454 INTERNAL SECRETIONS 



that the enormous variabiHty in intersexual types is due to the 

 variability of tune at which the hormones of one sex cease and 

 those of the opposite sex begin to act, or at which the quantita- 

 tive relations between the two undergo considerable change. 

 Goldschmidt drew attention to this factor in discussing his 

 experiments on the moth. I think that the question of the 

 time at which the soma begins to come under the influence of 

 the sex hormones, and the question of the mutual quantities of 

 the hormones, are of the greatest importance in reaching an 

 understanding of the great variation in abnormal sex characters 

 presented by different individuals of the same species.^ 



Lillie (1917, 1923, p. 70) insisted on time "as the principal 

 factor, so far as hormones are concerned, in determining the 

 range of variation within the freemartin series ... in 

 relation to the early stages of sex differentiation, at which 

 vascular interchange is established." But to supplement this he 

 believes it is necessary to assume that different individuals vary 

 in the state of balance of the zygotic sex factors, and this may 

 influence the quantitative effect of the hormone factor. 



In insisting so much on the time factor as influencing the 

 sensitiveness of different somatic cells to sex hormones I should 

 not like to deny that this sensitiveness in a tissue may be 

 different from the beginning in two individuals of the same sex. 

 But for the moment no facts in'support of this contention are 

 available. 



E. TERMINOLOGICAL. 



As a consequence of the assumption that sexual dimorphism 

 in mammals and^birds is due simply to the fact that an hormone- 

 producing gland becomes differentiated and influences an 

 asexual embryonic soma in a sex specific manner, the terms 

 feminization and masculinization as introduced by Steinach 

 acquire a new meaning. They are not merely terms for labora- 

 tory use, but really indicate the normal morphogenetic sex 

 specific action of the sex hormones on the soma (Lipschutz, 

 1918 c). It seems advisable, on the other hand, to speak of the 

 cross-grafting of Steinach and his followers as an experimental 

 feminization and masculinization. 



In the last few years there has been much discussion not only 

 as to the question of the seat of hormone-production in the 



* A similar point of view is held by Crew {1923). 



