THE PITUITARY BODY 



injected prolan intravenously to produce theca luteinization. 

 The injection of as much as 1,500 rat-units of prolan did not 

 disturb the menstrual rhythm of adult monkeys (Hartman). 

 Similarly, Johnson (1935) could detect no histological evi- 

 dences of luteinization in the ovaries of adult macaques which 

 had received 2,400 to 5,400 rat-units of prolan (200-450 rat- 

 units daily). 



Courrier and Gros (1934) injected prolan into immature 

 Algerian baboons (magot, M. inuus?). The ovarian and 

 uterine changes differed strikingly from those observed in the 

 immature macaque. There occurred follicle-ripening with or 

 without subsequent formation of corpora lutea atretica. 

 They also observed swelling of the sexual skin and menstru- 

 ation from the progravid uterine mucosa. In this species, 

 therefore, prolan appeared to cause a true ovarian stimula- 

 tion without, however, inducing ovulation. 



Prolan has been experimentally administered to women 

 either for therapeutic purposes or solely to observe the effects 

 on the genital tract. "^ There is little scientific evidence that 

 prolan has much therapeutic value in gynecology except as a 

 means of controlling severe "functional hemorrhage" of the 

 uterus in young women (Novak and Hurd, 1931; Reiprich, 

 1934). The results of Johnstone, Wiesner, and Marshall 

 (1932) suggested that "habitual" abortion was less frequent 

 in women treated by injections of prolan over a long period. 

 There is no unequivocal evidence that prolan is of use in 

 treating primary or secondary amenorrhea. Geist (1933)'^ 

 made the best observations on the effects of prolan (600-2,200 

 rat-units) injected subcutaneously into women 1^-4 days be- 

 fore laparotomy. Changes were produced in the ovaries of 

 two-thirds (thirty-three) of the women. Geist believed that 



'^ Zondek (1929); Campbell and Collip, Ehrhardt, Falta and Hogler (1930); 

 Collip and others (1931); Campbell (1932); Certok and Pen'kov (1934). 



"Also see the well-controlled experiments of Hamblen (1935), who injected 

 larger doses of prolan over a period of 4-9 days. 



[198] 



