INTERNAL SECRETION OF TESTICLE 169 



experiments with partial castration, as already mentioned, we 

 did observe intermediate stages between castration effects 

 and normally developed somatic sexual characters. In one of 

 these experiments we found that the weight of the fragment 

 was much less than one per cent, of the normal testicular 

 mass. At first sight one might take these observations as 

 being contrary to the law of "All or Nothing/' But on the other 

 hand we have shown from our own experiments that by in- 

 juring the testicle it is possible to retard its development. 

 In view of these observations it seems justifiable to assume 

 that the intermediate stage is in reality due to retarded de- 

 velopment of the testicle or the testicular fragment, and that 

 any animal representing an intermediate stage in the develop- 

 ment of sexual characters may attain to full puberty provided 

 no detrimental changes occur in the operated fragment. These 

 observations of our own confirm Pezard's view, as represented 

 in the law of "All or Nothing." Pezard (1922 a) gave full 

 experimental evidence of his suggestion in remarkable experi- 

 ments on fowls. 



The objection that in small fragments the interstitial cells 

 are often really in a state of hypertrophy, is not justified, as it 

 was shown above that this hypertrophy has no relation to 

 functional compensation in regard to internal secretion. 

 Another objection might, however, be made; it might be said 

 that a small testicular fragment is possibly producing as much 

 hormone as both the normal testicles, without there being 

 any visible histological or cytological changes in the fragment. 

 We are not in a position to discuss such an objection, since 

 there is no indication of the functional state of the testicle 

 other than that provided by microscopically visible changes. 



There is yet another objection. One might suppose that 

 retardation of development of sexual characters as observed 

 in some cases with partial castration is caused by the time 

 normally necessary for the development to puberty being 

 lengthened on account of a diminished quantity of sexual 

 hormone. This assumption would, as already said, be in ac- 

 cordance with what we know about ferment action. Such a 

 dependence of the development of the sexual characters upon 

 a time factor would not be contrary to the law of "All or 

 Nothing," although, at first sight, one might suppose it. 



Whatever the truth about these questions may be, we are now 



