Chondrodystrophy (achondroplasia) and humoral agents

IN Nature1 and elsewhere2,3, A. N. Studitsky has recently made statements to the effect that “studies of the interrelationship of the endocrine glands in the causation of experimental chondrodystrophy, taking into account the influence of the vitamin D balance, prove almost certainly the hypothesis of the humoral nature of this disease”. More specifically it may, according to Studitsky, be concluded “that the achondroplasia of the chick embryo is a hyper-parathyroid dystrophy of the skeleton, developing against the background of avitaminosis D”, and the author continues that “it does not seem improbable that our hypothesis as to the nature of faetal achondroplasia can also be extended to the analogous affection in man”. It is the purpose of this note to point out very briefly that one of the few conclusions which available evidence permits one to draw concerning the causation of chondrodystrophy is that humoral agencies play no part in the origin of this skeletal abnormality.