442 



Prof. E. A. Schafer. 



[July 22, 



semi alio stato di riposo," 'Estratto dal Bullettino della Societa Botanica 



Italiana,' Firenze, 10 Novembre, 1907. 

 M. Edouard Morren, " Note sur le Bole des Ferments dans la Nutrition des Plantes," 



' Academie Boyale de Belgique,' 21 Octobre, 1876. 

 M. Ch. Des Moulins, " Belatifs a la Facult6 Germinative conservee par quelques Graines 



Antiques," 1 Actes de la Society Limieenne de Bordeaux,' Juillet, 1846. 

 Adrian J. Brown, " Enzyme Action," ' Transactions of the Chemical Society,' 1902, 



vol. 81. 



Arthur Dean, "On Proteolytic Enzymes. — I," 'Botanical Gazette,' May, 1905, vol. 39, 

 No. 5. 



Acton, ' Annals of Botany,' vol. 7, No. 27, September, 1893. 

 Just, ' Cohn's Beitrage,' vol. 2, 1877. 



Brown and Escombe, ' Science,' N. Ser., vol. 8, 1898, p. 215. 

 Von Hohnel, ' Haberlandt's Wiss.-prakt. Unters.,' II, 1877. 

 Dyer, Thiselton, ' Boy. Soc. Proc.,' vol. 65, p. 362, 1899. 



Becquerel, Paul, ' Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot.,' ser. 9, vol. 5, 1907 ; ' Comptes Bendus,' vol. 143, 



1906, p. 974; 4 Comptes Bendus,' vol. 143, 1906, p. 1177. 

 Kolkwitz, ' Ber. Deut. Bot. Gesell.,' vol. 19, p. 285, 1901. 



Croonian Lecture. — The Functions of the Pituitary Body. 

 By E. A. Schafer, F.E.S. 



(Lecture delivered June 10, — MS. received July 22, 1909.) 



The observation of P. Marie (1885) that the disease to which he has 

 given the name " acromegaly " is associated with tumours of the pituitary 

 body has caused this organ to attract the recent attention of pathologists to a 

 greater degree than any other of the structures which were formerly classed 

 together under the generic name " ductless glands." Since Marie's descrip- 

 tion of that disease, very many cases have been recorded, and in most of 

 these the same association has been noticed. 



The most striking sign of acromegaly is the increased growth of certain 

 parts of the skeleton, especially the lower jaw and the extremities of the 

 limbs, with hypertrophy of the connective tissue ; indeed, the enlargement 

 of the hands and feet is frequently the first change which calls attention to 

 the existence of the disease, the patient finding that his gloves and boots 

 are becoming too small for him. In the later stages there is dorsal kypho- 

 scoliosis. Headache is a prominent symptom, polyuria is often present, and 

 the eyesight is frequently affected. Acromegaly usually occurs in adults, 

 often about middle age, although it may begin during adolescence. An 

 allied affection — (pathological) gigantism — which occurs before normal 



