ANIMAL EXTRACTS. — Under this heading are included not only the ex tracts of various tissues at present util ized in therapeutics, but, likewise, the tissues themselves, and all the prepara tions, active principles, etc., that are obtained from them.
Of the animal tissues, and the products obtained from them, employed therapeu tically, the ductless glands, whose func tions are now known to be intimately associated with metabolism, have by far taken the lead over all other portions of the animal organism utilized. Indeed, if they continue to increasingly engage attention as they have of late, the time is not far off when antitoxins will find in them a potent rival. On this account, considerable space has been devoted to the subject as a whole; but, as the pre vailing views still belong to the domain of conjecture, the purpose of this article will be to present what evidence clini cians have furnished.
Our personal views will only be in corporated in this article after the pro fession at large will have recognized their merit, if such exist. This work is only intended to portray generally-accepted doctrines.
The ductless glands and their prepa rations will first be considered in the cy der of their importance in therapeutics. A few pages will then be devoted to the various other organs and products at. present being tried, the so-called "organic extracts," some of which are rapidly losing their claim to recognition.
Thyroid Gland.
In the latter part of the last century, King, of London, showed experimentally that the colloid substance of the thyroid gland passed directly into the lymphat ics; and Schiff, in 1859, reviving views previously held by many, showed that this organ played an important part in the economy, through some substance which it secreted, and that intraperi toneal transplantation of the healthy gland in a dog shortly after thyroidec tomy had been performed prevented cachexia strumipriva, which follows this operation. Then followed, in 1883, the experiments of Kocher and Reverdin,. demonstrating that, in man as well as in animals, the same phenomena occurred under identical circumstances. This led the way to the investigations of Murray and Ord, who, followed by many observ ers, then showed, that myxcedema could be counteracted by the internal adminis tration of thyroid gland. Since then this
organ has been used as a remedy in a large number of disorders and with marked success in some, the best results being obtained in conditions more or less. distinctly associated with myxcedema.
Physiological Action.—Under the in fluence of a preparation of thyroid gland the body-weight diminishes and the ex cretion of nitrogen, water, carbonic acid, sodium chloride, and phosphoric acid increases, indicating a decided influence• upon general metabolism.
Increased metabolism, shown by (1) elevation of temperature; (2) increased appetite, with more complete absorption of nitrogenous foods; (3) loss of weight, with nitrogen excreted in excess of that taken in the food; (4) growth of skele ton in the very young; (5) marked im provement in body-nutrition generally; (6) increased activity of mucous mem branes, skin, and kidneys. The rheu matic symptoms and the amemia are not.
only not relieved, but are frequently aggravated. G. W. Crary (Amer. Jour. Med. Sciences, May, '94).
Appearance of glycosuria as a result of the administration of tablets of thy roid gland. Ewald (La Sem. p. 357, '94).
Metabolism during thyroid treatment studied in three goitrous patients, aged, respectively, 24, and 27 years, their usual diet being given. I. The goitre diminished in size in all the cases. 2. The body-weight decreased one kilo gramme in one case, and two kilo grammes in the other two cases. The diminution in weight depended on the duration of the treatment. 3. The amount of urine was increased. 4. The nitrogenous excretion appeared to be increased, chiefly through the urine. 3. The increase in nitrogenous excretion caused a negative nitrogenous balance of 5.46, 5.2, and 4.34, respectively. 6. The uric-acid excretion was increased in two of the cases examined. 7. The excretion of solid chloride and phosphoric acid was increased. The considerable increase in phosphoric-acid metabolism, mentioned by Roos, not confirmed, but only phosphoric acid in the urine, and not in the was estimated. Irsai, Vas, and Gara (Deutsche med. Woch., July 0, '96).