FATE OF GERMINAL EPITHELIUM. 147 



Sertoli cell content. It has been abundantly demonstrated 

 (Moore, '22, 24^; Moore and Oslund, '24; Fukui, '23) that 

 heat of certain temperatures will produce in the testis a degenera- 

 tion identical with that seen in abdominally retained testes, 

 and that the degeneration is identical in nature and proportional 

 within certain limits to the degree of heat, whether it be applied 

 by hot water, hot air, parafine, electric lights, etc. And further 

 it has been shown (Moore and Quick, *24a) that the temperature 

 within the abdomen is definitely higher than intrascrotal tem- 

 perature, all of which logically lead to the conception of the 

 scrotum as a necessary thermo-regulator for the testis as devel- 

 oped by Moore ('24^). 



Bouin and Ancel ('03) believe they have demonstrated tubular 

 degeneration attributable to vas ligation. Others (Moore and 

 Quick, '241:; Oslund, '24, '25) have been unable to produce 

 degeneration by this method when the testes were carefully 

 kept within the scrotum. Although in my work, testes, the vas 

 of which were ligated, were elevated to the abdominal cavity 

 where degeneration took place as a result of subjection to an 

 elevated temperature, the testes so ligated were in all respect 

 like those retained in the abdominal cavity the vas of which 

 were not ligated. It is not proposed to offer this evidence in 

 confirmation or derogation of the results obtained by any of 

 these workers, but simply as a statement that in conjunction 

 with abdominal retention ligation is without apparent effect. 



It was pointed out in the text of this paper that although 

 many of the epithelial cells in the seminiferous tubules are 

 partially or almost completely autolyzed in situ, many others 

 are thrown into the lumen of the tubule almost unchanged. 

 These cells were followed through the straight tubules and rete 

 to the proximal tubules of the epididymis where they are seen 

 intermixed with spermatozoa already present previous to the 

 elevation of the organ of the abdominal cavity. Obviously 

 these invading cells, together with the spermatozoa already 

 present must become absorbed in the epididymis, remain there, 

 or be evacuated through the genital passages. Were the latter 

 to take place the spermatozoa would be pushed on ahead probably 

 mixed with some of the degenerating cells, followed by the 



