464 



Prof. E. A. Schafer. 



[July 22, 



(b) A dog weighing 9 - 5 kilogrammes was passing, during 11 days prior to 

 the operation (which was similar to the last), 110 c.c. urine per diem. 

 During the 11 succeeding days the average was 182 c.c, and the increase was 

 maintained until the animal was killed 10 days subsequently. The greatest 

 amounts passed were on the third, fourth, and fifth days after the operation^ 

 the amounts on these days averaging 266 c.c. The average daily amount 

 of water taken for the 11 days before operation was 400 c.c, for the 11 days 

 after operation 310 c.c 



(c) A dog weighing about 6 kilogrammes had its pituitary exposed by the 

 method of Paulesco and Cushing, and with a blunt instrument the gland 

 was mechanically injured and partially broken. During the four days 

 preceding the operation the average daily amount of urine secreted was 

 119 c.c. During the four days subsequent to the operation the average 

 amount was 192 c.c. After the fourth day in this case the average fell to a 

 normal amount. The average daily amount of water taken during the 

 four-day periods was 322 c.c before and 235 c.c. after the operation. 



(d) Another dog weighing about 9 kilogrammes was subjected to exactly 

 the same operative procedure, the brain being exposed from the side and 

 raised so as to bring the pituitary body freely into view. But the gland 

 was not touched nor intentionally injured in this case. The wound was 

 closed in the same manner as in the dogs in which the pituitary had been 

 mechanically injured. The polyuria which was displayed in the other three 

 cases was only exhibited on the second and to a less extent on the third day 

 in this dog, and this is probably to be accounted for by the fact that the 

 animal refused its ordinary diet of dog biscuit and water on the day 

 following the operation and was given milk instead : of this it consumed 

 450 c.c, whereas the amount of water which it was in the habit of taking 

 with the biscuit rarely exceeded 200 c.c. 



The microscopical examination of the pituitary in the first two dogs 

 (a and b) reveals no serious injury, but in both blood is extravasated into- 

 the central cavity, and there is marked increase of the colloid secretion of 

 the pars intermedia — which previous experiments have shown to be probably 

 associated with the diuretic function of this gland. The pituitary of the 

 third dog has yet to be examined, but there is no doubt about its having 

 been injured. 



The bearing of these results upon the polyuria which occurs in injuries 

 and tumours affecting the base of the brain is of considerable clinical 

 interest. Such cases are well known to surgeons and physicians, and are 

 frequently recorded. The polyuria and glycosuria have generally been set 

 down to injury of a hypothetical centre at the base of the brain. Even 



