THE SYMPATHETIC SYSTEM 357 



vegetable or chemical drugs in the treatment of various 

 conditions. 



THE PREPARATION OF THE VARIOUS PRODUCTS USED 

 IN ORGANO THERAPY. 



The various organo therapeutic products can be ad- 

 ministered fresh, or as complete or partial extracts of 

 these substances. 



Fresh organs require a minimum amount of preparation. 

 In the majority of cases the substance is made up of a 

 pulp of the fresh organ. In this manner, fresh liver in 

 particular, is prescribed in large doses. In other cases, the 

 patient is given a maceration of the substance in normal 

 saline; finally, it is possible to have the patient take the 

 fluid products (bile, blood), either as they are, or coated to 

 avoid the action of the digestive juices. 



Off hand, we might think that preparations of fresh 

 organs would be the best way to administer these products, 

 since they would be ingested without any modifications 

 and would contain a maximum of the qualities found in 

 the living organ. This consideration, however, is of very 

 little importance. By certain procedure it is possible to 

 obtain the various substances found in these organs with- 

 out in any way deteriorating them. Furthermore, in a 

 dead organ chemical changes occur very rapidly, while 

 by the methods employed in drying, the active principles 

 can be kept stable and indefinitely. This is a fact, 

 which has been verified by histologists and chemists as 

 well as by physiologists. 



If the use of fresh organs has no special advantage, it 

 has, however, certain inconveniences. Carnot remarks that 

 from a psychological point of view the patient will not 

 have much faith in a medication which comes from 

 the butcher instead of from the druggist. Without 



