TECHNIQUE FOR THYROIDECTOMY IN THE PIGEON AND THE EARLY EFFECT OF THYROID REMOVAL ON HEAT PRODUCTION

Abstract

The thyroids were removed from pigeons by a 2-stage operation. The technique described avoids immobilization of the crop ("crop-binding"), which frequently occurs with other methods, and thus increases the usefulness of the birds for certain metabolic studies. The basal heat production of 8 birds was apparently depressed at 4-5 days after the removal of 1 thyroid, and in 13 birds it was[long dash]20 at 7-8 days after complete thyroidectomy; in another group of 7 pigeons a value of[long dash]27 was obtained at 6-46 days after complete thyroidectomy. Nearly all birds survive operation and the technique permits a rapid and almost uniformly complete removal of the thyroids.