192 LEO LOEB. 



typical condition was pronounced, there was noticeable a tend- 

 ency to delay in the ingrowth of connective tissue into the fol- 

 licular cavity; thus small cysts resulted. We interpreted this 

 relative inactivity as due to the underfeeding which at last 

 affects also the connective tissue. This condition represents a 

 further stage in the chain of changes produced through under- 

 feeding. This chain is as follows: (i) The maturation of fol- 

 licles is suspended. (2) Abortion takes place in pregnant guinea 

 pigs. (3) The granulosa cells of developing follicles are injured 

 and are prematurely dissolved, but the relative strength of 

 new formation on the one hand, and of destruction of granulosa 

 cells on the other hand, shows such a balance in favor of new 

 production that the development of follicles progresses so far 

 that medium follicles are formed. (4) This balance becomes 

 more unfavorable and only small and small to medium follicles 

 develop; after this stage has been reached and the granulosa 

 has been dissolved connective tissue grows in and fills the cavity 

 and leads to a shrinking of the follicle. (5) In the last stage even 

 the connective tissue becomes inactive. The ingrowth of con- 

 nective tissue into the cavity does not take place. And the 

 same process leads also in all probablity to an under-development 

 of the fibrous bands separating the various follicles. Thus the 

 separation of follicles becomes interfered with and the multi- 

 plicity of eggs in a follicle results. 



It is, of course, possible that there are at work additional 

 factors which favor such a process. It might be that in certain 

 individuals the tendency of connective tissue to be inactive is 

 greater than in others. It might also be that the number of 

 the young follicles in early stages of development is greater in 

 this animal and that thus a crowding of young follicles results. 

 However, if such a difference exists between this and other 

 ovaries, it is not very marked. Multiplicity of eggs in the 

 ovarian follicles has been observed by us in several other ovaries 

 of guinea pigs. At the time however when our previous observa- 

 tions were made we had not yet gained an undestanding of the 

 connection between this change and the abnormal conditions 

 which we found in this case. Ovarian follicles with several eggs 

 occur also in other species, especially also in men. It would be 



