52 ENDOCRINE THERAPEUTICS 



influence on growth, and especially on the proper 

 development of the whole sexual and urinary 

 apparatus. Before entering on that most im- 

 portant subject hypothyroidism in the latter 

 half of life, I must draw attention to a very 

 serious example of thyroid failure which often 

 ends in that catastrophe eclampsia. It is only 

 of late years that the cause of this condition has 

 been recognized, and even now it is scarcely 

 known. Lange writes, "In pregnant women 

 I have observed that when the customary en- 

 largement and over- activity of the thyroid does 

 not occur, the likelihood that nephritis would 

 appear is greatly increased." " Interpreted from 

 my point of view," says Sajous, " this is because 

 the over- active thyroid (which is the natural 

 event) ensures the destruction of the excess of 

 toxic wastes which the growing fretus contributes 

 to the blood : if the organ fails to increase its 

 activity, toxic, i.e. imperfectly catabolized, wastes 

 are excreted in abundance by the kidneys, thus 

 exposing them to nephritis, or if these wastes 

 are retained puerperal eclampsia occurs. Hypo- 

 thyroidism under these conditions becomes the 

 main cause of puerperal nephritis and eclampsia." 

 Here prophylaxis is of the first importance : 

 when we find slight albuminuria, we should care- 



