Advances in medicine and blood pressure management.

摘要

In the April 1909 edition of the BJN, there was a report on a lecture to nurses, the subject of which was the advancement of medical science. It included the following description of how myxoedema treatment had developed over the years:'In Switzerland the surgeons began removing goitres, with the result that in some cases a condition similar to that of myxoedema was produced, and it began to be recognized that they were connected with abnormal conditions of the thyroid gland. In 1888, the Clinical Society issued a report on myxoedema in which there was not a word of hope, then came the grafting of the thyroid gland of a healthy animal to fufil the functions of the defective human gland. Next, thyroid extract was given hypodermically, and the gland was also administered in sandwich form. Finally, instead of these somewhat crude methods, exact doses of thyroid extract can now be given in tablet form.'Some very striking illustrations of patients suffering from myxoedema before and after treatment were shown, and also cases of sporadic cretinism in children - repulsive looking abnormalities - until, by the admission of thyroid extract,the soul gradually dawned in their faces, and the children became normal and intelligent looking.'