THE ADRENAL GLANDS 89 



into larger mulberry-like concretions, varying much in size. 

 These brain sand particles have become of practical importance 

 in the detection of pineal disease because they, like all lime salts, 

 will stop the X-rays, and so can be photographed. 



For a long time, indeed up to scarcely more than a few decades 

 or so ago, the pineal was believed to have no present function 

 at all, or at least no ascertainable or accessible duty in the body 

 economy. That it might perhaps be, in a sense, a gland of inter- 

 nal secretion was a despised theory. Then a classic case, the 

 most extraordinary and curiosity-piquing sort of case, with symp- 

 toms involving the pineal gland, in a boy, was reported by the 

 German neurologist, Von Hochwart. That boy provoked a little 

 army of researches. He came to the clinic complaining about 

 his eyes and other troubles which pointed pretty definitely to a 

 brain tumor as the diagnosis to pigeon-hole him. Nothing extra- 

 ordinary about him in that respect. But the story told by his 

 parents was quite extraordinary, even to the jaded palate of the 

 clinic professor and his assistants. They said that he was a 

 little over five years old, a statement conclusively proved correct 

 at his death. Up to the time at which his illness began, he had 

 been quite normal in size, intelligence and interests. But with 

 the onset of his misfortune, he had begun to grow, and rapidly 

 until now he looked and corresponded in all measurements to a 

 normal boy of twelve or thirteen. Hair developed all over his 

 skin, most prominently and abundantly in the typically hairy 

 places of adults. His voice became low-pitched, and most re- 

 markable of all, his sexuality and mentality precocious. He 

 became capable of true sexual life and is said to have asked many 

 questions about the fate and condition of the soul after death. 

 On one occasion he remarked reflectively: "It is odd how much 

 better I feel when I let other children play with my toys than 

 when I play with them myself." Other statements attributed to 

 him imply the most astounding maturity of thought and mental 

 process. Headaches finally came, and he died about four weeks 

 later. The cause of the whole bizarre tragedy was found to be a 

 tumor of the pineal gland. 



As has happened before in medical history, no sooner was the 

 one prodigy reported, than a score of others of the same ilk 

 sprang into the limelight. Cases of precocious genital develop- 

 ment, especially, some of them occurring as early as the second 

 year of life, were linked with them. It is an interesting point to 

 be noted that in these, as in those started by an overaction of the 



