82 GLANDS IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 



Properties of adrenaline. Before entering upon 

 a discussion as to the various uses that adrenaline 

 is put to, it may be said that, in a general way, 

 adrenaline affects the body tissues in much the way 

 that the sympathetic nervous system does. By way 

 of further explanation it should be remarked that 

 the nervous apparatus consists of two sets of nerves 

 connected, to be sure, and yet standing out apart 

 from each other : the cerebro-spinal system and the 

 sympathetic system. The former is made up of 

 the brain and the spinal cord with its correspond- 

 ing (cranial and spinal) nerves; the latter con- 

 sists of a chain of nerve cells extending on each side 

 of the spinal column, connected with each other and 

 with the spinal nerves. From the sympathetic sys- 

 tem, nerves generate that follow to a large extent 

 the distribution of the blood vessels, and that form 

 large networks around the heart, stomach, etc. 

 This system controls the internal organs, such as 

 the heart, the blood vessels, kidneys, etc., and the 

 sweat glands and vessels of the skin; it controls 

 involuntary muscular movement, and is related to 



The synthetic adrenaline is optically inactive, that is, it is 

 the d-l- adrenaline; whereas that obtained from the adrenals is 

 the optically active Z-adrenaline. However, not only has the 

 inactive or "racemic" mixture been separated into its active com- 

 ponents, but the interesting fact has been brought out by Abder- 

 halden that the ^-adrenaline is about 15 times as strong in ita 

 action on blood pressure as the d-adrenaline. 



For a fascinating account of optically active substances, the 

 general reader can do no better than read Pasteur's investigation 

 of tartaric acid, as related by his son-in-law, Valery-Radot, in 

 his book dealing with the life of that immortal French scientist. 



