84 ENDOCRINE THERAPEUTICS 



into hypoxanthine and xanthine. Finally, a 

 third set of enzymes oxidise hypoxanthine to 

 xanthine, and the latter to uric acid. Uric acid 

 is then the end product of the action of these 

 enzymes on nucleic acid." 



It seems that any interruption in the normal 

 sequence of chemical change from nucleic acid 

 to uric acid may cause symptoms of poisoning : 

 ptomaine poisoning belongs to the same group 

 probably. The symptoms of tetany in some 

 respects resemble those of Graves' disease. As 

 far as I know, there is no swelling of the thyroid 

 nor exophthalmos in tetany, but the muscular 

 tremors are very similar ; both diseases are partly 

 concerned with parathyroid failure, and Noel 

 Paton's work on guanidin to some extent explains 

 the matter. 



Rudinger, writing on thyroid and parathyroid 

 relationship, says : " We have to suppose that 

 under normal conditions the function of one 

 gland is controlled by the other." He brings 

 this evidence : " Moussa and Chanani found 

 that the exhibition of the parathyroid of horses 

 was followed by unfavourable symptoms in 

 myxcedema, but that in Graves' disease it had a 

 very favourable effect." Rudinger believes that 

 the hyper-function of the thyroid in Graves' 



