The Parathyroids and Pregnancy. 183 



116 (812) 

 The parathyroids and pregnancy. 



By A. J. Carlson. 



[From the Hull Physiological Laboratory, University of Chicago.] 

 A number of investigators have found, especially in dogs, that 

 pregnancy seems to augment the symptoms of parathyroid tetany, 

 and may transform latent tetany into acute tetany in cases of 

 partial thyroidectomy. 1 The parathyroids must become func- 

 tional in the fetus a considerable time before birth, because there 

 is no record of parathyroid tetany (acute or latent) in prematurely 

 born infants. In view of the fact that in late pregnancy the pan- 

 creas of the fetus seems to be able to compensate for the total 

 extirpation of the pancreas of the mother to such an extent that this 

 operation is not followed by the usual diabetes, 2 an investigation 

 of the other organs of internal secretion with reference to the 

 passage of the hormones from the blood of the fetus to the blood 

 of the mother seemed desirable. Accordingly, in the spring and 

 summer of 1912, thyroid-parathyroidectomy was made in 16 dogs 

 and 1 1 cats in late pregnancy, that is, within one to three weeks of 

 term. 



Results. 



I. Dogs. — Eight out of the fifteen dogs died in acute tetany 

 within 12 to 24 hours after the parathyroidectomy. In no case 

 was there evidence of labor. Three dogs developed tetany after 

 36 hours, one dying in tetany on the third day, and the other two 

 on the fourth day without any signs of labor. Two dogs gave 

 birth to the young on the second day and developed tetany symp- 

 toms on the third and fourth days respectively. These two died 

 in tetany and depression on the eighth day. 



One dog had moderately strong tetany on the second and third 

 days after the operation. On the 4th and 5th days there was no 

 tetany, but one pup was born on each of these days. The dog 

 died in depression on the 6th day. Five pups were found in the 

 uterus. One of the pups was engaged, but the uterine contractions 



1 The literature is reviewed by Biedl, "Innere Sekretion," 1913, I, p. 83. 



2 Carlson and Drennan, Am. Jour, of Physiol., 1911, XXVIII, p. 391. 



