Introduction of dienoestrol. With L. Gol[d]berg, W. Lawson.

Isolation of hexoestrol. With E. C. Dodds and W. Lawson.

“Turner’s syndrome”.

Goldzieher dealt very fully with the history, theory, and practice of endocrinology.

Klinefelter syndrome. With E. C. Reifenstein and F. Albright.

Paracelsus was the first to note the coincidence of cretinism and endemic goitre. It was not until the 19th century that the possibility of the occurrence of cretinism in adults was entertained. Partial English translation in No. 2241

An early historical record of goitre which du Laurens maintained was contagious. Du Laurens was at one time physician to Henri IV.

Prosser gave the prescription of a powder containing calcined sponge, to be taken for the cure of goitre. This is probably the first recorded use of an iodine preparation in England.

The “Coventry treatment” for goitre, which introduced the burnt sponge remedy into England, is mentioned on pp. 249-54. Digital facsimile from the Hathitrust at this link.

Hirsch considered this the first important work on cretinism and goitre. See also Malacarne’s Lettre, in J. P. Frank: Delectus opusculorum medicorum, 1789, 6, 241-58. Digital facsimile of Malacarne's pamphlet from Google Books at this link.

Fodéré considered cretinism to be due to the concentrated air in deep valleys, rather than to water. He also drew attention to the skeletal changes. Digital facsimile from Google Books at this link. 

One of the earliest accounts of exophthalmic goitre. The author noted cardiac disturbances in thyroid enlargement.

Coindet is usually regarded as the first to administer iodine in cases of goitre, with beneficial results. It had previously been prepared from seaweed by B. Courtois in 1812 (Ann. Chim. (Paris), 1813, 88, 304-10), and both Ampère and Humphry Davy were interested in it. W. Prout, however, in his Chemistry, meteorology, etc., London, 1834, p. 113, claimed that he had recommended it to John Elliotson, who had used it in 1819 at St. Thomas’s Hospital. There is an English translation of his paper in Lond. med. Phys. J., 1820, 44, 486-89.

Includes Parry’s interesting description of eight cases of exophthalmic goitre, the first of which was observed in 1786, and his notes on four cases of angina pectoris. Parry's paper, "Enlargement of the thyroid gland in connection with enlargement or palpitation of the heart," appears in vol. 2, pp. 111-129. This is classic account of exophthalmic goitre. Although Graves and Basedow have both been credited with the first description of the condition, giving their names to it, Osler called attention to the priority of Parry’s claim, and it is now sometimes referred to as “Parry’s disease”. Garrison says that Parry first noted the condition in 1786; he briefly reported it in his Elements of pathology and therapeutics, 1815. Reprinted in Med. Classics, 1940, 5, 8-30. See No. 2210.

Parry was a copious note-taker, and many of these notes are here published for the first time. His careful records of many years’ observation in practice were intended to form a large work, Elements of pathology and therapeutics, of which only the first volume appeared, in 1815; this was republished, together with the unfinished vol. 2, in 1825. In vol. 1, pp. 478-80 Parry was the first to record cases of facial hemiatrophy.

This posthumous work was seen through the press by Parry's son, the physician and writer Charles Henry Parry, who added the following supplementary volume, which is not always noticed: Introductory Essays to Collections from the unpublished Medical Writings of the late Caleb Hillier Parry, M.D.,  also published in 1825. 

To Joseph Green, of St. Thomas’s Hospital, London, is accredited the first thyroidectomy, the patient succumbing 15 days later from sepsis.

This is considered the first accurate account of exophthalmic goitre, later known as “Parry’s disease”, “Graves’s disease”, and “Basedow’s disease”. An interesting fact about the London Medical & Surgical Journal is that after the first five volumes had been published by Renshaw and edited by M. Ryan, these two separated, each continuing to publish a separate edition of the same journal. Graves’s paper appeared in the series published by Renshaw. Reprinted in Med. Classics, 1940, 5, 33-36.

In Europe, outside the British Isles, exophthalmic goitre, or Graves’s disease, is known as “Basedow’s disease”. His accurate description of four cases in which he described exophthalmos, goitre and palpitation led to the phrase “Merseburg triad”, associating these conditions with the name of his own town. He also mentioned emaciation, excessive perspiration, and nervousness as additional symptoms and anticipated later methods of treatment by his advocacy of mineral waters containing iodide and bromide of sodium. Partial English translation in No. 2241.

Chatin was the first to show that iodine could prevent endemic goitre and cretinism.

Curling, of the London Hospital, was the first accurately to note the clinical picture of cretinism, which Ord was later to name “myxedema”. Curling was also the first to suggest deficiency of the thyroid as a case of cretinism.

Schiff’s reports on his experimental thyroidectomies, which were attended with fatal results. Subsequently (Arch. exp. Path. Pharmak., 1884, 18, 25) he showed that intra-abdominal transplantation of the gland would obviate fatal results in thyroidectomy.

“Graefe’s sign” – the discovery by von Graefe of the failure of the eyelid to follow the eye when it is rolled downward – diagnostic of exophthalmic goitre. Partial English translation in No. 2241.

