SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SUPRARENAL GLANDS 161 



store glycogen in the absence of these glands. Schwarz, for instance, has 

 stated that although the livers of epinephrectomized rats, after feeding 

 with dextrose or cane sugar, contain considerable quantities of glycogen, 

 they are practically free from glycogen when carbohydrate is supplied in 

 the form of starch as in feeding "semmeln." Kahn and Starkenstein 

 asserted that even when milk and oats were given in addition, glycogen was 

 not stored except in traces. It was pointed out by Stewart and Rogoff (k) 

 (1918) that these negative results were due to failure to observe essential 

 conditions, e.g., allowing a sufficient time after the operation for the animal 

 to recover completely. They showed that the formation and storing of 

 glycogen in the liver is not essentially affected by removal of both supra- 

 renals in rabbits and rats, or by removal of one suprarenal and section 

 of the nerves of the other in cats. Kuriyama(&) also was unable to find 

 any evidence that the epinephrin output of the suprarenals influences the 

 glycogen store. 



There is no evidence that the rate at which glycogen is transformed 

 into dextrose or the rate at which dextrose is oxidized in the organism 

 (Lusk and Riche) is influenced by epinephrin liberated from the supra- 

 renals. The blood sugar content after removal of both glands lies within 

 the normal range (Nishi, Stewart and Rogoff et al.). The too frequently 

 quoted statement of Forges that a marked hypoglycemia exists in dogs 

 after suprarenalectomy, a conclusion previously reached by Bierry and 

 Malloizel, has no significance as death very soon follows the operation in 

 dogs. 



The Question of the Indispensability of Epinephrin. That epinephrin 

 is not indispensable for life and health is certain. Cats, dogs and monkeys 

 have been shown to live indefinitely in good health after excision of one 

 suprarenal and section of the nerves of the other, an operation which, as 

 previously mentioned, either abolishes the output of epinephrin or reduces 

 it to a small fraction of the normal. The animals may lose weight for a 

 week or two and possibly to a greater degree than after an operation of 

 similar severity, not involving the suprarenals. But they soon recover 

 and, if not fully grown, put on weight and behave in all respects, so far as 

 has been observed, like normal animals. The epinephrin output may be so 

 much reduced that even with a very slow flow no epinephrin reaction 

 may be obtained with rabbit intestine (and uterus) segments which would 

 detect a concentration corresponding to even 1/1,000 of the ordinary out- 

 put (Fig. 24). It is possible that after a certain period some regeneration 

 of epinephrin-secretory fibers may occur. This would not of course explain 

 survival if suprarenal epinephrin was indispensable, even if regeneration 

 were complete. But even after months the output, after section of the 

 nerves, is only a small fraction of the normal. For instance, in a monkey 

 (Macacus rhesus) the right suprarenal was excised and the nerves of the 

 left cut. The animal was allowed to live more than 9% months and was 



