392 THE DUCTLESS GLANDS 



McCord has studied the effects of pineal feeding upon 

 chicks, dogs, and especially upon guinea-pigs. He finds that 

 the effects usually attributed to pineal deficiency (hypo- 

 pinealism) are obtained by supplying an increased amount of 

 pineal substance by feeding or injecting pineal preparations. 

 Such administration of pineal substances leads to a more rapid 

 growth of body than normal, and determines an early sexual 

 maturity. The excess in rate of growth was most pronounced 

 in young animals fed with pineal tissue obtained from young 

 animals. After maximum size was attained, pineal admin- 

 istration appeared to be ineffective. Both males and females 

 respond, in rate of growth, to the influence of pineal substances, 

 but the response has been more definitely manifested in males. 



These observations, so far as the effects upon male guinea- 

 pigs are concerned, have recently been confirmed by Horrax, 

 and McCord and Allen find that pineal substance causes con- 

 traction of the melanophores in tadpoles. 



Pathological Anatomy and Clinical Pathology 



Cysts of the pineal have been known for a long time. Some 

 of these are without characteristic effects ; others give rise to 

 serious symptoms. 



Teratoma,ta are very common. They were first fully described 

 by Weigert, and have since received a considerable amount of 

 attention. 



Various other tumours of the pineal body have been described, 

 such as glioma, sarcoma, carcinoma, and mixed growths. 



There is now a general agreement among clinical pathologists 

 that diseases of the pineal body are accompanied by a char- 

 acteristic train of symptoms. It is curious that there is some 

 degree of resemblance between these symptoms and those due 

 to lesions of the pituitary body. 



Our information upon the clinical symptoms in pineal 

 disease is largely derived from the work of Marburg. 



Hempel records a case of carcinoma of the pineal gland in 

 which there was at the commencement obesity, but later very 

 marked atrophy of the fatty tissues. In complete destruction 

 of the body, which occurred in six cases of malignant tumour, 

 there was a severe disturbance of the trophic functions (Biedl). 



Marburg found a very striking obesity in a nine-year-old 



