124 The Unity of the Organism 



The Close Resemblances and Interrelations of the Different 

 Internal Secretions 



Even the meager, merely illustrative examination of in- 

 ternal secretions we have been able to make brings out the 

 close resemblance there is between the several endocrine 

 glands, and also between the physiological effects of the 

 various secretions. These resemblances suggest an intimate 

 organic interrelationship among all the internal secretion- 

 producing parts of the body. 



All investigators in this field, no matter to how restricted 

 a section of it their efforts are primarily directed, seem to 

 come upon the interdependence of the sources and activities 

 of hormones. To illustrate, Gushing, whose central interest 

 has been the hyphophysis, is led to conclude that experi- 

 mentally induced hyphophyseal deficiency works histologi- 

 cal changes in many if not all the other ductless glands. 

 It is not surprising, consequently that far-reaching theories 

 have been elaborated on the basis of these relationships. 



Bayliss refers with approval to Elliott for the conserva- 

 tism with which he sums up the present state of knowledge on 

 this aspect of the general subject. But even so, features are 

 pointed out "which suggest a common bond": 



"(1) Carbohydrate metabolism is influenced, not only by 

 the pancreas, but also by the thyroid in super- activity, in 

 acromegaly, and by the injection of adrenaline. 



"(2) Growth is affected by the testis and the cortex of 

 the suprarenals, arrested by the absence of the thyroid. 



"(3) Nervous implications. 



"(4) The pituitary becomes hypertrophied when the thy- 

 roid is removed. Acromegaly may lead to enlargement of 

 the thyroid." 14 



At the other extreme of what may be regarded as legiti- 

 mate scientific theorizing, we have the views of Sajous, who 

 believes research will finally demonstrate a relationship be- 



