202 



Scientific Proceedings (68). 



122 (1054) 

 Studies in thyroid transplantation. 



I. Data Relative to the Problem of Secretory Nerves. 



By O. T. Manley and David Marine. 



[From the H. K. Cushing Laboratory of Experimental Medicine, 

 Western Reserve University, Cleveland.] 



During the past two years we have utilized the method of 

 thyroid transplantation in rabbits in the attempt to get further 

 data concerning certain questions in the physiology and pathology 

 of this tissue. One of these questions is that of the necessity or 

 not of specific secretory nerves to the gland. The observations 

 of Anderson, Berkeley and Rhinehart have shown that in the 

 thyroid both vessels and gland cells are abundantly supplied with 

 nerve fibers. Stewart, Francois Frank and others have demon- 

 strated the richness of the vasoconstrictor nerve supply, and Von 

 Cyon demonstrated the presence of vasodilator fibers, both sets 

 of fibers for the most part reaching the gland through the superior 

 laryngeal nerves. More recently Asher and Flack and Ossokin 

 have published physiological evidence which they think supports 

 the view that the gland is under the control of secretory nerves, 

 and Beebe and his associates have found that prolonged stimula- 

 tion of the thyroid nerves causes a slight reduction in the iodin 

 content which they interpret as indicating the presence of secretory 

 nerves. 



The method of transplantation eliminates many of the physio- 

 logical and technical difficulties and objections of the acute 

 experiments. 



It has been found that under certain conditions thyroid tissue 

 may be readily transplanted in widely separated parts of the body, 

 as for example in the adrenal, ovary, subperitoneal tissues, 

 muscle, subcutaneous fascia of the neck, chest and abdomen, and 

 also, though with more difficulty, in the spleen and bone marrow. 

 By transplanting and removing a sufficient amount of the main 

 gland, care being taken to avoid all contact with iodin, we have 

 always obtained compensatory hyperplasia of the remaining 



