FATS IN RELATION TO THE GENESIS OF GOITRE
Authors: R. McCarrison
Journal: BMJ (1922)

IN a paper published in the Indian Journal of Medical Resear-ch in Jantuary, 1920, I drew attention to the effect of a diet containing an excess of butter in favouring the development of tlhyroid hyperplasia of the Graves's disease type.The experiment wlhichi led to this observation was carried out at Coonoor, Nilgiri Hills, Madras-6,000ft.above sea- level-wlere goitre is practically unknown.It was made on pigeons and lasted 248 to 250 days, at the end of wlhich period the birds tlhat had survived were killed; several had died in consequence of maltreatment by thieir fellows.EXPERIMENT.1. Eighteen semni-wild pige6ns were confined in a large netted wire cage, 5 ft.by 3ft.by 2 ft.They were fed on a mixture of grains consisting of white millet seeds 12 oz., small dark.millet seeds-known in India as ragi-8oz., and split peas, of the variety known in that country as muongdal, 8 oz. ; 3 oz. of fresh butter were intimately mixed by hand with the grains.The.birds received this mixture daily.No sand nor grit was provided.2. Eighteen other semi-wild'pigeons were similarly confined and fed on the same mixture of seeds and butter, but with the addition to it of a daily allowance of 61 oz. of freshly chopped onions.These also received neither sand nor grit.3. Forty-two pigeons similarly confined and fed on millet seeds only, without the addition of butter, onions, or sand, acted as controls to the experiment.In all three cases water was supplied in shallow troughs suspended a few inches above the bottoms of the cages. Res1llts.1.The average weight of the thyroids per kilogram of body wveight was 82 mg. in control birds receiving mixed millet seed only; in those which received mixed grains with butter and onions it was 128 mg.; and in those which received mixed grains with butter only, 183 mg.2. Of fifteen pigeons which received buittcr and oilions the weight of both thyroids exceeded the maximum weight in controls in five cases.-Goitre was present in 33j per cent.and absent in 661 per cent. of cases.3. Of seventeen pigeons which received butter wvithotut onions the weight of both thyroids exceeded the maximum weight in controls in eleven cases.Goitre was present in 65 per cent.and absent in 35 per cent. of cases.4. On histological examination the enlarged thyroids of pigeons that received buitter anzd onions presented a picture showing mode-ate congestion with the formation of many new acini whose epithelium did not exceed in height, or but slightly, that of the normal actively secreting gland.There was slight tendency to acinar budding.Colloid was comparatively scanty, thin, and pale- staining.Multiplication of acini was the essential feature of this type.5. On histological examination the enlarged thyroids of pigeons that received buitter tvithoutt onion1s presented a picture showing little or no colloid, increase in height of the acinar epitheliun, pronQunced vesicular budding, irregularity in shape of the acini and plications of their walls-a picture similar to that character- istic of Graves's disease.Hypertrophy of acinar epithelium was the essential feature of this type of goitre.