54 ENDOCRINE THERAPEUTICS 



17 grains daily ; parturition was normal, with no 

 eclampsia ; the child died three days afterwards 

 in convulsions. 



Woman aged 28. Albuminuria and oedema 

 came on suddenly when about a fortnight from 

 full time. Urine passed in 24 hours only 4 oz. 

 (Edema great, with much dyspnoea. Patient was 

 seen at night, and 30 grains of fresh gland was 

 given in the first 12 hours, and then reduced to 

 20 grains in 24 hours. Under this thyroid treat- 

 ment, and without any hot packs, improvement 

 set in, oedema and dyspnoea diminished, and the 

 urine, though still loaded with albumin, increased 

 to 30 oz. Parturition was normal, and the child 

 survived. In this case thyroid was given to the 

 child at once, and there were no convulsions. 



After childhood, in girls about 15, we some- 

 times find considerable enlargement of the thyroid, 

 that is tender on pressure, and that does not 

 pulsate ; one thinks of commencing Graves' 

 disease, but the heart's action is quiet and there 

 is no tremor. These cases are, I think, due 

 to the gland being left behind in the race of 

 development. It makes a determined but futile 

 spurt to catch up with the other glands that are 

 going ahead normally. If this is allowed to go 

 on unchecked the endocrine harmony is never 



