1909.] 



The Functions of the Pituitary Body. 



463 



from an average of 50 c.c. before the implantation to an average of over 

 100 c.c, and on one day to 150 c.c. during the week following. 



The result was in all these cases temporary, and the effect of implantation 

 upon the urine gradually disappeared, no doubt coincidently with the 

 destruction and absorption of the implanted tissue, which, as I have already 

 mentioned, we failed to find on post-mortem examination. 



Similar results have been obtained with rats. Thus in one experiment a 

 graft of pituitary was made into the muscles of the back in three full-grown 

 rats, three others of similar dimensions being employed as a control. The 

 amount of urine passed before the operation was rather more in the control 

 animals than in those selected for the implantation. After the grafting the 

 amount of urine per gramme weight of animal showed a decided increase, 

 and this increase persisted for some weeks. This is shown in the accom- 

 panying chart (fig. 7), in which the curve A 1 shows the amount of urine in 

 cubic centimetres per kilogramme weight of the pituitary-grafted animals, 

 and curve B 1 the amount in the controls. The urine was collected at first 

 ■every four days, subsequently with a seven days' interval. 



Stimulation of Pituitary by Injury. 



With the view of determining what effect injury to the pituitary might 

 have upon the performance of its functions, we have in some animals exposed 

 the gland by the method of Paulesco and subjected it either to mechanical 

 injury or to partial destruction by means of a feeble thermo-cautery. Before 

 the operation the animals were all approximately in nutritive equilibrium. 

 The results are striking, and may be illustrated by giving the main results 

 •of three experiments, all on dogs. 



(a) A dog weighing 5'5 kilogrammes and taking each day 180 grammes of 

 dog biscuit was passing, immediately before the operation, from 30 to 40 c.c. 

 of urine per diem. The pituitary was subjected to partial injury by means 

 of a warm, but by no means hot, electro-cautery ; the animal recovered 

 without a bad symptom, except that during one or two days it was thought 

 to turn towards the operated side in walking. The day after the operation 

 40 c.c. of urine was collected; the next day 180 c.c. ; the next 230 c.c; 

 the next 102 c.c, the amount gradually coming down, although an average 

 amount of 114 c.c. was maintained during the whole period of 19 days that 

 the animal was kept alive, whereas the average of the 19 days prior to the 

 operation was 54 c.c It may be noted that, contrary to what occurred in 

 the other cases, the amount of water consumed was in this case greater during 

 the after period than during the period prior to the operation. 