Sick is credited with being the first to notice symptoms of loss of thyroid function following thyroidectomy. According to Halsted, the above is the first report of total thyroidectomy and “the first report of the condition which we now recognize as status thyreoprivus”.

In this paper Fagge, nephew of John Hilton of Guy’s Hospital, described sporadic cretinism as distinct from the endemic variety.

Gull was among the first to point out the cause of myxedema, of which the above paper gives a classic description. Gull was associated with Guy’s Hospital, London, for most of his life.

Watson was a pioneer of thyroidectomy in the treatment of goitre, although Green (No. 3814) was the first to perform the operation. Also in Brit. med. J., 1875, 2, 386-88.

Ord coined the term “myxedema” for the condition noted earlier by Curling and Gull.

Kocher, a pupil of Billroth, was a pioneer of thyroidectomy for goitre. Before his time the operation was seldom performed. Garrison says that Kocher performed this difficult operation 2,000 times, with a mortality rate of only 4.5 per cent.

In 1909 Kocher was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his work in the physiology, pathology and surgery of the thyroid."

Kocher coined the term “cachexia strumipriva” to describe the myxedema following total extirpation of the thyroid. His work on the subject led to a better understanding of the cause of myxedema.

Reverdin produced myxedema by removal of the thyroid as a whole or in part. This confirmed the earlier work of Schiff, of which Reverdin had probably not heard. See also No. 3836.

The fourth cardinal sign in exophthalmic goitre – tremor – was first mentioned by Pierre Marie.

Semon argued that cachexia strumipriva, myxedema, and cretinism were all due to loss of function of the thyroid. His contention, at first criticized, was later fully endorsed by the report of a committee set up by the Clinical Society of London to investigate the subject of myxoedema.

Important classification of thyroid tumors; fetal adenoma is described on p. 40.

First thyroidectomy for exophthalmic goitre. The operation reported was performed in 1880.

By experimental removal of the thyroid Horsley produced artificial myxedema, confirming previous work by Reverdin and others. At the time his results were regarded as proof that total thyroidectomy produces operative myxedema, but some of the symptoms he described are now known to have been due to removal of the parathyroids.

First thyroid transplantation (for treatment of cretinism).

Murray injected thyroid extract subcutaneously in the treatment of myxedema with highly successful results.

Müller demonstrated that an increased metabolism accompanies exophthalmic goitre.

Magnus-Levy demonstrated the increased metabolic rate in toxic goitre, confirming the work of Müller. His experimental investigations laid the foundation for the modern conception of thyroid function. See also Z. klin. Med., 1897, 33, 269-314.

Pendred syndrome, a genetic disorder leading to congenital bilateral (both sides) sensorineural hearing loss and goitre with euthyroid or mild hypothyroidism (decreased thyroid gland function). 

Riedel described a type of chronic inflammation of the thyroid (“Riedel’s disease”).

Pineles differentiated endemic (familial) cretinism associated with goitre from sporadic cretinism.

Brissaud described thyroid infantilism.

Marks the beginning of Marine’s lifelong study of the thyroid.

“Hashimoto’s disease”, struma lymphomatosa, lymphoid infiltration of the thyroid.

First successful experimental production of exophthalmic goitre. With C. A. L. Binger and R. Fitz.

First systematic study of the characteristic changes of the heart in myxedema.

Dunhill’s operation of exophthalmic goitre is described above. He was a pioneer in thyroid surgery.

Goetsch devised a skin reaction test for use in the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism

Plummer and Boothby recommended the pre-operative administration of iodine in exophthalmic goitre.

Second edition, 1951. Joll was a pioneer in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis by means of subtotal thyroidectomy.

Astwood was the first to treat human cases of hyperthyroidism with thiourea and thiouracil.

Clinical introduction of thiobarbital.

Synthesis of methimazole (mercazole, thiamazole), an antithyroid drug more potent than methylthiouracil. With E. C. Kornfeld, K. C. McLaughlin, and R. C. Anderson.

Synthesis of Carbimazole. With C. Rimington and C. E. Searle. For clinical application see Lancet, 1951, 2, 621.

Autoimmune thyroiditis

Experimental production of tetany by excision of the thyroid of a cat, previously successfully transplanted into the abdomen.

Demonstration that tetany follows removal of the parathyroids. A French translation of the paper is in Arch. ital. Biol., 1896, 25, 459-64.

Askanazy was the first to associate osteitis fibrosa cystica with parathyroid tumors.

Proof that the parathyroids control calcium metabolism. MacCallum and Voegtlin were able to demonstrate the removal of post-parathyroidectomy tetany by administration of calcium.

Isolation of parathormone, the active principle of the parathyroids.

Collip’s “parathormone”. He showed that it raises the calcium level in para-thyroidectomized dogs.

First use of parathyroid hormone in the treatment of tetany.

Mandl was the first successfully to treat generalized osteitis fibrosa by extirpation of a parathyroid tumor.

Addison was the first to draw attention to the importance of the adrenals in clinical medicine. The above work first appeared in the Lond. med. Gaz., 1849, 43, 517-18, and was later expanded into book form. It described the conditions, which later became known as “Addison’s disease” and pernicious anemia, which was later renamed “Addisonian anemia” by Trousseau. Text reprinted in Med. Classics, 1937, 2, 244-77. Facsimile edition, London, Dawson, 1968.

