Acromegaly / Translated by F.R.B.Atkinson.

  • Sternberg, Maximilian, 1863-
Date:
[1899]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Acromegaly / Translated by F.R.B.Atkinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    meiit of the sella Turcica are typical cases of acromegaly; further, I have dravni attention to a hitherto little noticed symptom of the illness, pain and parasthesia of the extremi- ties, and also to the relationship of acromegaly to the crania progenea discussed by L. Meyer, and have introduced a new point of view to explain the hyperplasia of the thymus gland. Simultaneously also Brissaud and Meige, as well as Masso- longo, have worked at the question of gigantism, but both have believed, following the incorrect citation of Klebs, that Langer had seen normal giants with enlargement of the h^-pophysis, and have throughout adopted the identity of gigantism with acromegaly. P. Marie (6) has recently, 189G, studied the hand in the subjects of acromegaly, and has now demonstrated two varieties, of which the one shows an increase in breadth (type en large), the other an increase in length (type en long). Numerous works have now placed the pathological anatomy on a broader basis. Fresh light has been thrown on the etiology of the disease by Pel and TTnverricht's suggestion of mental and bodily trauma. As regards the treatment, which Souza-Leite considered hopeless, new points of view have been brought forward by observations which, carried on for a long time, have shown instances of authenticated improvements {e.g., Denti, vSchle- singer), as well as by the introduction of gland treatment fBrown-Sequard, 1893). Finally, we owe to the discovery of Eontgen a new method of clinical inquiry. The knowledge of acromegaly has stimulated pathological and anatomical inquiry, since of recent years a great number of investigators have devoted themselves to the study of the hypophysis, and have brought to light much that is new regarding this remarkable organ. In concluding this historical survey it may be men- tioned, that acromegaly offers also some historical interest. Marie has shown it to be very probable (7) that the Franco- Italian type of clown, the hunchbacked '* Punchinello, is one of acromegaly, so also Souques (2) for the English Punch. Lastly, the relationship of acromegaly to gigan- tism throws new light on old tales and saws.