THE PITUITARY BODY 



first of oestrin and then of lactogenic hormone. He was able 

 to detect lactogenic hormone (0.03-0.5 unit'^ per cc.) in the 

 urine of new-born babies. Two units'^ per cc. of urine were 

 excreted by a lactating baby boy. 



Reece and his associates investigated the concentration 

 and total amount of lactogenic hormone, as assayed in 

 pigeons, in the pituitary of rats with various vitamin defi- 

 ciencies. There appeared to be a reduction in the total 

 amount of hormone, if the diet was deficient in vitamins A, 

 B (as B complex), and D; however, the concentration of the 

 hormone was increased in vitamin-B deficiency, whereas if 

 vitamin A, or especially vitamin D, was lacking, the con- 

 centration was diminished. No change in the total amount 

 or concentration of the hormone accompanies vitamin-E de- 

 ficiency.^" 



According to Lewis and Geschickter (1936), cyst fluid of 

 cystic disease of the breast, although sometimes without ac- 

 tion, contains on the average about 500 bird-units of lacto- 

 genic hormone per liter. Colostrum as well as the tissue of 

 the udders of lactating cows contain lactogenic hormpne 

 (Geschickter and Lewis, 1936). 



The lactogenic extract used by GiufFrida (1937) was ad- 

 ministered repeatedly to pigeons. The maximvim hyper- 

 trophy of the crop-glands was observed after seven daily in- 

 jections. The effects disappeared despite injections for a 

 longer period. Refractoriness toward the extract appeared 

 earlier if larger doses were used. Young (1937) prepared an 

 extract with lactogenic and diabetogenic effects but without 

 significant action on either the thyroid or the gonads. x'\l- 

 though this extract was injected daily — in some instances 

 for as long as 9 weeks — into rabbits, dogs, or monkeys, the 

 sera of these animals not only contained no lactogenic "an- 



" Intradermal "micro-units" in the pigeon. 



'" Marchesi (1935) administered gonadotropic extract, so that pregnancy and 

 parturition took place in animals presumably receiving no vitamin E. Lacta- 

 tion either did not appear or was hopelessly inadequate. 



f 168 1 



