THE INFLUENCE OF THE THYROIDS ON THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SUPRARENALS

An attempt to analyse the literature dealing with the influence of the thyroids upon the suprarenals reveals the presence of difficulties which are due to a variety of causes. The dual nature of the thyroids and parathyroids was not always appreciated by the earlier investigators, and conditions following parathyroidectomy have been ascribed to loss of the thyroids alone. Less confusion has existed with regard to the suprarenals, where cortex and medulla are anatomically even more closely related than are the parathyroids with the thyroids. From the points of view of development, structure and functions, the cortex and medulla of the suprarenals are generally regarded as distinct organs, though the possibility of some physiological interdependence of both structures is not excluded. Another difficulty lies in the fact that the medulla of the suprarenals is composed of cells which are not confined to this situation. The occurrence of aberrant glands as a fertile source of error in experimental work upon th...