﻿110 
  

  

  The 
  Genesis 
  of 
  (Edema 
  in 
  Beriberi. 
  

  

  massive 
  enlargements 
  of 
  the 
  adrenals 
  or 
  0*408 
  mgrm. 
  of 
  adrenalin 
  per 
  kilo- 
  

   gram 
  of 
  original 
  body-weight 
  or 
  over 
  (Tables 
  II 
  and 
  III) 
  had 
  oedema 
  in 
  

   some 
  form. 
  This 
  percentage 
  is 
  practically 
  identical 
  with 
  that 
  previously 
  

   reported 
  (1). 
  

  

  (3) 
  The 
  enlargement 
  of 
  the 
  adrenal 
  glands 
  is 
  a 
  true 
  hypertrophy 
  in 
  so 
  far 
  

   as 
  the 
  adrenal 
  medulla 
  is 
  concerned 
  : 
  no 
  conclusions 
  are 
  drawn 
  with 
  regard 
  

   to 
  the 
  adrenal 
  cortex. 
  

  

  (4) 
  The 
  adrenalin-content 
  of 
  the 
  hypertrophied 
  adrenals, 
  as 
  estimated 
  by 
  

   chemical 
  methods, 
  is 
  slightly 
  less 
  per 
  gramme 
  of 
  gland 
  in 
  cases 
  of 
  wet 
  beriberi 
  

   than 
  in 
  health 
  or 
  in 
  dry 
  beriberi. 
  

  

  (5) 
  Nevertheless, 
  in 
  100 
  per 
  cent, 
  of 
  cases 
  of 
  wet 
  beriberi 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  

   adrenalin 
  greatly 
  exceeds 
  that 
  found 
  in 
  health 
  ; 
  in 
  83 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  cases 
  it 
  is 
  

   also 
  in 
  excess 
  of 
  that 
  found 
  in 
  dry 
  beriberi. 
  

  

  Conclusions. 
  

  

  1. 
  The 
  conclusions 
  previously 
  reached 
  (1) 
  by 
  physiological 
  methods 
  of 
  

   adrenalin 
  estimation 
  are 
  confirmed 
  by 
  chemical 
  methods. 
  

  

  2. 
  Deficiency 
  of 
  certain 
  accessory 
  food 
  factors 
  gives 
  rise 
  to 
  a 
  greatly 
  

   increased 
  production 
  of 
  adrenalin. 
  

  

  3. 
  Whatever 
  the 
  function 
  of 
  the 
  adrenal 
  medulla 
  may 
  be, 
  the 
  excessive 
  

   production 
  of 
  adrenalin 
  under 
  conditions 
  of 
  " 
  vitaminic 
  " 
  deficiency 
  is 
  concerned 
  

   with 
  the 
  causation 
  of 
  the 
  oedema 
  found 
  in 
  this 
  order 
  of 
  cases. 
  It 
  must 
  

   therefore 
  be 
  taken 
  into 
  consideration 
  as 
  a 
  possible 
  factor 
  in 
  the 
  causation 
  of 
  

   oedema 
  in 
  general. 
  

  

  BEFEBENCES. 
  

  

  (1) 
  McCarrison, 
  E., 
  'The 
  Genesis 
  of 
  (Edema 
  in 
  Beriberi.' 
  (Not 
  yet 
  printed.) 
  

  

  (2) 
  McCarrison, 
  E., 
  " 
  The 
  Pathogenesis 
  of 
  Deiicienc}' 
  Disease,'' 
  ' 
  Ind. 
  Jour. 
  Med. 
  

  

  Eesearch,' 
  1919, 
  vol. 
  6, 
  3, 
  pp. 
  275-355. 
  

  

  (3) 
  McCarrison, 
  E., 
  " 
  The 
  Pathogenesis 
  of 
  Deficiency 
  Disease, 
  II," 
  ' 
  Ind. 
  Jour. 
  Med. 
  

  

  Eesearch,' 
  1919, 
  vol. 
  6, 
  4, 
  April. 
  

  

  (4) 
  Folin, 
  O., 
  Cannon, 
  W. 
  B., 
  and 
  Dennis, 
  W., 
  'Jour. 
  Biol. 
  Chem.,' 
  1912-13, 
  vol. 
  13, 
  

  

  p. 
  477. 
  

  

  