374 CHYLE, LYMPH, TRANSUDATES AND EXUDATES. 



In " STRUMACYSTICA " HoppE-SEYLER found hardly any protein in the smaller 

 glandular vessels, but an excess of mucin, while in the larger he found a great 

 deal of protein, 70-80 p. m. 1 Cholestehn is regularly found in such cysts, some- 

 times in such large quantities that the entire contents form a thick mass of cho- 

 lesterin plates. Crystals of calcium oxalate also occur frequently. The contents 

 of the struma cysts are sometimes of a brown color, due to decomposed coloring- 

 matter, methcemoglobin (and hsematin?). Bile-coloring matters have also been 

 found in such cysts. (In regard to the paralbumins and colloids which have been 

 found in struma cysts and colloid degeneration, see Chapter XII.) 



Those substances which bear a close relation to the functions of the 

 gland seem to be of special interest. 



The complete extirpation, as also the pathological destruction, of the 

 thyroid gland causes great disturbances, ending finally in death. In 

 dogs, after the total extirpation, a disturbance of the nervous and muscular 

 systems occurs, such as trembling and convulsions, and death generally 

 supervenes shortly after, most often during such an attack. The researches 

 of GLEY, VASSALE and GENERAL: 2 upon various animals have shown 

 that for the success of the operation it is of the greatest importance 

 whether the parathyroids, discovered by SANDSTROM, 3 are removed at 

 the same time or not. In herbivora (rabbits) because of the anatomical 

 relations, the parathyroids are seldom extirpated in the operation of 

 the removal of the thyroid, the tetany does not regularly occur and 

 the disturbance in metabolism is most striking. If these glands are 

 not extirpated in dogs, the tetany also does not appear, and the dis- 

 turbances in metabolism occur. In human beings, after the removal of 

 the gland by operation, different disturbances appear, such as nervous 

 symptoms, diminished intelligence, dryness of the skin, falling out of 

 the hair, and, on the whole, those symptoms which are included under 

 the name cachexia thyreopriva, death coming gradually. Among these 

 symptoms must be mentioned the peculiar slimy infiltration and exuber- 

 ance of the connective tissue called myxcedema. 



All these conditions indicate that the thyroids belong to those glands 

 with internal secretion, so called endocrinic glands. The most con- 

 vincing proof of this is the fact that the ordinary symptoms do not occur 

 if a small piece of the gland is allowed to remain in the body, or even 

 when a piece of the gland is transplanted in any part of the body. The 

 observations of ASHER and FLACK 4 that the irritation of the nerves of the 

 thyroid causes an internal secretion from the thyroid gland into the 

 blood, is of great interest in this connection. A further proof of practical 



iPhysiol. Chem., p. 721. 



2 Gley, Compt. rend. soc. biol., 1891, and Arch, de Physiol (5), 4; Vassale and 

 General!, Arch. Ital. d. Biol., 25 and 26. 

 Upsala Lakaref. Forh., 15 (1880). 

 4 Asher and Flack, Zeitschr. f. Biol., 55. 



