EFFECTS OF CERTAIN DRUGS AND POISONS 783 



Total Metabolism. Recent investigation by DuBois, by Means and 

 Aub and others have shown that the basal metabolism is a most im- 

 portant feature of Basedow's disease. It was first emphasized by Magnus- 

 Levy. DuBois showed that heat production is fifty per cent above the 

 normal in severe and seventy-five per cent in very severe cases. This test 

 is proving of value in indicating the proper treatment. 



In eight cretins Snell, Ford and Rowntree have found that the basal 

 metabolism varied between 7 and 25. By administering four to five 



Fig. 5. Effect of thyroxin in cretinism. (A. M. Snell, F. Ford, & L. G. Rowntree, 

 J. Am. M. Assn., 1920, LXXV.) 



milligrams of thyroxin every few days these investigators have been able 

 to keep the metabolism close to the normal range. (See Fig. 5.) 



Protein Metabolism. Thyroid administration increases the excretion 

 of nitrogen as shown by Rohde, Stockholm and others. The appetite is 

 usually improved, but there is rapid loss of weight (Leichtenstern). The 

 first effect is on fat, the proteins being drawn upon when the fat is re- 

 duced to a certain minimum. On a meat-free diet, according to Krause 

 and Cramer, the nitrogen increase concerns especially the urea, ammonia 

 and creatin, the uric acid and creatinin being very little changed. Kojima 

 finds that thyroidectomized rats excrete less nitrogen and calcium than 

 normally. Curiously thyroid feeding in such animals appears to reduce 

 nitrogen and gaseous metabolism as well as body weight. 



Studzinsky and Kaminsky found that thyroid increases the urate 

 excretion in hypothyroidism but not in normal subjects. 



Carbohydrate Metabolism. Thyroidectomized dogs do not utilize 

 sugar as well as normal animals, according to Underbill and Saiki. This 



