216 CORTEX 



period of lactation, the body weight is found to be the same 

 as before pregnancy. Any growth hormone in the foetuses is 

 apparently not transmitted to the mother. 248 



Male animals in chronic adrenal insufficiency show impo- 

 tence with atrophy of the reproductive system similar to that 

 observed in hypophysectomized animals. Repair of the 

 reproductive system in neither male nor female animals occurs 

 when adrenal cortical hormone is administered in doses of two 

 to three rat units daily. On the other hand, a ready response, 

 similar to that obtained in hypophysectomized animals, is 

 elicited by injections of extracts of the pituitary. These 

 observations indicate that the hypophysis is probably respon- 

 sible for the observed failure of the reproductive system in 

 long continued chronic adrenal insufficiency. 



Certain metabolic changes are common to both hypophysec- 

 tomized animals and those maintained in a state of chronic 

 adrenal insufficiency. Thus, the body temperature is reduced 

 about equally in both cases. In neither hypophysectomized 

 animals nor those maintained in a state of chronic adrenal in- 

 sufficiency for long periods can the body temperature be ele- 

 vated to normal by administration of the adrenal cortical 

 hormone. On the other hand, administration of either desic- 

 cated thyroid, orally, or the injection of thyroxine or anterior 

 pituitary extracts containing the thyrotropic principle results 

 in an elevation of the body temperature to normal. In Table 

 1 are summarized the results obtained on a series of rats and 

 dogs after hypophysectomy or in chronic adrenal insufficiency. 

 The results of Table 1 may be interpreted as due to successive 

 changes in the adrenal-pituitary-thyroid complex. The primary 

 adrenal insufficiency causes an irreversible injury of the ante- 

 rior pituitary. This pituitary dysfunction, in turn, results in 

 a thyroid insufficiency which gives rise to the observed symp- 

 toms. 



The results cited in the above paragraphs point strongly to 

 an intimate relation between the adrenal cortex and the ante- 



