194 INTERNAL SECRETIONS 



increase may be one of 86 times. But there seems to be less 

 interstitial tissue as the generative tissue has increased more 

 than 1000 times. The result is contrary to what was sup- 

 posed by Pezard; the discordant growth of the sex characters 

 is concomitant with the development not only of the generative 

 tissue but also with that of the interstitial cells. 



Lately Massaglia (1921) repeated the experiments of Bouin 

 and Ancel on the rooster. He performed ligation and resection 

 of the vas deferens in birds of different ages. Contrary to the 

 authors mentioned above, he stated that interstitial cells are 

 present also in the testicle of the adult normal cock. He found 

 in the interstitial cells numerous small fatty granules and 

 mitochondria well stained by acid fuchsiri. After ligation and 

 resection of the vas deferens a marked atrophy of the semini- 

 ferous tubules occurred, whereas the interstitial cells remained 

 normal or increased in number. Nevertheless the sexual 

 characters of the animals remained normal, or in the case of 

 young birds developed normally. In some experiments Mas- 

 saglia removed the degenerated testicle; after this signs of 

 castration became visible. ^lassaglia considers the elaboration 

 of the fatty granules and of mitochondria as a proof of the 

 conception that the interstitial cells have the character of 

 secretory cells, and he concluded from his experiments that 

 the endocrine function of the testicle in the cock is performed 

 by the interstitial cells. Further Massagha points out that no 

 fact exists which supports the conception that the endocrine 

 function is carried out by the spermatogenetic cells. 



Against the experiments of Massaglia the objection might 

 be made that the seminiferous tubules still contained sper- 

 matogenetic cells after ligation, and that these produced the 

 hormones; it is the same objection as that which we have 

 dealt with in describing the experiments on mammals. But 

 I should like to repeat here that it is very improbable that 

 such deep-seated changes as those occurring in the seminiferous 

 tubules after ligation could have no effect on the organism, if 

 the seminiferous tubules were really endocrine in function. 

 This is why I consider the conclusions of Massaglia to be 

 justified, although I think it is still necessary to continue the 

 experiments further. 



A degeneration of the seminiferous tubules associated with 

 an enormous increase of the interstitial tissue was observed 



