The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1917-06-14

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the blood rather than to one of the body
surfaces. They are called, therefore, "glands
of internal secretion or ductless glands.
The thyroid gland in the neck and the
pituitary gland at the base of the brain are
examples of those peculiar structures.
The substances manufactured by the
ductless glands are in many cases essential
to normal existence. If, for example, either
of the ductless glands mentioned above fails
TO perform its proper service, profound dis
turbances occur in the bodily activities.
The effects are seen especially in altered
chemical changes in the body and in I'M
natural growth
Occasionally child is born with de-
fective thyroid gland. His body then does
not receive enough of the peculiar substance
made by that gland, and dire results follow.
The skin thickens, the bridge of the nose
fails to grow, the tongue enlarges and pro-
trudes from the open mouth, and there are
other Irregularities, including stupid or
idiotic mind and a stunted growth. Such
children are called cretins. Some of the
dwarfs recorded in historical accounts prob
ably belonged to that class, especially those
described as ''silly dwarfs, - ''hideously de-
formed misshapen pygmies, deaf and
| dumb"
1t has been found, fortunately, that by
feeding to such defective child the thyroids
of sheep and cows, he can get enough of
the necessary substance that the thyroid
gland gives; his face losses it ugly and
| dull appearance, he becomes alert and intelli-
gent, his skin regains its normal texture
and growth is resumed in him.
A disease called ricketts,, which may begin
before birth or which may appear in in
fancy and early childhood, probably &C
counts for other dwarfs. That disease is
characterized by an arrested or prevented
bone formation. The shafts of the long
bones become thickened and often stunted.
The bone may be so soft that it can be
easily cut with knife. Then the weight
of the body or the pull of the muscles
warps the bones; and when the bones solidfy
they naturally show many results of the
early disturbances of growth, including a
shortneSs that stunts the whole stature of
the person. The softness of the bones of
skull permits the brain to enlarge; as re-
suit, the So-called rachitic dwarfs have stunt
ed possibly misshapen bodies, but massive
heads. They do not, however, have the
mental dizziness that is typical of the cretin.
There is no evidence that ricketts, is dis
ease owing to defect in one of the ductless
glands.
The pituitary gland, which is situated at
the base of the brain and near the roof of
| the back part of the nasal chamber, also
deeply in the head that we have hard work
to find out much about it; il is surrounded
by hard bone, but by means of the Rontgen
rays we can photograph its nest. If the
cavity is small, the pituitary body must be
small; and if large, the gland is correspond
ingly large.
In cases where the long bones have failed
to grow, Rontgen-ray photographs show
striking shaIlowness and smallness of the
bony cavity in which the pituitary rests.
Dwarfs whose bodies, although short, are
we'll shaped. VIII o have large heads,
and who have quick intelligence, can best
be accounted for by assuming some lack in
the proper acaivity OF the pituitary gland.
Examinations show that in giants the
pituitary gland is usually enlarged; either
the gland itself is overgrown or it has
changed into gland tumor. In person of
average size the length of the bony pocket
that holds the gland is about one third of an
inch; in one giant recently studied, "a man
eight feet and three inches tall, the pocket
was more than three times as long as the
average. In in all probability, the increase
of bony growth is caused by too great a
secretion by this gland.
The gland may increase in size at any
time of life, but only when the override
velopment occurs in youth does it cause the
production of giant. Then union of the
caps of the long bones with the shaft is
much delayed, and at the same time bone
growth is actively stimulated
Usually nothing extraordinary is noted in
those persons until they are thirteen to ff-
teen years old, and then the body lengthens
remarkably fast. Magrath, one of the best
known Irish giants, is recorded as having
grown in height from little more than FIVE
feet when fifteen years old to six feet
eight inches and three quarters during the
following year.
| If the gland enlarges after the parts of the
long bones have become united the growth
occurs only in the bony parts that project.
The ridges over the eyes grow forward, the
cheek bones become prominent, the nose
expands, the lower jaw begins to extend,
until the face appears like that of huge
Mr.. Punch. At the same time the feet and
hands enlarge. The sufferer does not in
crease in height, probably because the grow
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