42 GLANDS IN HEALTH ANP DISEASE 



as a measurement of the most fundamental process 

 of life itself. Variations of the heat production, 

 and alterations in the body temperature are to be 

 considered rightly a means of fundamental disease 

 classification, and the basal metabolic rate serves 

 as an accurate diagnostic aid in the recognition of 

 the presence or absence of hyper- (and hypo-) thy- 

 roidism." 



All this is very true provided the diagnosis does 

 not merely confine itself to a determination of 

 the basal metabolism of the patient; for increases 

 in basal metabolism are obtained in pernicious 

 anemia or leukemia (increase in the number of 

 leucocytes in the blood) or fever. These, however, 

 can be readily differentiated from goiter afflictions. 



