The Washington times., 1914-10-17
THE THYROID AN ACTIVE GLAND

1t was not long. though, before others
discovered not only that many other
glands and tissues of the anatomy had
much to do with fat destruction or fat
accumulation in your physical parts, but
, also that the thyroid gland had a legion
Of wonders to perform.
Plaques, murrains and anginas of this
bunch of neck tissue range from trivial
cores and irritations, more or less an
alogous to scratched fingers or a sick
stomach. up to serums and enduring fcs-
terings and swellings.
Goitre In Women.
To say that Jane or Mary has a
"goitre'' may mean that the forepart Of
the neck Is bulged out in a harmless
contalouped tumor of no moment, or it
may mean that she has bulged eyes, a
rapid heart, tremors and tremblings,
nervousness and anxiety. emaciation and
palpitation, insomnia and excitabillty.
When in any fashion, fathomable or
unfathomable, the thyroid becomes large
and perceptible. 1t Is called a Soitre.
GoitrCs occur In one young woman out
Of every three or four. 1t seems in a
manner to be necessary before marriage
or childbirth. The juices of the thyroid
are then necessary to help the mother
remain in health before the new life ar
rives on earth. This, perhaps, explains
the large number Of so-called goltres
in women.
In Switzerland and some portions Of
our own Northwest nearly every wom-
an has a goitre of more than average
size. Dr. Charles Repin. of Paris, re-
Gently revived the proofs that these
goitres and perhaps others in neighoor-
hoods where only a few persons are so
affected, are due to the drinking water.
His researches show that there is
present in some waters mineral sub
stances which even the strongest and
longest boiling will not remove. that
seem to cause goitres. Prof Repin sup
piled several litters of white rats with
fresh water from wells near those places
where everybody has goitres. After ten
months of such water boiled the thyroid
glands of the rats were found to be ten
times as large as those that had been
given distilled drinking water
Causes of Goitre. /
The reason that boiling the water
does not make 1t harmless rests upon
the fact that this water Is 80 full OF
minerals that the salts are not re-
moved by boiling. Other experimenters
have substantiated the findings of the
Swiss savant.
Infectious ailments, the germs or
toxins Of which lodge in or irritate the
luckless, ductless thyroid also give rise
to goitres. Disturbances of the tissues
which propagate the human race. as
well as in all of the aforementioned
glands, may be associated with soitres.
Injury. irritation. bruises and heredity
may all be sources of different types OF
goitre. Tumors and cancers of the thy
roid are also called goitres.
Excessive muscular activity, emotion
al stress and fits of anger, jealousy,
envy and pessimism call for such an
over supply of the thyroid Juices that
this organ begins to produce it's liquid
soul stuff in excess. An overproductlon
means distension, expansion, and Sl, en-
in the gland. The upshot is a turgid. !
swollen mass at the beak of your craw. !
This Is your goitre.
This not only explains why fits of pas |
spirit may cause goitres, but it gives a |
clue to the wise ones for both the pre- !
vention and the cure.
Obviously those with happy. sunny. |
placid, calm. and contented tempera- |
ments those who always see the bright |
Ing things will not only prevent the !
formation of goitres but also will tend !
to cure one already developed.
Methods of Cure
While iodine. iodides. sharp pressure,
may reduce some examples |
of goitre to a smaller size other kinds |
will be thereby injured. Pressure, mas |
sage and iodine will so injure the thy |
roid. II affiliated with certain maladies. |
that a simple goitre will become a |
vicious one.
Be this as it may. most goitres are !
like unwritten letters and unspoken |
words-better left alone. In other !
words, never trouble trouble until
trouble troubles you. Ninety odd goitres |
in every hundred in this country are of |
no more Importance and cause no more !
symptoms than a pebble on the beach.
Until some scandal-mongering busybody
tells you that you have one you We're |
no more aware of it than was Adam
of his nudity. Better. then, leave we'll
enough alone.
If by some turn of chance the person
with a pumpkin-like goitre suffers a
myriad of distressing distempers, treat
ment with anti-thyrodin, thymin, or,