104 The Philippine Journal of Science 1913 



ing more closely one can distinguish a subtle thread of fibrous connective 

 tissue describing a circle or ellipse outside which the cells are disposed in 

 in-egular rows, but perpendicular to the circumference. These spaces 

 are generally free. 



DIAGNOSIS 



The complete isolation of the tumor-mass from the brain-substance, its 

 occurrence in the pituitary region, the visible destruction of the pituitary 

 gland by the overgrowth, its haematoma-like appearance, the extensive 

 proliferation of the stellate cells or glial cells, the presence of acinus- 

 like disposition with a material very much like colloid contained in their 

 lumina, the occurrence of widespread haemorrhage owing to its vascu- 

 larity with possible formation of new blood vessels, and lastly the lack 

 of evidence of metastasis anywhere in the body are facts that point 

 undoubtedly to a diagnosis of telangiectatic glioma of the pituitary body. 



EFFECT OF THE TUMOR ON THE CIRCULATION 



The tumor was treated in the following manner: Pieces cut 

 from the two lobes of the tumor were inserted in a flask and 

 placed in running water to displace the formalin; after sixteen 

 hours they were removed and pulverized in a mortar. To the 

 powder thus obtained, its estimated weight being 5 grams, were 

 added 30 cubic centimeters of normal saline solution. The 

 mixture was then filtered, and the filtrate used for the injection. 

 The carotid artery was used for taking the blood pressure, and 

 intratracheal respiration was used for the respiratory curve. 



Two cubic centimeters of the filtrate were injected into the cir- 

 culation of a dog, and the effect was a rapid fall of the blood pres- 

 sure. Schafer and Herring (i) found that watery extracts of 

 the intermediate and nervous portions of the normal pituitary 

 body produced antagonistic effects on the blood vessels. They 

 assert that in the first injections a vasoconstrictor action predomi- 

 nates while in the subsequent ones a depressor action prevails. 

 From these facts, it is justifiable to suppose that the vasoconstric- 

 tor action of the pituitary body in the present case was totally 

 destroyed by the tumor, only the active depressor principle re- 

 maining, or that both active principles were eliminated during 

 the process of replacement of the pituitary tissue by the neoplasm, 

 and that the depressor effect of the emulsion was due to de- 

 composition, or that, at least, the vasoconstrictor principle had 

 been dissolved in the formalin in which the specimen was pre- 

 served. That this latter is possible is demonstrated by the fact 

 pointed out by Suzuki (19) that formalin dissolves or draws out 

 the vasoconstrictor bodies in the suprarenal glands. In default, 

 therefore, of a true biological explanation of the phenomenon, 

 it is as well to point out here those three possibilities. 



