Excerpt from Annual Report of Program Activities, National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases: Fiscal Year 1971 At the clinical level, a new therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus derived from extensive studies in animals with a disease very similar to the disease found in man, has been devised. A new therapy for hyperthyroidism, using the common inorganic compound lithium carbonate, has been shown to be effective. Philosophically, these reports may be considered the expression of an essen tially pragmatic approach to biomedical problems. Some diseases and some biological problems are reasonably well understood; more are shrouded in varying degrees of mystery. To work effectively, to produce results of value, to attempt to reveal major new insights, we must Operate at all levels of approach. Fundamental physical and chemical approaches are more appropriate in certain problems; in others, quite practical clinical experiments are necessary. There is no general theory of biological function and malfunction which we call disease, so that a rationale of attack, logical on a priori grounds, can be constructed. Furthermore, the enormous complexity of bio logical function is such that no one can be expected to encompass all this knowledge and effectively direct detailed individual investigation. On the other hand, experts in the various fields understand enough of the diseases we are attempting to cure to apply their very special knowledge to illuminat ing the dark masses of ignorance presently inhibiting practical progress in therapy. This report is the story of these investigations. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.