970 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. V. No. 130. 



citing influence of the thyroid.* The gland 

 substance evidently causes an increased 

 decomposition of the tissue proteids, thus 

 showing a certain resemblance to the action 

 of phosphorus on the organism (Roos) . At 

 the same time the loss of body-weight 

 under thyroid feeding is far greater than 

 can be accounted for by the increased proteid 

 decomposition, from which, in conjunction 

 with the increased gaseous exchange, we 

 must infer an increased breaking down of 

 fatty tissue in accord with the prevalent idea 

 that thyroids tend to reduce obesity. This, 

 furthermore, is in harmony with the well- 

 known fact that increase in proteid metabo- 

 lism is almost invariably associated with 

 increase in the metabolism of non-nitroge- 

 nous matter. 



The significance to be attached to this 

 increase in proteid metabolism, however, is, 

 I think, something more than a mere quan- 

 titative one. The very fact that there are 

 quantitative changes renders it quite proba- 

 ble that there are also qualitative changes, 

 and that the presence or absence of the thy- 

 roid gland or its equivalent from the body 

 may modify the line of metabolism. Upon 

 this point, however, we know very little ; 

 we simply infer. Still there are some facts 

 in connection with the proteids of the blood 

 which are worthy of a moment's considera- 

 tion. Thus, it has been shown by compari- 

 son of the proteids of normal dog's blood 

 with those present in the blood after extir- 

 pation of the thyroids that in the period 

 preceding the convulsions the percentage 

 amount of serum-albumin is increased and 

 the globulins decreased. In the second 

 period, on the other hand, when the cramps 

 or convulsions appear up to the end, there 

 is a progressive increase in the amount of 

 globulin and a decrease of serum-albumin 

 as well as of the total proteid. Hence, there 



*Bleibtreu und Wendelstadt. StoHweohselversuch 

 bei Schilddriisenfiitterung. Deutsche med. Wochen- 

 sehr. 1895, p. 348. 



is at first an increase and then a decrease 

 of the albumin quotient. From this it 

 would appear that in the first stages there 

 is an abatement of the metabolism of the 

 tissues, followed by an increase, and that 

 possibly in the incomplete breaking-down 

 of the proteid material intermediate toxic 

 products appear which are the cause of the 

 cachexia.* Further, according to Form4nek 

 and Haskovec,f in the thyreopriva ca- 

 chexia, resulting from the extirpation of 

 the thyroids in dogs, the number of red 

 blood corpuscles is systematically dimin- 

 ished, while the leucocytes are increased, 

 and the dry residue of the blood as well as 

 the iron and htemoglobin are diminished. 

 In connection with the diminution of haemo- 

 globin there is an acceleration of respira- 

 tion and of the pulse, which, however, in 

 the terminal stages of the cachexia dimin- 

 ishes. The iron liberated by the decom- 

 position of the red blood corpuscles is de- 

 posited in the organs of the bodj"-, especi- 

 ally in the spleen and lymph glands . If the 

 blood is taken for examination during a con- 

 vulsive seizure, on the other hand, it shows 

 a reversal of the above conditions ; it is 

 thicker, contains more solid matter, as well 

 as iron and hsemoglobin. If extract of the 

 thyroid is injected into the operated animal 

 there is an immediate increase in the num- 

 ber of red corpuscles and a betterment of 

 the animal's condition. Hence, the thy- 

 roid is evidently concerned in hsematosis, 

 and it is quite possible that the decompo- 

 sition of the blood which takes place in- 

 duces certain alterations in the formation 

 of the end-products of metabolism, so that 

 poisons result which give rise to intoxica- 

 tion of the organism. Just here it may be 



* Beitrag zui Lelire iiber die Function der Schild- 

 driise, Jahresbericht f. Thierchemie, 1895, p. 375. 



t Ducceschi : Ueber die Bluteiweissstoffe des 

 Hundes im Verhaltniss mit den Folgen der Schild- 

 driiseuexstirpation. Centralbl. f. Physiol. Band 9, 

 p. 359. 



