492 CHEMICAL PATHOLOGY OF THE DUCTLESS GLANDS 



growth. This effect might be either specific, or depend simply 

 on the effect on proteid metabolism. Horsley l describes the 

 appearance of the tissues of animals dying after thyroidectomy 

 as follows : The subcutaneous connective tissue is swollen, jelly- 

 like, bright and shining, and excessively sticky. The same 

 thing is observed in the loose tissue of the mediastinum, about 

 the heart, and in the omentum. The submaxillary and parotid 

 glands are greatly enlarged, and have a semi-translucent, 

 swollen appearance ; from the cut surface a sticky, glairy fluid 

 exudes. Apparently the parotid becomes transformed into 

 a mucous gland ; likewise the mucous membrane of the alimen- 

 tary tract is swollen and transparent. Fetal tissues contain 

 normally more mucin than those of adults (0.76 per cent, as 

 against 0.37 per cent, in the subcutaneous tissues, according 

 to Halliburton), and in the early stages of the formation of 

 excessive sub-cutaneous tissue, in myxedema such an increase 

 of mucin may be present. But, under ordinary conditions, 

 the term myxedema seems to be entirely a misnomer, for 

 Halliburton's analyses showed that the skin of myxedematous 

 patients contains quite the same amount of mucin as is present 

 in normal skin. 2 When the condition is of long standing, the 

 amount of mucin may even be much reduced, because of the 

 development of a fibroid character in the connective tissue. 

 However, in monkeys upon which thyroidectomy had been 

 performed, Halliburton 3 found a decided increase in the mucin 

 in the tissues throughout the body, especially in the salivary 

 glands, but also in the skin, subcutaneous tissues, and tendons ; 

 and mucin was found in the blood, as shown by the following 

 table : 



'Brit. Med. Jour., 1885 (i), 211. 



2 Jour, of Pathol. and Bact., 1893 (1), 90. 



3 Quoted by Horsley, loc. cit. 



