48 BIOLOGY AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS 



victims of myxedema, is a triumph of experi- 

 mental medicine." " The results as a rule are 

 most astounding — unparalleled by anything in 

 the whole range of curative measures. Within 

 six weeks a poor, feeble-minded, toad-like 

 caricature of humanity may be restored to 

 mental and bodily health. The skin becomes 

 moist, the pulse rate quickens, and the mental 

 torpor lessens." Thus thyroid deficiency, with 

 all its sad consequences for the individual and 

 society, can be largely overcome by the simple 

 introduction into the body of an appropriate 

 material from the outside. 



But man is not only open to troubles from 

 deficient thyroids ; he may also suffer from the 

 excessive activity of these glands. In the dis- 

 ease known as exophthalmic goitre the patient 

 is nerved up to a high pitch of excitement, the 

 eyes protrude, and in general the symptoms 

 are the reverse of those exhibited by cases of 

 deficient thyroid. This state can be more or 

 less artificially produced by excessive thyroid 

 feeding, and the disease thus imitated, as well 

 as that dependent upon deficient thyroids, is 

 important for us in showing how essential for 

 our welfare and efficiency in the social organ- 

 ism is the proper amount of that hormone 



