146 THE DUCTLESS GLANDS 



Biedl performed a series of experiments upon dogs, cats, and 

 rabbits. These were carried out by a new method. In a 

 preliminary operation by a lumbar incision the glands were 

 " dislocated," the vascular connections were not severed, and 

 the glands were stitched into their new position between the 

 skin of the back and the dorsal musculature, so that they 

 remained in a living condition and easily accessible extraperi- 

 toneally. After three or four days the glands were exposed by 

 a skin incision, the vessels tied, and thus could extirpation be 

 performed in the easiest possible manner. 



It was found that extirpation of one gland produced no 

 serious effects, but that after extirpation of both adrenals the 

 animals died, almost without exception, in two to four days. 

 Two rabbits which survived sixteen and twenty-eight days 

 respectively were found to possess accessory adrenals on the 

 vena cava beneath the renal veins. 



As we have seen, Boinet succeeded in keeping rats alive for 

 a considerable time after double epinephrectomy ; and Harley 

 many years ago found that the rat is able to withstand removal 

 of both adrenal bodies. According to Wiesel, this is due to the 

 fact that the rat normally possesses between the testis and 

 epididymis accessory adrenals which are found to undergo com- 

 pensatory hypertrophy after extirpation of the chief organs. 

 These accessory bodies consist entirely of cortex (see p. 147). 



In guinea-pigs a compensatory hypertrophy of accessory 

 cortical bodies can be shown to occur, but this is never sufficient 

 to keep the animal alive after complete removal of the main 

 glands. 



The case of the rat and the results of extirpation experiments 

 upon this animal seem to point strongly towards the cortex 

 being the part of the adrenal body which is essential to life. 

 We shall, however, have to return to this subject again. 



We see, then, that later work has confirmed in a general way 

 the statements of Brown-Sequard as to the necessity for life of 

 the adrenals. We cannot, however, altogether disregard the 

 very considerable number of exceptions which have been 

 recorded by various observers. Moore and Purinton report 

 the survival of a goat for twenty-two days after complete 

 removal of both adrenal glands, and they state that no accessory 

 bodies could !>< detected. 



According to Mayer, the diabetic puncture is ineffectual in 



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