Leo M. Davidoff

Effect of Irradiation on the Growth of Intracerebral Gliomas in Mice

Because it is difficult to obtain data on the serial effects of irradiation of brain tumors in man, one is led to study the analogous situation in a laboratory animal. This report deals with the effects of x-rays on a transplantable intracerebral glioma in inbred C57BL/6 mice.

Some aspects of metabolism in acromegaly

The following is a summary of some observations made upon 100 consecutive patients with acromegaly admitted to the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital on the service of Dr. Harvey Cushing in a period of 13 years ending August 1, 1926. About 40 of these I had the privilege of studying personally with Dr. Cushing during the last three years of this period. The data concerning the others were drawn from the hospital records. In spite of Maries classical description and the numerous case reports in the literature, it seemed, nevertheless, of value to us to analyze the progress of this very protean disease from the uniformly excellent records made under the direct supervision of Dr. Cushing of so large a number of patients. Among other interesting data obtained from this study were the facts that two-thirds of the 73 patients upon whom the basal metabolism was determined, proved to have a distinct elevation of their rates, indeed, in one case as high as ~-61 per cent above the average normal by Duboiss formula. Also, 25 out of the 100 patients with acromegaly proved to have or to have had glycosuria. These facts are the more striking when contrasted with the results of similar observations made upon hypopituitary cases with anatomically verified chromophobe tumors of the hypophysis. Thus, 107 such patients from Cushings series, on whom metabolism studies were made, showed an average basal rate of --14 per cent and only 4 of the entire series showed a basal metabolic rate above zero, the highest of these being ~11 per Cent. In a similar manner, out of 168 verified cases of hypopituitarism only 4 showed a transient glycosuria as compared with the high incidence, 25 per cent, of glycosuria in acromegalics. The question naturally arises as to the location of the mechanism responsible for these facts. Let us first consider the elevated basal metabolic rate.

Gunshot Wounds of the Brain and Their Complications

While gunshot wounds of the head are not uncommon in civil practice, our knowledge thereof is derived largely from war experience. During World War I, the management of craniocerebral injuries by specialists was initiated. Principles of treatment were formulated and accounts of their experiences published by Cushing (1918), Horrax (1919), and Jefferson (1919) among others. Sepsis was exceedingly frequent and, in a large measure, was responsible for the high mortality rate. In Cushing’s series of 133 durai penetrating wounds, there were 55 postoperative fatalities (41.4 percent). Forty-three of these deaths were caused by infection (32.3 percent).

Tumors of the pituitary gland and its neighboring structures

SummaryThe pituitary gland is a complex organ presiding over the growth of the body, its metabolism and the regulation of function of most of the other endocrine glands.Its position is in close proximity to the vegetative centers of the hypothalamic region, the optic chiasm and the circle of Willis.Tumors of the pituitary and its neighboring structures while presenting many symptoms in common vary in their clinical manifestations according to their origin, character, size, position, and direction of growth. By means of these variations most of them can usually be diagnosed clinically. Such accurate diagnoses are important in guiding the plan of treatment.The treatment is generally of a surgical nature, sometimes in combination with roentgen therapy, although, at times the latter alone may be used to advantage.