A gland is an organ which takes something from the blood or other circulating mediunm and manufactures therefrom a secretioni which it delivers to the body as needed. Roughly there are two kinds of glands: those which deliver their secretion through ducts or tubes and those whose secretion is picked up directly bv the blood or lymph as it eirculates through the gland. The latter are know as ductless or endocrine glands. There are about a dozen of these in the human body. References to the endocrine glands and their disorders now appear in popular literature so frequently that it seems likely the well-informed person will shortly wish to have some accurate information regarding them. In the following paragraphs each of these glands is briefly discussed. They are arranged in the order of the frequency with which their disorders are encountered by the doctor. The PITUITARY is located in a sort of bony bubble on the floor of the cranial eavity between the temples and just back of the root of the nose. It is roughly divided into three parts which have different embryological origins. The front part, or anterior lobe, is pushed upward from the part of the embryo which later becomes the pharynx. The posterior lobe, or hind part, pushes downward from the floor of the brain. There is a stein which connects it with the brain. The anterior lobe has a wide influence in the body, being concerned particularly with growth in height, the development of the muscles, bones and reproductive system. It has also something to do with the handling of various foodstuffs. The middle and posterior lobes have to do with blood pressure, the handling of water and sugar and the excretion of urine. The whole gland in some way has to do with sleep. Deficiency of the pituitary in early years is associated with lack of stature, which may amount to dwarfism when it is severe, or merely to a less than average height when it is less severe. There may be lack of sexual development. It is thought that deficiency of the posterior lobe in such persons leads also to marked obesity. Tumors of the pituitary are associated many times with overactivity of this gland. If this occurs in early years the stature is apt to be more than normal and may amount to that of a giant. If it occurs in later years after growth has been completed, a condition known as acroniegaly results. The brows become beetling and overhanging, the soft tissues of the face are increased in amount, the lower jaw becomes undershot and the chin protrudes, and the hands and feet enlarge markedly. The THYROID is located in the neck, sitting astride the windpipe much like a saddle. It has been likened to the draft of a furnace or the ignition system of an automobile. No cell in the body reaches a stage of physiological completeness without an adequate amount of thyroid secretion. Goiter is enlargement of the thyroid. There are many varieties of goiter, which may not be associated with overactivity or hyperthyroidism. One variety known as exophthalmic goiter leads to a pop-