The Washington times., 1933-08-24
Secrets OF
Health
By LOUIS E. BISCH. MD, Ph.D.
The Various Uses For Thyroid
Extract

ny AOOAO G' DASNA' NA'D' h'Ds
The Various Uses For Thyroid
Extract
Thyroid extract is the Secre-
ton of the thyroid gland and
this gland is composed of three
parts or lobes an dis situated
in back of, and little below,
the Adams Apple.
DR.. E. C. Kendall. of the j.,
Mayo Foundation. isolated from
the thyroid some years ago a
crystalline compound which he
called "thyroxin." He found
this to contain a high percent
age of iodine. ThyroXin, ap-
parently, is what scientists call
the "active secretory principle"
of the thyroid. In other words,
it is the element that is pri-
marily responsible for the mar
vels which the thyroid accom-
plisheS.
You would agree, for instance,
that the choice of the term
"marvels" is no eXaggeration
were you to see an idiotic child
grow more alert and intelligent
after repeated doses of thyroid
extract.
The particular type of feeble
mindedneSS I am referring to is
Cretinism.
CretinS are born with thy
roid glands which do not Sc
crete the normal amounts of
thyroxin. In consequence they
remain Stunted in stature, de-
velop a rough skin, a large
mouth and square head and. e
what is most noticeable, their
intelligence remains definitely
and permanently defective.
There are cases also in which
deficiency of thyroid does not
become manifest until later in
life, perhaps before adulthood.
Women may become afflicted
that way after middle life. No
enfeeblement of mind is ap-
parent in these patients; that
is, they all developed normally
as children and never suffered
mental trouble. When the thy
roid begins to undersecrete,
however, the mind becomes
more or less sluggish and even
listleSSnesS and general SLOW
ing up of movement can be
noted.
A similar condition may re-
suit from tumors in the thy
roid gland itself, or when too
much thyroid gland tissue has
been removed through surgery
in an oversecretion case.
Yet the administration Of
thyroid extract in proper and
daily doses may soon restore
a patient to normal again, the
only difficulty being that the
dosages of the extract may
have to be kept up for a period
of years.
I just mentioned an over
secretion case. Here the ex-
cessive thyroid which is taken
up by the blood produces a
condition of nervousness, ex-
cessive perspiration, restlesSness
and anxiety. The heart beat
increases in rapidity and pal
pitation is common. In marked
cases cf too much thyroid
"hyperthyroid," doctors say IN
distinction to "hypothyroid" or
too little thyroid-even the
eyes are affected. They appear
prominent and staring and give
to the face rather a grotesque
appearance.
Since an important function
of the thyroid gland is to pre-
pare the waste products Of body
xidation-"bu burning up of the
food, in other words-for easy
elimination, it was soon discoV-
cred that obesity may be due to
an insufficient thyroid supply.
Or to put it another way, if the
thyroid does not secrete nor
mally then oxidation and ellmi-
nation are interfered with and
fat consequently accumulates.
Thyroid extract is therefore
being used nowadays for pur-
poses of reducing.
That this is legitimate treat
ment in expert medical hands
cannot be denied. And that 1t
often works wonders in cases
where the sole reason for over
weight is a hypothyroid state
likewise is a fact.
What never should be at
tempted, however, is to take
thyroid without a physicians
prescription.
Copyright. 1888, King Features
Syndicate. InC.)