THE PITUITARY GLAND 59 



treatment by means of an extract obtained from 

 any one gland, or even from a number of glands, 

 is no longer sufficient. 



Quackery in medicine. Perhaps in no depart- 

 ment of medicine has quackery flourished so much 

 as in that dealing with the ductless glands, and 

 more particularly with the pituitary. The over- 

 enthusiastic scientist has joined hands with the 

 pseudo-scientist, and both have provided ample ma- 

 terial to the charlatan to advertise his goods, and to 

 ingratiate himself with an all-too-credulous public. 



I cannot resist quoting Professor Cushing's very 

 pertinent remarks : "Children are either too short 

 or too tall, too fat or too lean. Their adolescence 

 is too early or too late ; they have too little or too 

 much hair. They are intellectually backward or 

 stupid, even defective or epileptic ... all this 

 needs attention and can be corrected by some whole- 

 gland extract, usually with a pinch of thyroid 

 thrown in. 



"Pituitary extract is advocated in parturition, 

 shock, baldness, impotence, epilepsy, and a multi- 

 tude of other conditions which have hitherto 

 baffled us ; and if it does not suffice by itself you are 

 earnestly recommended, according to the directions 

 'in the enclosed folder, to try this or that combina- 

 tion of hormones which contains the active prin- 

 ciple of several glands . . . 



"I know of nothing comparable to the present 



