10 INTERNAL SECRETION 



varying, from the normal in the sense either of hypersecretion or 

 h \ | ', * (ivt i >n. In the former case the amount of augmentation 

 or inhibition may be greater than the normal ; in the latter 

 case the amount of augmentation or inhibition will be less than 

 the normal. 



Various older pathological conceptions are now expressed in 

 trims of the modern "internal secretion." The "consensus 

 partium " of the early writers may be regarded as the prime 

 function of the internal secretions. The " formative stimuli " 

 controlling the " vegetative processes " of the body and the 

 " sympathetic " relationships between different parts of the 

 organism are now frequently regarded as depending upon the 

 integrity of the ductless glands or " correlative organs." 



An interesting pathological development may be mentioned 

 in this place. Not only in various forms of physiological 

 hypertrophy are we to suppose there is a hypersecretion of a 

 ductless gland, but the same may happen in definite patho- 

 logical overgrowth ; so that it is even believed that in tumours 

 of the internally secreting organs thyroid, pituitary, pan- 

 creas, adrenal there may be actually a hypersecretion that 

 is to say, that the tumour cells may secrete in a specific 

 manner. 



Some evidence has been put forward for the existence of what 

 is described as " endocrinopathic inheritance," and the rela- 

 tion of such to the Mendelian theory has been considered. 

 But there is not sufficient evidence before us to lead to any very 

 definite conclusions. 



There is a gradually increasing tendency to attribute many 

 cases of mental disease and many kinds of neuroses to changes 

 in the ductless glands. Certain writers have attached con- 

 siderable importance to a relation between endocrine dis- 

 turbances and the dental apparatus. 



It must be confessed that we do not know the functions of 

 any one of the ductless glands in the same definite way in which 

 we know the functions of, for example, the lungs or the pan- 

 creas. Owing to the lack of boundaries and the absenc3 of 

 precise exploration in many regions, the territory of internal 

 secretion has been invaded by some irresponsible exploiters. 

 The tii in- ha- arrived for us to take our bearings and ascertain 

 our pnri-r po-ition with regard to the subject. In doing this, 

 < Hdi t \\ ill IM iimdi' to avoid dogmatism, even at the risk 



