Paper, 'Further researches into the function of the thyroid gland and into the pathological state produced by removal of the same' by Victor [Alexander Haden] Horsley

Description

Horsley writes: 'In December, 1884, I showed that the thyroid gland was intimately connected with the process of mucin metabolism, that if the thyroid gland in monkeys was removed with antiseptic precautions (the same ensuring healing of the wound in three days) the consequences to the animal were—(1) symptoms of general nervous disturbance evidenced by tremors, paroxysmal convulsions, functional paralysis, mental hebetude, and finally complete imbecility; (2) profound anaemia coupled with leucocytosis; (3) all the symptoms of the disease discovered within the last decade and termed myxoedema; (4) that just as in the acute form of the disease just named there was found to be a great accumulation of mucin in the connective tissues throughout the body (mucinoid degeneration), and in the blood, and as a consequence the same post-mortem appearances; (5) that at the same time there was a great activity in the mucin-secreting glands, and, further, that the parotid gland under these abnormal circumstances secreted mucin in large quantity, the gland cells at the same time disintegrating.'

Annotations in pencil and ink.

Subject: Physiology

Received 10 December 1885. Read 7 January 1885. Communicated by Michael Foster.

A version of this paper was published in volume 40 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'Further researches into the function of the thyroid gland and into the pathological state produced by removal of the same'.

Reference number

PP/8/1

Earliest possible date

1885

Physical description

Ink and graphite pencil on paper

Page extent

8 pages

Format

Manuscript