8 GLANDS IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 



The thyroid, the pituitary, the sexual organs, the 

 adrenals, all contain hormones, and much of the 

 influence these organs exert upon our general well- 

 being is due to these chemical messengers. 



The composition of hormones. Just what the 

 hormones consist of is not clear in most cases. Yet 

 the physiological chemist has been able to isolate 

 in a pure condition a hormone present in the adre- 

 nal glands, and another in the thyroid; and the 

 organic chemist has been able to start with very 

 simple chemicals and synthesize these hormones 

 in his laboratory. So that at least in two instances 

 we know what the composition of a chemical mes- 

 senger is; and the organic chemist will tell you 

 that their composition is by no means terrifying. 



Relation of hormones to vitamines, etc. Ridic- 

 ulously small amounts of hormone are sufficient to 

 restore the normal equilibrium of the body. That 

 is to say, where, as in thyroid deficiency, the di^ 

 ease can be cured by the administration of the 

 corresponding hormone, the amount necessary is 

 almost infinitesimal. Neither is the percentage of 

 hormone in the active gland anything but slight. 

 For example, Kendall, of the Mayo Clinic at 

 Rochester, found that he had to use 6,550 pounds 

 of fresh thyroid in order to get one ounce of thy- 

 roxin, the thyroid hormone ! 



These facts immediately suggest a relation be- 

 tween hormones and vitamines, and 6ther sub- 



