The pituitary : a study of the morphology, physiology, pathology, and surgical treatment of the pituitary, together with an account of the therapeutical uses of the extracts made from this organ / by W. Blair Bell.

  • William Blair-Bell
Date:
1919
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The pituitary : a study of the morphology, physiology, pathology, and surgical treatment of the pituitary, together with an account of the therapeutical uses of the extracts made from this organ / by W. Blair Bell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    i. PRIMARY LESIONS OF THE PITUITARY HYPERPITUITARISM* Many authors do not state whether they consider that in hyper- pituitarisin only the epithelial elements are concerned; most, however, infer it. In the recent work of Cushing^ the relative importance of the anterior and posterior lobes is not made suffic¬ iently clear ; indeed, this surgeon in the work mentioned con¬ tradicts the results of his previously pid^lished experimental observations. A normal condition of hyperhypophysisni^ exists in ])regnancy, as already described ; and there are, also, fluctuations in the functional activity of the pars anterior, as of other ductless glands, at various periods of life, in accordance with the state of the metabolism in regard to growth, reproduction and decay. It is still a debated point whether a pathological state of hyperhypophysism is due merely to an increase of secretion, or whether the secretion is also a perverted one. There is con¬ siderable evidence in favour of the latter view, and no one has succeeded in producing the symptoms of hyperhypophysism by the administration of hypophysial extracts to the human subject or to animals. The results of pathological hyperhypophysism (an expression which we will consider admits the possibility of a perverted function) depend on the period of life at which the lesion becomes manifest, and also on the extent of departure from the normal in regard to the secretion. When there is hyperplasia of the anterior lobe in early life the effect produced depends on the sex of the patient. If the subject be a boy sexual precocity may occur. In the cases on record the evidence is generally incomplete or conflicting as to ^ ‘ Hyperpituitarism ’ implies abnormal activity of the whole organ. ^ Cushing, H., The Pituitary Body and its Disorders, 1912. ^ ‘ Hyperhypophysism ’ implies abnormal activity of the partes anterior and intermedia.