INTERNAL SECRETION OF TESTICLE 



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(Lipschiitz, Ottow and Wagner, 1921 d, e). In an upper pole we 

 often found a great hypertrophy of the interstitial cells, whereas 

 in the under pole hypertrophy was rather the exception. The 

 blood is supplied to an upper fragment by the arteria sper- 

 matica interna, to an under fragment by the arteria defer- 

 entialis ; the blood supply of an upper pole is better than 

 that of an under pole. It seems likely, therefore, that the 

 hypertrophy depends upon the greater blood supply. 



V. 





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Fig. 81. — Interstitial cells of a normal adult guinea pig (Prot. 

 Nr. 27). Same age as Fig. 80. Same magnification. The 

 interstitial cells are disposed between five seminal tubules 

 and surround various small and one bigger blood vessel. 

 To be compared with Fig. 80; there is in the latter an 

 increase also of the size of the int. cells.^ — Prepar. of Wagner; 

 design of Lehbert. 



In view of these considerations I think that the hypertrophy 

 of the interstitial cells as observed under different experimental 

 conditions is not a compensatory one. At first sight this con- 

 clusion may seem to weaken our theory concerning the 

 endocrine function of the interstitial cells, in view especially of 

 other observations which one might consider as evidence of a 

 compensatory hypertrophy of the seminiferous part of the 

 testicle. Since the experiments of Ribberi (1890) it has been 

 known that unilateral castration leads to an hypertrophy of the 

 remaining testicle, the seminiferous tubules attaining a greater 



