626 LEWELLYS F. BAKKEE 



the removal of the antagonistic thyroid), and (3) the observations of Ep- 

 pinger, Faltfi, and Riidinger on the difference in behavior of thyroidecto- 

 mized and thyroparathyroidectomized dogs on the administration of 

 epinephrin, a difference that they thought pointed to an antagonism be- 

 tween the thyroid and the parathyroid glands. 



Those who advance the view that the thyroid and the parathyroids are 

 not antagonistic organs, but, on the contrary, are organs that are capable 

 of vicariously functioning one for the other in case of need, interpret the 

 observations referred to above in favor of their own theory and bring 

 forward still other observations and experiments in its support. Thus, 

 Biedl, analyzing Riidinger's arguments, points out that (1) a correlative 

 hypertrophy of antagonistic organs has not hitherto been demonstrated 

 and, moreover, is difficult to understand; and (2) the therapeutic effects of 

 Mobius' serum in Graves' disease, which, independent of all therapy, 

 often shows extraordinary variations in the intensity of its symptoms, are 

 of but little value in the support of any hypothesis. Biedl himself thinks 

 that the phenomena of hypertrophy of the parathyroid glands after thy- 

 roidectomy point rather to a compensatory process, and is inclined to share 

 the hypothesis of Vincent and Thompson, who look upon the thyroid, the 

 parathyroids, and the pars intermedia of the hypophysis cerebri as organs 

 belonging to one functionally connected apparatus, the parts of which pos- 

 sess in common a capacity for vicariousness of function. 



Arguments from the histological side have been submitted in favor of 

 the view that these organs are not antagonistic to one another. Gley had 

 early surmised, from his anatomical and histological studies, that the 

 parathyroids could hypertrophy and take over in part the functions of the 

 thyroid gland after thyroidectomy. Notwithstanding the fact that em- 

 bryological, experimental physiological, and clinical studies have demon- 

 strated the morphological and functional independence of the parathyroid 

 glands and the thyroid gland, Vincent and his pupils have recently re- 

 emphasized the histological resemblance of the structures in the two organs, 

 not only under normal conditions, but also when pathological changes oc- 

 cur in them. 



Finally, the favorable effects that are asserted by excellent observers 

 (Kocher, Pineles, Biedl) to have followed the administration of thyroid 

 substance in the postoperative tetany both of men and of animals must 

 not be overlooked, for these favorable effects are in contradiction to the 

 view that the thyroid and the parathyroid functions are antagonistic. The 

 objection, that thyroid substance so fed owes its efficacy to some included 

 parathyroid substance, is not valid, for the amount of the latter that could 

 be present is too small to have any therapeutic effect. According to the 

 estimates of Pineles, the thyroid of the sheep and of the calf contain only 

 one part by weight of parathyroid to 309 and 379 parts respectively of 

 thyroid; even 200 times the dosage of parathyroid that could be contained 



