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Scientific Proceedings (128) 



small fragment of thyroid tissue left behind in connection with 

 the superior parathyroid, the animals gain considerably in weight 

 although the hyperglycemia persists. The gain in body weight 

 is also marked in depancreatized hyperglycemic dogs when in- 

 complete thyroidectomy is done in one sitting. Such animals 

 may live indefinitely and if they are disposed of with chloroform 

 in from 82 to 128 days after almost complete removal of the 

 thyroid, the striking finding at autopsies is : the thick layer of 

 adipose tissue on the abdominal walls and in the omentum. The 

 thyroid remnants in these dogs were found to be hypertrophied. 



As to the second mode of production of diabete gras, it is well 

 known from the experiments of Ssobolew 3 and especially from 

 the experiments of Banting 4 and Best, that from 8 to 10 weeks 

 after ligation of the pancreatic ducts, the digestive apparatus of 

 the pancreas degenerates and the Langerhans islands remain in- 

 tact. The blood sugar was never increased after this procedure 

 in the experiments of the latter authors. We found that when 

 one duct of the pancrease was ligated, the animals showed in- 

 creased bloodsugar content similar to partially depancreatized 

 dogs. These dogs also gained considerably in weight, remained 

 in excellent condition and when they were killed 28 to 42 days 

 after ligation, the findings in the abdominal walls and omentum 

 were similar to those in the obese dogs after incomplete thyroid- 

 ectomy. Inasmuch as at the former laparatomies no abundance 

 of fat was noted, the adiposity must have been due to the pro- 

 cedure on the thyroid or to partial duct ligation. 



Although we admit that our material consists of only eight 

 dogs in whom obesity and hyperglycemia were marked features, 

 we believe we are justified in presenting this work on account of 

 the uniformity of results. The animals during life resembled 

 human beings in the preglycosuric state when they are obese 

 and in the absence of renal disorders show hyperglycemia or 

 lowered glucose tolerance. In concluding it may be said that 

 since Banting and Best have discovered the pancreatic hormone, 

 there hardly remains a doubt as to the pancreatic origin of milder 

 forms of diabetes, — diabete gras of the French. 



8 Ssobolow, L. W., Wirch. Arch., 1902, clxviii, 91. 



4 Banting, F. G., and Best, C. II., J. Lab. and Clin. Med., 1922, vii, 251. 



