June 25, 1897.] 



SCIENCE. 



973 



althougli less so than the iodothyrin itself. 

 The iodothj'^rin of Baumann is thus a non- 

 proteid cleavage product of a more complex 

 body, naturally present in the gland and 

 characterized by containing both iodine and 

 phosphorus (0.5 j)er cent.). Aqueous and 

 glycerin extracts of the gland contain iodo- 

 thyrin or the mother-substance, although 

 they do not take up all of the substance. 

 Extraction of the gland with 0.7-5 per cent, 

 sodium chloride solution, frequently re- 

 peated, removes all of the iodine-contain- 

 ing substance, and the residual tissue has 

 little or no effect upon goitre.* 



That iodothyrin possesses all the peculiari- 

 ties associated with thyroid-therapy is, I 

 think, pretty thoroughly established. The 

 experiments of Eoosf upon animals, and 

 the clinical observations of Leichtenstern 

 and Ewald, have clearly demonstrated the 

 physiological power of the substance. Its 

 action on goitre, % as tested in over a hun- 

 dred cases, is very noticeable. In the 

 parenchymatous form a few day's treatment 

 suffices to greatly reduce the size of the 

 swelling. Normal dogs in nitrogenous 

 equilibrium, treated with iodothj'rin, suffer 

 a marked loss of body-weight, au increased 

 .excretion of nitrogen, NaCI and P.Oj, while 

 diuresis is equally marked (Eoos) . Further) 

 comparative experiments bj^ Fritz Voit, § 

 most carefully conducted on dogs in nitroge- 

 nous equilibrium, with fresh thyroid and io- 

 dotliyrin show that the latter has practical! j^ 

 the same action as the former in increasing 

 the decomposition of fat and in stimulating 

 the metabolism of proteid matter. In 



*Eoos: Zur Frage uach der Anzalil der Wirk- 

 sainen Substanzen in der Schilddriise. Miinchener 

 med. Wocbensohr., 1896, p. 1157. 



t Ueber die AVirknng des Tliyrojodins. Zeitscbr. 

 f. physiol. Chem. Pand 22, p. 18. 



t See Ewald und Bruns: Verhandlungen des Con- 

 gresses fiir innere Medicin, 1896, p. 101. 



^.Stoffwechseluntersucbungen am Huud mit friscber 

 Sobilddiiise und JodoUiyrin. Zeitscbr. f. Biol. Band 

 35, p. 116. 



myxa3dema the physiological action of 

 iodothyrin is equally pronounced. Thus, 

 in one case,* a 16-year-old patient received 

 for 6 days 2 grams of iodothyrin (= 0.6 

 milligram iodine) daily. In the fore-period 

 of 3 days she received 18.02 grams of nitro- 

 gen and excreted 17.88 grams. In the 

 iodothyrin period she ingested 16.2 grams 

 of nitrogen and excreted 20.0 gi'ams, while 

 in the 3 days after-period she consumed 

 16.65 grams of nitrogen and ingested 21.59 

 grams. In 10 days the body-weight fell 4 

 pounds. In the treatment of obesity iodo- 

 thyrin has likewise been effective. f It has 

 also been clearly established by experiments 

 on dogs that iodothyrin will cut short the 

 various symptoms produced by thyroid- 

 ectomy, noticeably the convulsions. J As 

 Baumann and Goldmann§ have shown, 

 dogs with thyroids removed do not manifest 

 symptoms of tetanic convulsions so long as 

 iodothyrin is given regularly each day in 

 doses ranging from 2 to 6 grams. Further, 

 in such cases the withdrawal of the iodo- 

 thyrin, or a marked reduction in the amount 

 administered, is generally followed by an 

 appearance of the convulsions. The dosage 

 required to remove or overcome the tetanus 

 of a dog suffering from thyroidectomy is 

 greater the more vigorous the symptoms 

 and the longer the administration has been 

 delayed after the appearance of symptoms. 



*Treupel : Stoffwecbseluntersucbung bei einem 

 mit Jodotbyrin (Thyrojodin) behandelten Falle von 

 Myxoedem und Mittbeilung einiger Tbierversucbe 

 mit Jodotliyrin (Thyrojodin). Miincbener med. 

 Wochenscbr., XLIII. 38, p.885. See also Notkin, 

 Vircbows Arohiv. Band 144, Sujjplementbeft. 



fSee Grawitz: Beitrag zur Wirkung des Tbyro- 

 jodiu auf den Stoffwecbsel bei Fettsucbt. Miincbener 

 med. Wocbenscbr., 1896, No. 14. AlsoHenning Ibid., 

 3896, No 19. 



I Hoffraeister: Dentscb. med. "Wocbenscbr., 1896, 

 No. 22. Hildebrandt; Berliner Klin. Wocbenscbr. 

 1896, No. 37. 



^ 1st das Jodotbyrin (Tbyrojodin) der lebenswicb- 

 tige Bestandtheil der Scbilddriise? Miincbener med. 

 Wocbensclir., 1896, p. 1153. 



