Main description:

The Hunt for the Parathyroid Gland is a part fact, part fiction overview of the discovery of the parathyroid gland by a Swedish scientist in 1880.

The discovery of the parathyroid gland in humans in 1880 by an unknown Swedish medical student, Ivar Viktor Sandstrom, ended a 30 year search for its exact location within the human body, following its discovery in an Indian rhino 30 years before. It is one of the most engaging and remarkable stories in the history of medicine. This book offers a fascinating insight into its discovery.

Endocrinologists and ENT health professionals, both in clinical practice and researchers, as well as anyone with an interest in the history of medicine, will find this a fascinating insight into one of the 19th century's key medical discoveries.

Contents:

Foreword 4 Introduction 7 1. Sandstrom's Discovery 11 2. Unexpected Problems 26 3. The Age of Glorious Discoveries 38 4. A Gland in Search of a Function 44 5. The Calcium Connection 51 6. Hormones and Organotherapy 64 7. The Priority Dispute 71 8. Immortal Patients 85 9. A Disease in Disguise 98 10. The Elusive Hormone 109 11. The Language of God 121 12. The Pharmacological Paradox 130 References and Notes 138