It seems evident, all in all, that the entirCly unobjectionable whole gland pre pared in desiccated powder or capsule or in compressed tablet is the only means by which we ought to attempt to treat conditions in which this animal sub stance has been found useful. Editorial ('Ter. Caz., May 15. '97).
The glands of young sheep have given the best results. When the glands them selves are to he administered, considerable care should be taken, and they should be obtained through a veterinary surgeon. Again, the glands should be carefully examined to ascertain that they are not diseased.
Over 50 per cent. of sheep's thyroids examined showed more or less evident indications of deviation from the normal. Emphasis on the need of care in the selection of glands for administration. A. Napier (London Lancet, Feb. 4, '93).
It is usually advisable for the doctor himself to get the thyroid lobes. If it is left to the butcher quite other sub stances may be supplied. The glands of sheep, and especially of young sheep, are to be preferred, tuberculosis being ex tremely rare in this animal. The sheep has two thyroid bodies, one on each side of the trachea. The upper part of each thyroid corresponds exactly to the track of the butcher's knife in bleeding the animal; the top of the gland is almost always cut by the knife, and this forms a good guiding mark for finding the gland at once. Gabriel Gauthier (Lyon Mod., June 27, July 11, '97).
The thyroids should be removed as quickly as possible after the animal is killed. After careful antiseptic prepara tion of the field of operation, the glands should be dissected out with aseptic in struments, and after removing all the fat and connective tissue they should be put into a sterilized, covered glass dish which has been previously weighed. The organs, as soon as secured, should also be taken to the laboratory and weighed. They are then cut into small pieces with aseptic scissors and double their weight is added of a mixture con taining 2 parts of glycerin and 1 part of sterilized water. After standing in this for twenty-four hours, they are poured into a suitable bottle, which is stoppered with cotton and sterilized. The extract thus obtained is poured into small ster ilized bottles and will keep for a consid erable time.
Of the extracts containing 20 per cent. of the thyroid gland, 1 drachm per week may be given, and of the thyroid glands themselves 1 lobe: that is, one-half of the entire gland. The latter may be administered chopped finely and cooked, or it may be macerated after chopping in a small quantity of water, and the extract thus obtained given in beef-tea without cooking. Broiled slightly, the natural juices of the thyroid are less altered when administered.
A powder may be made by separating the gland from all foreign tissues and, after chopping finely, desiccating at a low temperature to avoid cooking. The objection to this method is that the powder has an unpleasant odor, which, however, may be disguised by mixing with cacao and administering in pill form; S pills, of of a grain each, are given daily. This amount is nearly equivalent to one lobe of the thyroid. This powder may also be dispensed in tablets or inclosed in gelatin capsules.
If small quantities have to be admin istered, owing to antagonism on the part of the patient, etc., Murray's method may be used. The gland is cut into small pieces, and macerated in an equal amount of glycerin, the extract being obtained by pressure and filtration and administered in drop doses. The dose is four times that employed in hypodermic medication.
The action of the thyroid gland is to convert the salts of iodine, which are present in the blood, into iodothyrin. It would therefore seem advantageous to administer iodothyrin in place of thyroid extracts. Dc Cyan (Med. News, Oct. 1. 'OS).
Alodine is a new preparation obtained by precipitating with tannin the iodo albuminates: the bases and the mucous substance of the thyroid gland. Fifteen grains of aiodine correspond to one hun died and fifty grains of fresh, or three hundred grains of desiccated, thyroid gland. Schoerges (Nouveaux RcmCdes, Aug. 24, TS).
New preparation, aiden, a precipitate from a solution of thyroid in normal salt by means of tannin. It contains a greater number of the extractive prin ciples of the gland than have hitherto been obtained, as shown by experiments on animals. Jaquet (Correspondenz blatt f. Schweizer Aerzte; Med. News, June 10, '99).