From the foregoing it is obvious what an important organ we possess in the thyroid gland, and that by its degeneration, as in the state of myxœdema or in the much more frequent athyroidia, we become more exposed to all kinds of poisonous products; but what renders its degeneration a still graver misfortune for us, is the fact that it is apt to bring about the degeneration also of other organs which destroy and eliminate poisonous products, viz.: the liver, kidneys, intestines, and skin. The liver is always altered by extirpation of the thyroid gland, likewise as a rule in myxœdema, and even in hypothyroidia; for congestion and other changes follow, as found by Rogowitch, Sanquirico, and Canales, Albertoni, Tizzoni, and others. A fatty degeneration of the liver has also been described by Sciolla. Laulanié has discovered, in the same way as Van der Ecke and Rosenblath, very extensive changes in the liver after removal of the thyroid. Jeandelize also found interstitial hepatitis after the removal of the thyroid and parathyroids. Kishi also describes alterations in the blood-vessels of the liver occurring in a great number of animals after thyroidectomy. Hun, Prudden, Mackenzie, G. Murray, and others, found usually a cirrhosis of the liver in myxœdematous persons. Vermehren found an interstitial hepatitis, with thickening of the blood-vessels of the liver, and of the bile, in myxœdema. It is also of great significance to note that Gley, Laulanié, and others, constantly found biliary matters present in the urine of animals from which the thyroid had been removed. After due consideration of these facts it cannot be denied that the liver and the thyroid stand in very close relationship, and this we maintained at the last French Congress of Medicine at Liège, where we were glad to see that the President of the Congress, Professor Bouchard of Paris, and later Professor Neusser of Vienna, coincided in this opinion. We have also shown, as already mentioned (Chapter V), that degenerative processes of the thyroid are able to facilitate the development of the gall-stone complaint. The degeneration of the thyroid is not only followed by degeneration of the liver, but also by that of the kidneys. It has been noted by Albertoni and Tizzoni, that animals whose thyroid has been removed show a condition of interstitial nephritis. Blum has found the same thing, and has observed also that this condition frequently comes about in an astonishingly short time after the operation, say, in 18 to 20 days. The parenchyma also presents distinct signs of inflammation; the urinary channels lose their epithelium and present the appearance of hollow grooves. These changes occur in all animals, except such as die a few days after the operation, and such as are permanently immune from the intoxication that follows the removal of the thyroid.