FERMENTS FROM GLANDS AND ORGANS. 25 



for an explanation of their usefulness, whereas it may be that 

 the main part of the benefit tliat they produce is not due to the 

 substances liberated througli the secretions which tliey cause to 

 be poured out, but to those wliich are returned from the intestine 

 and skin into the ch^culatinii- blood. 



o 



How important an effect the excessive admixture of juices 

 from one part of the animal body v/ith the circulating blood 

 may liave, was shown in the most striking way by Wooldridge. 

 The juice of the thjroid gland is harmless so long as it remains 

 in the gland, and is probably useful when it enters the blood in 

 small quantities in the ordinary course of life. Yet lie found 

 that if tliis juice be injected directly into the vessels it will 

 cause the blood to coagulate almost instantaneously and kill the 

 animal as quickly as a rifle bullet. But what is powerful for 

 harm is, likewise, powerful for good, and the administration of 

 thyroid juice in cases of myxcedema is one of the most remark- 

 able therapeutic discoveries of modern times. 



Since the introduction by Corvisart of pepsine as a remedy in 

 dyspepsia, digestive ferments have been largely employed to 

 assist the stomach and intestine in the performance of their 

 functions, but very little has been done until lately in the way 

 of modifying tissue changes in the body by the introduction of 

 ferments derived from solid organs. 



For ages back, savages have eaten raw hearts and other organs 

 of the animals which they have killed, or the enemies they have 

 conquered, under the belief that they would thereby obtain in- 

 creased vigour or courage ; but the first definite attempt to cure 

 a disease by supplying a ferment from a solid non-glandular 

 organ of the body was, I believe, made in Harvey's own hospital 

 by the use of raw meat in diabetes.* 



It was not, however, until Brown-Sequard recommended the 

 use of testicular extract that the attention of the profession be- 

 came attracted to the use of extracts of solid organs. Since 

 then extract of thyroid, extract of kidney, extract of supra renal 

 capsule have been employed ; but even yet they are only upon 

 their trial, and the limits of their utility have not yet been 

 definitely ascertained. 



* Lauder Brunton, Brit. Med. Jour., February 21, lS7t, pp. 221 et seq. 



