THE PANCREAS AS AN ENDOCRIN GLAND 719 



no evidence of any specific relation between the adrenals and pancreas. 

 Crowe, Gushing and Homans studied the effects on the pancreas by the 

 removal of the anterior lobe of the hypophysis but did not obtain any 

 definite changes. Gushing stated in 1910 that pancreatectomy leads to 

 changes in the posterior lobe of the pituitary. Sweet and Allen found 

 the secretory activity of the pancreas to be increased after partial or 

 complete removal of the pituitary. Fry found that in diabetes definite 

 histological changes occur in the anterior lobe of the hypophysis in the 

 form of adenomatous masses of eosinophile cells, with colloid invasion 

 of the anterior lobe, and areas of cellular degeneration. In cases of acute 

 pancreatitis and carcinoma of the pancreas no changes or very slight 

 ones were found in the hypophysis, Eddy found that the water-soluble 

 portion of the alcoholic extract of the pancreas contains a substance 

 capable of inducing marked increase in growth (vitamine). 



Pemberton and Sweet studied the relation of the internal secretions 

 to pancreatic activity. They concluded that the inhibition of the pancreas 

 by adrenalin and pituitary extract is independent of blood-pressure. 

 The inhibition by extracts of pituitary and adrenal bodies occurs when the 

 pancreas is stimulated by its normal excitant, Edmunds holds that ad- 

 renalin inhibition of the pancreas is due to the lessened blood content of 

 the latter and is not specific, Bell experimented as to the effect on 

 the pancreas of the partial removal of the anterior lobe of the pituitary, 

 but obtained negative results. He concluded that alterations in the 

 carbohydrate metabolism are not always directly attributable to primary 

 pituitary, adrenal or pancreatic disease, since the activities in this 

 direction are closely related, but that the adrenals and the pituitary 

 may indirectly affect the functions of the pancreas and vice versa. Since 

 glycosuria is so often associated with disease of the pituitary, pathological 

 changes in this organ should be looked upon as possibly secondary to 

 the pancreatic lesion only when pancreatic changes have also been found 

 in diabetes. He further says that it is probable that the endocritic cells 

 of the pancreas have no direct relation to the genital functions, although 

 the influence of the pancreas on the general metabolism and possibly 

 on the other endocritic organs of the individual may exert an indirect 

 control. Schafer says removal of the thyroid tends to prevent, and re- 

 moval of the parathyroids, to facilitate both pancreatic and bulbar gly- 

 cemia and glycosuria. Hewer found that the irradiation of the testes 

 or ovaries caused an inconstant hypertrophy of the islets of Langerhans, 

 but this work is not very conclusive. 



The interrelations of the endocrin organs, particularly the thyroid, 

 pancreas and adrenals, in connection with hyperglycemia and glycosuria 

 have been especially emphasized by Eppinger, Falta and Rudinger. Schaf- 

 er thinks that, aside from the liver, which acts as the main storehouse for 

 the carbohydrates, a number of organs are concerned in governing the 



