The Presence of Iodine in the Human Pituitary Gland

Many different observations have called attention to the possibility of a relationship between the anterior lobe of the hypophysis and the thyroid glands, and this possibility is supported by their embryologic history. Nevertheless, few attempts have been made to ascertain whether the hypophysis contains the most characteristic chemical constituent of the thyroid, iodine. So far as can be found in the literature the only recorded chemical examinations of the hypophysis for iodine are the following: In 1896 Baumann’ reported that he had repeatedly examined human pituitaries for iodine, but always with negative results. He does not mention the amount nor the source of his material. J. Schnitzler2 examined large quantities of human pituitary tissue obtained in the autopsy room of the Pathological Institute of Vienna, using in one analysis 19 grams, and in another 24 grams of fresh substance, which represents about forty glands in one and fifty glands in the other analysis. Using this large amount of material he found evidence of the presence of iodine in both lots. He states that he communicated with Baumann concerning this disagreement in their results, and that the latter ascribed Schnitzler’s positive finding to the large amount of material used. During the same year (1896) I analyzed fourteen hypophyses obtained from the autopsy room of the Cook County Hospital, the total dry u-eight of which was 1.225 grams. In this material was found, by Baumann’s method, an easily demonstrable trace