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The field of endocrinology began to be studied late in the 19th century, when the concept of chemical messengers that exerted systemic effects throughout the entire body was initially introduced.
It is generally accepted that this study owes its beginning in 1889 to Brown-Séquard. As a professor at the College de France, he reported that self-administration of animal testes extracts led to enhancements in his physical strength, intellectual capacity and sexual potency. His claim was widely publicized, being highly controversial. These findings initiated further research in the field of endocrinology.
Two years later, Murray used thyroid extract to successfully treat a woman with myxedema.
In 1894, Oliver and Schaefer described the presence of epinephrine in extracts from the adrenal medulla.
Nayliss and Starling first discovered the hormone secretin in 1903. They were also the first to use the term ‘hormones’ to indicate all chemical messengers within the body.
In 1904, Bouin and Ancel reasoned that the Leydig cells had a role to play in male phenotype development.
Five years later, MacCallum and Voetlin suggested a link between calcium metabolism and the parathyroid glands.
In 1913, Farmi and Von den Velden treated diabetes insipidus for the first time with posterior pituitary extracts. Several years later in 1922, Banting and Best discovered insulin.
At this time, there were few effective drugs to control endocrine disorders. The discovery of insulin revolutionized the research and treatments in the field of endocrinology.
The following is a brief overview of the milestones marking the early history of endocrinology:
Throughout the twentieth century, the research and practice of endocrinology grew rapidly. Endocrine societies were formed, in addition to journals focused on the subject of endocrinology. During this period, there was a series of major changes in the understanding and technical terms used in endocrinology, as more was discovered about the body systems.
Today, we have a much enlarged understanding of the functioning and importance of the endocrine system, and the ways in which chronic endocrine disorders, such as diabetes, can be managed. However, there remains a pressing need for further research in this area, particularly to reduce the need for chronic treatments.
There is a great need to discover how endocrine functioning can be altered as necessary in order to provide a cure for endocrine disease, rather than just manage the symptoms in these patients.