Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-03
GLANDS AND NERVES
By H. AddinetOn Bruce

| r INCREASED emphasis is being given
nowadays to the part played by disturb
ances of the thyroid, adrenal, and other
glands of internal secretion in causing nerv-
Gus symptoms. Even when there is reason
| to suspect an underlying psychic cause-wor-
ry, grief, etc.-glandular treatment may be
| found extremely helpful.
| In such case the probability is that the
worry or grief acts in the first place, to dis
turb the functoning Of some gland or
glands. This malfunctioning would then
serve to intensity or prolong any direct un-
favorable effect Of the psychic state on the
nervous system. Correction Of the glandular
trouble would in that event assist in restor-
ing nerve control.
Certainly, whatever the mechanism in
volved experience has shown that some nerv-
Gus patients stand much in need of gland
therapy. For example:
! There was brought to a Washington ply
stefan, DR.. T. A. Williams, a girl of eleven
having a singular history. Until short time
before she had seemed normal in every way
Then she began to lose interest in her studies,
of which she had been fond; developed ten.
dency to lie and deceive, and suffered from
involuntary grimacing movements of the face.
Knowing that a condition like this is often
produced by emotional stresses DR.. Williams
at first sought for a possible psychic cause,
but in vain. He then tried treatment by diet
ing and by exercises designed to give greater
control over the facial muscles. This was
equally to no purpose.
Finally the girls mother reported that her
daughter had developed a new and alarming
symptom, in that she was becoming unac-
countably drowsy and would frequently fall
asleep even while at work or during meal.
In addition she was showing a rapid and
abnormal increase in weight.
This pointed directly to mal-functioning OF
the pituitary gland, and treatment to correct
this was at once begun. To quote from DR..
Williams report of the case:
'The child recovered completely in a few
| months, and now, six years later, is active
comparatively thin, and captain of her school,
basketball team"
| In another case a young woman suffered
| from severe headaches and dizziness when ia
| tigued, strange tendency to blush excessive
! ly II at all embarrassed, and ''stringlike'
pain round the heart, with a rapid pulse and
| high blood pressure. Yet repeated medical
examinations disclosed no adequate organic
cause for these symptoms.
For six years they persisted, or until the
discovery was made that the young woman's
| thyroid gland was overfunctioning. Prompt
| ly she was put on a rest treatment, and
given medication to lessen the thyroid activ-
| ity. From that time she showed increasing
| improvement in all the symptoms that had so
Hong troubled her.
| Underfunctioning of the thyroid has like
| wise been found responsible for nervous
symptoms, as also mal-functioning of the
adrenal and other duct1ess glands. So that
today there can be no doubt that, in an ap-
prec1able proportion Of cases of "neurastha-
n1a, glandular troubles Of one kind or an
other enter as either a direct or a contribu-
tory cause.
Copyright, 1921, by The Associated News
papers)