INTERNAL SECRETIONS 365 



These conditions gradually pass away and the animals recover. When only 

 a part of one adrenal body is left in position, regeneration of its substance 

 takes place, just as, after unilateral extirpation, a compensatory hypertrophy 

 of the one remaining appears. In both man and animals accessory adrenals 

 are found which are sufficient to maintain life after total extirpation of the 

 main bodies. 



Hultgren and 0. Andersson describe the abnormal phenomena appearing 

 after the removal of the adrenals as follows : The animal recovers from the 

 operation within a few hours, and aside from a poor appetite or none at all, 

 shows no unfavorable symptoms within the next few days. During the last 

 twenty-four hours before death, or still earlier when the symptoms run a 

 slower course, the animal becomes dull and stupid, most of the time sits 

 perfectly quiet and, what is particularly striking, in cats, exhibits weakness 

 and uncertainty in the movements of its hinder extremities. At the same 

 time the temperature begins to fall, and as this continues the general list- 

 lessness and weakness of the animal increases. Cats lie most of the time 

 with the nose on the floor, and with eyes half-closed follow what is going 

 on about them, but not with the usual interest. They react to stimuli more 

 feebly and more slowly than before. They walk unsteadily and with a pecul- 

 iar stiffness of the hinder legs. In leaping down from a chair they are likely 

 to fall in a heap. They become fatigued with very slight movements, and lie 

 for a long time deeply exhausted. This loss of strength continues more and 

 more and finally dyspnoea sets in; respiration becomes deep and slower; the 

 heart becomes less frequent and irregular, and death ensues. Convulsions 

 rarely occur in cats and dogs, but in rabbits they are fairly common. 



Among other conditions observed on such animals the following may be 

 mentioned. Neither digestion, nor the combustion of proteid, nor the content 

 of haemoglobin in the blood, nor the number of red blood cells is influenced by 

 the operation. No paralyses are to be observed and the electrical excitability of 

 the nerves remains unchanged to the time of death. 



The blood pressure falls immediately after the operation and in the last few 

 hours reaches a very low level. 



The blood of the operated animals is said to have a pronounced toxic action. 

 Thus if blood from one operated animal be injected into another whose adrenals 

 have also been removed, the symptoms which would otherwise not appear for 

 several hours come on within a short time. 



The profound effects of the removal of the adrenals cannot be caused by 

 the operation alone nor by accidental lesions. This we know from the obser- 

 vation that portions of the adrenals which have been left unintentionally 

 suffice to keep the animal alive; also from the fact that no disturbance occurs 

 if the adrenals be separated from all their connections except those with the 

 vascular system. 



The evil effects of the extirpation of the adrenals are therefore due to the 

 loss of some function which is important for the whole body. This function 

 may be one of two kinds : either they destroy some product or products formed 

 in metabolism which, when present in larger quantity than the normal, poison 

 the organism, or they form substances which are necessary for the normal 

 activities of the body. The results of extirpation, and especially the influence 

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