Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-02-05
Copyright. 1914. by A. S. Gray)
DUCTlESS GLANDS.

AA "a eSASA a. "0y WudI UO OAHU
ct any single ductless gland may in a
large measure be said of them all.
Their functions are mainly two First.
by reason of either individual or CO.
operative secretions they govern the
metabolism In the body. Second.
these same secretions build up and
maintain the body's resistance to dis
ease by cleansing the blood Of the
different poisons which 1t accumu-
lates in it's current from time to time.
1t is believed that the internal gland
secretions whet the appetite Of the
white blood corpuscles, or leucocytes,
the body's germ destroyer, as step
In this protective plan.
The biochemic salts involved in the
breaking down (katabolic) and the
building up (anabolic) processes OF
the body; the 16. and perhaps more,
mineral elments existing in organic
or living form in the universe and re-
quired to maintain the metabolism of
all the cells of the human body, are
governed, regulated and controlled by
the ductless glands. This, Of couse,
is reciprocal reaction, because
obviously there must be something to
govern il the glands are to function,
and it is equally obvious that the
glands cannot function in the absence
of these elements or minerals. There
being no ducts leading into these
glands, it is very clear that nothing
can get either into or out Of them
except by means Of the blood stream.
Hence, the profound physical and men
tai disturbance following any disar-
rangement in the natural or physiolog-
ical food supply.
The largest of the ductless glands is
the thyroid, situated in the fore part
of the neck, midway between the
Adams apple" (thyroid cartilage)
and the top of the breastbone (stern.
um), point just behind where the
average man wears his collar button.
The gland comprises two sections, or
lobes, one lying on either side of
the windpipe (larynx), connected by
neck, or isthmus, the whole forming
fiat, oval body about three inches
long.
Because the general shape suggests
long. oval, shield, the name thy
roid" was taken from the Greek Ian
guage 1t means. literally, shieldlike.
The thyroid gland is reddish-brown
in color and has vascular structure
that is to say, the interior is honey
combed with minute sacs like the in
terror Of an orange, each tiny bladder
Of which under normal conditions il
filled with yellow gluelike compound
known as "colloid," a substance diff
fusing not at, all, or very slowly.
through animal membranes Access
sorry thyroids. varying in size and num-
Der, may be found along the lower
windpipe (trachea) from the larynx
as far down as the heart. These &C.
cessories possess the same vascular
structure and are supposed to have
function similar to that of the thy
roid body.
There are several highly significant
facts in connection with the general
structure and composition of the thy
roid body that 1t is advisable to keep
constantly in mind while considering
this subject. Throughout the whole
range of animal and vegetable life the
catalytic engines. or ferments. are
constantly busy. They are vitality
and fundamentally concerned with life
In all its phases, SO much SO that phys
iology IL rapidly resolving itself into
a branch Of catalysis. So many cata-
lytic agents are 'colloids'' and the
colloidal condition is SO tangled up
with catalytic action, ferments and en-.
zymes. it is practically impossible, in
our present state Of knowledge, to
distinguish one from the other. It
should be remembered, too, that all
kinds of metals and compounds of
metals have this powerful catalytic
presence" the potency of which may
be SO high that in many instances the
proportion Of but one part to the
thirteenth decimal point will bring
about astonishing reactions. mean.
time, the catalyzing substance itself
being quite unaffected by its remark.
allie exertions; 1t remains as potent
as ever and may be used over and
over again. r-
No other gland, large or small, re.
ceives proportionally so great and d.
rect supply of blood as the thyroid.
All these facts considered together
are sufficient to warrant us In accept.
ing the thyroid as a most important
organ and should also prepare US to
expect very grave physical results
from any disturbance of it's functions.
snugly tucked away behind the thy
roid two of them on either side Of
the larynx and often actually mbed-
ded in the tissue OF that gland, are
four small bodies known as the par.
athyroids." s% q .,S'
The adrenal glands take their name
from the kidney; "ad" meaning addi.
ton, or proximity to, and renal" be.
/ ing anoth ers name sfor Kidney I'll These
. two additional kidney glands are fiat,
Lima bean shaped bodies. each about
k one and one-half inches long. and they
lie IN intimate relation with and at the
top Of each kidney. It IL believed
both the inner. (medullary) and the
outer (corticaD parts Of the adrenal
glands make contributions to the
blood stream. The absence OF this
medullary secretion produces q fall
In blood pressure which 10 fatal, ss.s7
Suspended BY . short stalk from the
~. ans "a 80 40 h,.a q. -,