EUNUCHOIDISM AND SEXUAL PRECOCITY 429 



ib 



II. 



(«0%) 



-n — 



(100%) 



III. 



„ n ► f" 



dOOO C120%) 



Fig. 134. — Diagrams to illustrate how a changed capacity on the part of the 

 central nervous system to respond to sex hormones interferes with erotization, 

 without the hormone-production being disturbed. 



Abscissa = quantity of hormones; % = normal or average quantity of 

 hormones produced; //iy = threshold quantity, i.e., the quantity of 

 hormones necessary for erotization when the response of the soma is a 

 normal one. The thr may be normally of about i to 2 per cent, of n. 

 Ordinates = the degree of erotization. The arrows indicate that there is 

 in the normal individual a physiological variation in the quantity of 

 hormones produced. 



I. Normal condition. The erotization is a normal one, notwith- 

 standing the great quantitative variations of hormone-produc- 

 tion. The low limit of thr will never be attained, however 

 great the variations of hormone production are. 

 II. Disturbed erotization. thr is about 80 per cent, of n, i.e., the 

 capacity to respond to sex hormones is reduced; normal 

 erotization will take place only when 80 per cent, of the average 

 quantity of hormones is produced. When the physiological 

 variations of hormone-production surpass this limit downwards 

 there will be a disturbed erotization, whereas these quantitative 

 variations do not harm an individual with a normal capacity to 

 respond (I.). 

 III. Disturbed erotization. thr is about 120 per cent, of n, i.e., the 

 capacity to respond is much reduced; normal erotization will 

 take place only when 120 per cent, of the average quantity of 

 hormones is produced. When the physiological variations surpass 

 this limit upwards there will be a normal erotization, otherwise 

 there will be a disturbed, or eunuchoid psycho-sexual behaviour. 

 Whereas case II. will be sometimes eunuchoid, as to the 

 psycho-sexual behaviour, but mostly normal, case III. will 

 be mostly eunuchoid and only sometimes normal. The somatic 

 sex characters may remain quite normal in II. an.d III. If we 

 could condition in such an individual an exaggerated production 

 of sex hormones in such a manner that say 150 per cent, instead 

 of 100 per cent, hormones are produced, there would be again a 

 normal erotization, the average quantity of hormones then 

 remaining always higher than 80 or 120 per cent. 