Pheochromocytoma first described. Republished in book form.

Pepper’s type of adrenal medullary tumor.

First recognition of the “adrenogenital syndrome”. This paper showed a relationship to exist between the adrenals and the sex organs.

Hutchison’s tumors.

The Roth–Kvale histamine test for the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma.

“Achard–Thiers syndrome”. These writers established as a definite syndrome the combination of hirsutism with diabetes.

First full description of chromaffin cell tumors of the adrenal medulla. With J. Tinel and E. Doumer.

Records the first removal (by P. Sargent) of an adrenal cortical tumor. This was followed by disappearance of the heterosexual symptoms, thus establishing the relationship of sexual abnormality and adrenal tumors.

Rogoff and Stewart were the first to use adrenal cortical extract (“inter-renalin”) in the treatment of adrenal insufficiency. See also No. 1148.

The cortical hormone prepared by Swingle and Pfiffner (“eschatin”) was found to be very effective in the treatment of Addison’s disease. Their first paper on the subject appeared in Science, 1930, 71, 321.

Includes the demonstration, by Vines, of virilism with the aid of a new stain; cortical cells of the adrenals removed at operation stained an abnormal (red) color – the so-called Ponceau fuchsin stain.

With L. L. Engel and H. Eisenberg. For treatment of Addison’s disease by the same method, see the same journal, pp. 339-65.

Primary aldosteronism (“Conn’s syndrome”).

Haen provided the first description of amenorrhea in connection with a pituitary tumor. He recorded the case history of a young woman suffering from amenorrhea as well as many neurological symptoms assumed to result from increased intracranial pressure, and a tumor in the area of the optic chiasma and the pituitary gland. Autopsy revealed a tumor in that location, and the tumor was correctly assumed to be the cause of the patient's illness and death. Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

Frank was the first to define diabetes insipidus (pp. 38-67).

Saucerotte described before the Académie de Chirurgie in 1772 a case of what is now known to have been acromegaly. This is the first known clinical description of the disease, and is one of the five cases included in Pierre Marie’s classic account (No. 3884). Digital facsimile from the Internet Archive at this link.

Includes description of pituitary obesity.

The first case of pituitary obesity with infantilism (Fröhlich’s syndrome) was reported by Mohr. Coincidentally, this appears in the same volume of the Wochenschrift as does Basedow’s classic description of exophthalmic goitre.

In a letter prefaced to Faneau de La Cour’s thesis, Paul Joseph Lorain (1827-1875) described the idiopathic arrest of growth now known as “Lorain’s type”. It was subsequently ascribed to hypopituitarism. The word “infantilism” first appeared in this work. Digital facsimile from BiuSante.ParisDescartes.fr at this link.

In this, the first complete clinical description of the condition, Marie suggested the name “acromegaly”. The paper excited much interest and was translated into English and published by the New Sydenham Society, 1891.

Minkowski called attention to the constancy of pituitary enlargement on acromegaly; he was the first definitely to note this relationship.

First attempt (unsuccessful) to treat acromegaly operatively. Decompression was performed to relieve cranial pressure.

Babinski preceded Fröhlich in describing dystrophia adiposo-genitalis.

Benda showed that the pituitary tumor in acromegaly consists of chromophil cells.

Fröhlich’s classic description of dystrophia adiposogenitalis, pituitary tumor, with obesity and sexual infantilism (“Fröhlich’s syndrome”). Reprinted (in German) in Research Publications, Association for Nervous and Mental Disease, XX: The hypothalamus, Baltimore, 1940, pp. xvi-xxviii. Partial English translation in No. 2241.

Schloffer’s Operation for acromegaly. He was the first successfully to operate upon a pituitary tumor in man (See No. 3892).

Schloffer’s Operation by the nasal route.

Rénon–Delille syndrome – dyspituitarism manifested by lowered blood-pressure, tachycardia, oliguria, insomnia, hyperhidrosis, and intolerance to heat.

First experimental evidence of the relationship between the pituitary and the reproductive system; demonstration that hypophysectomy causes genital atrophy. 

Hirsch first demonstrated the transnasal transseptal exposure of the sphenoid sinus and pituitary gland in a cadaveric specimen in front of the medical society of Vienna.

The first clinical monograph on the hypophysis. Cushing, outstanding neurological surgeon of the early 20th century, added much to our knowledge of the pituitary body and its disorders. The above work includes a description of his own method of operating on the pituitary. He assumed that in diabetes insipidus the pituitary was involved. Cushing also described obesity caused by basophil pituitary tumor. See No. 1161.

Frank was the first definitely to connect the posterior lobe of the pituitary with diabetes insipidus.

Mark, a medical practitioner, suffered from acromegaly from the age of 24. The condition was obvious to his friends, but Mark was 50 before he realized the cause of the symptoms of which he had kept a record for many years. He left an interesting account of his personal experience and also drew attention to several sculptural and pictorial representations of acromegalics.

Classic account of pituitary infantilism.