Читать книгу Old Age Deferred. The causes of old age and its postponement by hygienic and therapeutic measures онлайн

116 страница из 141

Having thus briefly described the principal functions governed by the thyroid gland: shown how, by observing changes in these functions, we can judge as to the healthy condition of this gland, let us now see if any means exists by which we can ascertain the functionating condition of the other ductless glands.

After the thyroid the sexual glands claim our attention, as these glands are of the utmost importance on account of their enormous influence upon the processes of metabolism and the maintenance of life (see ssss1). We must first call to mind that their work is essentially under the influence of the thyroid, changes in which invariably produce changes in the sexual glands. Thus, in degenerated conditions of the thyroid, we find impotency in men and sterility in women. In such conditions atrophy of the testicles, or of the ovaries, can often be found. These clinical observations can be confirmed by experiments. Thus Lanz^[122] found sterility common in goats whose thyroids had been extirpated. In cretins an atrophic condition of the testicles, or of the ovaries, is present as a rule, and such patients very frequently show lack of sexual desires.