PARATHYROID GLANDS 11 



on geology. And thirdly, it has recently been shown 

 by Wilms that the waters of a goitre well retain 

 their power to cause goitre in rats after filtering out 

 all bacteria by a Berkefeldt filter, but not after 

 heating to 80. The heating probably precipitates 

 the metal as an insoluble carbonate, by driving off 

 carbon dioxide which holds it in solution. 



There are goitre wells in England. One is known 

 to the writer near Berkeley, in Gloucestershire. 

 Its water is used by only one or two families, but 

 four cases of goitre have resulted. It is usually the 

 growing children who suffer. 



IODOFORM AND THYROIDISM. 



The conclusions which modern physiology has 

 reached with regard to the relation between iodine 

 compounds and the thyroid gland lead us to some 

 further important explanations of obscure problems. 

 We are now able to understand the toxic effects of 

 iodoform, and the beneficial action of iodides on 

 arteriosclerosis, aneurysm, and gummata. 



Iodoform poisoning has become a well-recognized 

 condition, and every textbook on pharmacology or 

 toxicology gives a clear description of the clinical 

 picture, which the writer has verified by consulting 

 the reports on some 100 cases scattered through 

 the literature, not including the very numerous 

 records of dermatitis or erythema following its local 

 use. A long list of well-described cases (not always 

 very convincing) is given by Cutler.* 



* Boston Med. Soc. Journal, 1886, ii. pp. 73, 101, no. 



