76 ENDOCRINE THERAPEUTICS 



tively with the enemies at the gate. In mental 

 diseases, apart from those that can be accurately 

 traced to syphilis, there is probably always a 

 functional disorder existing for a considerable 

 time before the more definite symptoms and the 

 organic changes appear. These are often trace- 

 able more or less to toxaemias, as in puerperal 

 insanity, in Graves' disease, and in the mental 

 disturbances that follow the acute fevers. These 

 toxaemias can be studied from two points of view : 

 first, the actual effect of the poison on the brain 

 tissues : here not much can be done effectually 

 with our present knowledge, but when we study 

 it from the endocrine point of view a more 

 hopeful plan opens. The toxaemia probably has 

 gained its morbid power and foothold from 

 deficiency of our glandular prophylaxis. All of 

 us who get these acute diseases are exposed to 

 toxaemia, but fortunately few of us succumb; 

 this may be partly due to the severity of the dose, 

 but much more to our means of protection. All 

 this demonstrates the extreme importance of 

 watching carefully through the acute stages of 

 disease for the signs of endocrine failure or 

 exaggeration. The pressure period needs anti- 

 phlogistic measures, while the subsequent low- 

 pressure period, whatever the temperature may 



