192 THE SEX-COMPLEX 



Hyper- patient returned and asked that it might again be pre- 



and preg- scribed, as the palpitation of the heart was causing her 

 nancy. muc h discomfort. She immediately responded to treat- 



ment, and became well again, except for a somewhat 

 rapid pulse. Rapidity of the pulse should always be 

 taken as a guide to the condition of the patient when 

 one is considering the advisability of discontinuing 

 treatment in these cases. 



Disturbances of the Parathyroid Secretion 



Disturbances As we have seen, the role of the parathyroids is 



foidsecretion. P roD ably directly connected with the calcium meta- 



, bolism (p. 59), and possibly with the functions of the 



thyroid 1 . We have also some evidence of a relationship 



with the anterior lobe of the pituitary, but at present 



nothing definite is known of the connexion of these 



cervical organs with the rest of the hormonopoietic 



system. 



It is hardly necessary to repeat that all that concerns 

 the calcium metabolism closely concerns the reproductive 

 functions, as I first pointed out many years ago ; conse- 

 quently the parathyroids may be involved in many 

 disorders of menstruation, pregnancy and lactation, 

 although as yet we have little direct evidence that this 

 is so. 

 Osteomal- Erdheim 2 has stated that in osteomalacia he has 



parathyroids, found hyperplasia of the parathyroids. If this exceed 

 that seen normally in pregnancy, it is probable that 

 this change indicates an attempt on the part of these 

 organs to prevent the excessive excretion of the lime 

 salts which occurs in osteomalacia, for it has been 

 shown 3 that after removal of the parathyroids there is 

 a deficiency of calcium salts in the tissues. And this 

 action represents one phase of what we call ' antagonism ' 



1 Vincent, S., and Jolly, W. A., Journ. Physiol, 1904-5, vol. xxxii, 

 p. 65. 



2 Erdheim, J.. Sitz. der Akad. d. Wiss. Math.-naturw. Kl., Wien, 



1907, cxvi, 3, Alt., p. 311. 



8 MacCallum, W. G., and Voetglin, C, Bidl. Johns Hopk. Hosp., 



1908, vol. xix, p. 91. 



