PITUITARY 97 



thickening of the skin, diminution of sexual 

 power, and often glycosuria. If the alteration 

 of the pars anterior occurs hi childhood, before 

 the epiphyses have united with the long bones, 

 these bones increase greatly in length and we get 

 gigantism. I have thought it wise to dwell on 

 the above facts in somewhat lengthy detail, for 

 on them depend much the therapeutic applica- 

 tion of these glands. Our earlier knowledge was 

 chiefly of the posterior. The remarkable results 

 caused by hypodermic use of pituitrin were one 

 of the earlier lessons of endocrine action. Briefly, 

 this lobe has no influence on growth, but has 

 much on carbohydrate metabolism ; injections of 

 pituitrin as a rule lead to polyuria : overgrowth 

 and hyper-activity of this lobe invariably have 

 this effect. In disease, where urine secretion is 

 deficient, as in various forms of dropsy, it some- 

 tunes acts as a diuretic, but not always. A more 

 universal effect of pituitrin injection is the con- 

 traction of unstriped muscle throughout the body. 

 Its use is well known and most valuable in uterine 

 inertia during and after childbirth, in atony of 

 the intestines, especially after abdominal opera- 

 tions, and in constriction of the bronchioles. Its 

 diuretic action is probably due to an increased 

 flow of blood through the renal vessels, for these 

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