituting action as the extract of thyroid, but this 

 difference is understood when we consider how essential 

 the function of the thyroid is. If a similar function 

 exists in all organs it is certain that it does not present 

 the same general utility. Some can be disturbed without 

 causing by their deficient secretions any severe disturb- 

 ances; in these cases, organo therapy, while still accom- 

 plishing good results, would not be as spectacular. 



When all is said, we must admit that the function of 

 internal secretion belongs to a certain extent to all organs; 

 it seems logical to believe that in regard to all the organs, 

 organo therapy, from a theoretical point of view at least, 

 can act as a substitute. 



This mode of action has also been called direct action, 

 for it acts directly on the organs secondarily affected, 

 without the interference of the one which is primarily 

 the cause. This term, however, is less significant, as it 

 might apply also to the direct action on the diseased organ. 



ORGANO THERAPY BY STIMULATION OF THE ORGAN. 

 An extract of an organ not only supplements the action 

 of the internal secretion of the corresponding organ but it 

 also acts on the organ itself. Gilbert and Carnot have 

 brought this out as regards certain organo therapeutic 

 medications. They have shown it, in particular, in the 

 case of the liver which is stimulated by extracts of liver. 



