THE PITUITARY GLAND 23 



In two cases of acromegaly there was evidence 

 that the anterior lobe was specially affected ; in the 

 one it alone was enlarged, the posterior being 

 normal ; in the other it was unusually full of 

 secretion granules. 



FUNCTIONS OF THE PITUITARY GLAND. 



Probably it is still too soon to endeavour to piece 

 together these highly interesting observations. It 

 is agreed that we must dissever in toto the functions 

 of the anterior lobe from those of the posterior. All 

 we know about the latter is that it contains a principle 

 which will act as a diuretic and raise blood-pressure. 



It is further concluded that the anterior lobe is a 

 vital organ, one of whose functions is to preside over 

 the growth of the body. When it performs these 

 functions to excess, we get overgrowth, as in acro- 

 megaly and gigantism. The enlargement of the gland 

 in these cases is analogous to that seen in exophthal- 

 mic goitre. In confirmation of this view we have 

 the following facts : in acromegaly there is over- 

 growth of the anterior portions in most of the cases, 

 and excess of secreting cells in others ; young rats 

 fed on the gland become gigantic ; puppies which 

 have suffered partial removals fail to grow ; removal 

 of a pituitary tumour in man causes shrinking of 

 the enlarged bones. We also find here an explanation 

 for the few cases of acromegaly on record without 

 a large pituitary, just as there are cases of Graves' 

 disease without an enlarged thyroid. In both the 

 function is excessive, although there is no manifest 

 swelling of the gland. 



