Myxoedema.

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 88

Myxoedema.

Myxoedema s among the most emarkable of all human diseases. Closely applied to the uppei part of .he windpipe is a gland known as the thyroid gland, and how important is this gland to our general wellbeing may be gathered 'rom the symptoms which result when, as a consequence of its absence or disease, it is not able to perform its proper functions. The condition which results from a lose of function of the thyroid gland is known as myxoedema. These are some of the symptoms summarised from a description by Dr Rankin, who has made a special study of this disease. The first things which strike the observer's attention are the swollen and sadly expressionlessness features of the patient's face, her generally stolid aspect, her sluggish and deliberate movements, and her loss of mental brightness. The skiD over the whole body is drj-, and, in many parts, thickened. It is rough and harsh to the touch, and to appearance yellowish in colour and shiny. There is an entire absence of moisture, and moles and warts are very/often present in numbers, especially over the trunk. The features are broad, flabby, and coarse, the skin - over th© face being translucent, thickened, and abnormally dry. The eyeHas are swollen and transparent, the upper ones drooping heavily over the eyeballs, and being surmounted by eyebrows which are unusually arched. The nostrils are flattened out, the ears enlarged and pachydermatous, and the lips are thickened and averted so as to destroy the natural curves of the mouth. The cheeks are suffused by a defined reddish flush, which stands out in striking contrast against the surrounding waxy-looking surface. The hair is stunted and* dry, it breaks and falls out readily, 6O that more or less extensive baldness develops. The thinning of the hair is not confined to the scalp, but is present also in other situations where hair grows normally. The nails are brittle and ridged; and the teeth become Jocse, and are apt to fall out fTOin recession of the svyollen gums. Th© mucous membranes exhibit ohanges similar to those seen in the skin; they become thickened, so that, ip the mouth, for instance, the cheeks project between, the teeth, and are liable to be bitten in all efforts of mastication. The tongue becomes enlarged, and interferes with clear articulation, and the soft palate, in extreme cases, may get so swollen as apparently to fill the whole cavity of the mouth. Similar changes will be found in all other mucous membranes which are accessible to inspection. Mentally she is lethargic, and liable x> become suspicious. Hei suspicions usually gravitate into actual melancholia or dementia. She has difficulty n collecting her thoughts, ideas come to her slowly, and her memory becomes impaired. All these remarkable symptoms are directly traceable to the fact that the little thyroid gland is either absent or for some reason is unable to do its proper work. One of the greatest victories of modern medicine was the discovery that all the symptoms of myxoedema tend to disappear when the thyroid gland of another animal is ta.kei either in the fresh or dried form. It is usual to take this in the form of tabloids, and the results are, as Osier has put it, unparalleled by anything in the whole ~ange of curative measures. Within six weeks a poor feebleminded caricature of humanity may be restored to mental and bodily health, the skin becomes moist, th© perspiration returns, the pulse quickens, and the mind resumes its normal activity.