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Show ::i jrct i'-i'S ci p?.ratk;."'o;d r'.:id c-s . r:ic'.fi c. i:sp l he tetany If d.appt af . v.i'livii!. l.t'W'vtr. I :v:eci ani i :,".a! iivm a la'al outcome i.e.: :n I'.'os ; :.I;.ce!h:m nod Vo.pihn re;or;rd t hut , i-yir.; "i n. i.l' tetany from ihL :. iv.c :.' the p:.rath roids a ,o re- i.orm.:! o. :id::ie:i S:.::v.'.:.r r i k.:v keen ehialned ir.v-n hurt an K tut'-- v::c irem totally t;.e result Oi i.r.i::; :i;:ona! rmov.. or' the pr.r.uhy-roids pr.r.uhy-roids Obvier s ly. t hen. wiirrt ver I he: e is evukaeo oi' r.:u.-oi:!;;r tremor or twitching, twitch-ing, ii is reasonable 'o suspect some disturbance in parathyroid function. Tk:s points stro::ly toward a mineral ik heioncy. a calcium starvation, and to the taet that ilnre is undoubted;. s o m e close re ! a t i o n s ! i i p b e t w o e :i the widespread use of demineralued foed-stuffs foed-stuffs and the large number of careworn, care-worn, irritable and muscle t v i telling individuals to be observed everywhere about us. The prevention is the use from infancy upward of natural unprocessed un-processed food matter. i v ! ? A - . r?. r tf-v 4- ? - V' k " r : ? i t ' '' f A if C V- f L. i: ii k Zfr-y' I c r ; i f t i pt By ALBERT S. G3AY. M. D (Copyright. bj A. S, Gray' THE PARATHYROID GLAND. We are compelled to use animals such as the dog, the cat, the monkey and the like for the purpose of securing secur-ing experimental corroboration of many theories because physiological chemistry experiments along such lines generally necessitate extensive and dangerous surgical procedures. And although an abundance of experimental experi-mental material is readily obtainable, the demonstrations of theories enormously enorm-ously important to man are necessarily necessar-ily slow, largely because of a widespread wide-spread prejudice against considering conditions in the lower animals analogous an-alogous to those found in the human. Schiff noted fatal results to dogs following removal of the thyroid in 1 Su6 and wrote about it in lSGft, tut no notice was taken of his work by the surgical profession. Again in 1S&4, following reports of the removal of human thyroids by Raverdin in 1SS2 and Koeher in 1SSH, Schiff wrote showing show-ing that after complete extirpation of the thyroid all the animals died in four to twenty-seven days. These experiments ex-periments were conhrmed by various observers, but in many instances th'j symptoms shown by the aniinais subsequent sub-sequent to the operation proved to be of most variable character, not only in different species, but al.-o in different dif-ferent individuals of the same species A few of the animals succumbed in a few days, frequently with the accompaniment accom-paniment of convulsions ; others lived for some months or even longer and sank gradually from general lack oi nulrition, but occasionally a dog would survive the operation. In the case of the human being complete removal induced a like variety var-iety of symptoms, a state resembling myxedema and cretinism (a condition of deficient development and idiocy) besides anemia, a readiness to fatigue a sensation of cold and occasionally tetany (convulsions). The four insignificant pealike parathyroid par-athyroid (near-thyroid) glands tuckbd away behind the more prominenl thyroid gland for a long time escapee! the eye of the anatomist, and for a long time after the'y were discovered they were given no particular ccusid eration. But careful investigal ion o these baby glands by anatomist, his tob-vt mh mbryolegist-pr-oved then to be independent organs structural!: and functionally distinct from an; other tissues, and of vast importune! in the economy. Experimental investigations demon slrated the parathyroids to be vita Organs of remarkable physiologica activity in a wide range of anima organisms. It was demonstrated tin rabbits deprived of these tiny bodie: died in convulsions. Gradually tin significance of litis observation dawnei upon surgeons and physiologists. When the parathyroljs alone are re moved tire animal dies quickly will acute symptoms, including convul sions; but when the thyroids alom are removed the animal may survivi for a long period, but will develop i condition of chronic malnutrition sim ilar to the disease known -s myxe dema in man. The experimental evidence in tin case of 'the parathyroids tends lo sup port the view that their function con sists of in some way neutralizing toxii substances formed elsewhere in tin body; they are poison destroying or gans, whose principal function mos probably is to neutralize the metabol ic poisons particularly detrimental ti the nervous system. Therefore, afte removal of these glands,, death occur: from the accumulation of the so-callei metabolic tetany poisons formed ii the blood and tissues, attacking tin nerves in the absence of the norma parathyroid secretions. The tetany (convulsion) or pregnan cy and lactation, epilepsy, exophlhalm ic goiter, paralysis agilans (shakini palsy) and other conditions associatei with muscular tremor is closely identi lied with para'hyroid insulbcienoy And so, too, is osti omalacia (morbii sortening of bone), decaying teeth an, rickets. It is known that lack or lim, Icalciuni) in the organism I'-ao's ti I tetany, hence r-;icHim metabolism i doubtless ii.flueuci tl by paruu,, I roid glands ri;i! the raruth.vroi.il. ii , Him are. of course, irravely ipibj j (-need by lack of ealciniji' This is ; j tact of vast it portai, e.. as Iiiiit in vt ; I i-:atio:is v. i1; pro e. .Many observers have reper;eJ tba |
