ON THE DUCTLESS GLANDS. 41.1 



niately related, the essential histological elements being practically 

 identical in the two structures. 



Drs. F. A. Young and J. E. Lehmann give a preliminary account of 

 some experiments with the blood-stream from the suprarenal glands of the 

 dog. 



Cybulski and Biedl found that the blood of the suprarenal vein raised 

 the blood-pressure wlien injected intravenously. Salvioli and Vezzolini 

 showed that the blood from the suprarenal vein acts like suprarenal 

 extract, but weakly. The blood from the suprarenal vein produces much 

 more effect ujion the excised eye of the frog than does ordinary blood. 

 The water extract of the dried blood gives distinct pressor effects. 



The present series of experiments was instituted in order to obtain, if 

 possible, evidence of a more direct nature of the fact of internal secretion 

 from the suprarenal capsule. An attempt was made to dam back any 

 secretion which the glands may pour into the blood-stream and after an 

 interval to remove the obstruction and allow the accumulated secretion to 

 flow into the general circulation. 



The blood-pressure was recorded in the usual manner from the carotid 

 ai'tery ; the glands were exposed through an abdominal incision, and a 

 double ligature passed beneath the organ on each side. The ligatures 

 were tied on each side of the gland above the vein so as to form two 

 pedicles, and were left in place for from 10 to 30 minutes and then released. 



Out of a total of eight experiments, in three there was no effect on the 

 blood -pressure ; in two there was a slight rise after releasing the ligatures ; 

 in the remaining three there was a decided rise of the pressure (similar 

 to that which follows the injection of suprarenal extract), lasting about 

 three minutes. In one experiment the efl'ect was repeated by tightening 

 the ligatures a second time and again releasing them. 



It must be noted that the fall of blood-pressure during the time that 

 the ligatures were applied was only sl'ght, and this is what one would 

 expect. 



Numerous control experiments have been performed in order to guard 

 against any fallacy arising from stimulation of nerves or other adven- 

 titious circumstances. 



' If further experiments should confirm the results of the present series, 

 it seems that we have ver}- positive evidence that the pouring of the 

 adrenal secretion into the circulation is one of the factors which maintain 

 the normal blood-pressure, a view which of course was implied in the 

 internal- secretion theory of the organs put forward by Oliver and 

 Schafer at the time of their discovery of the powerful effects of suprarenal 

 extracts. 



The experiment here described is a modification of one originally sug- 

 gested by Professor Schafer, but which we believe has not up to the 

 present been carried out. 

 ^ Dr. Leeming finds, much to his surprise, that the cells staining brown 

 with bichromate of potassium (and hence considered to be of the same 

 nature as suprarenal medulla), which have been described in various 

 regions of the body, are so rare or so difficult to reveal that so far he ha,s 

 failed ■ altogether to verify their existence. He has carefully examined a 

 number of dogs, cats and kittens, and rabbits, and, though he has closely 

 followed Kohn's technique in every detail, yet he has been up to the 

 present unable to demonstrate the presence of ' chromaffin ' cells in any 

 tissue except in the medulla of the suprarenal capsule, 



