2 6 FEMALE BITTERLING I 



typically as separate phases in the ovipositor test, the relation 

 is less evident than in the case of the pregnanes. If we arrange 

 the substances in order of decreasing activity, separating the 

 I St and 2nd growing phases, we get Table I (p. 25). 



§ 4. THE REACTION TO GLANDULAR EXTRACTS 

 In glands and in the fluids of the body, mixtures of hor- 

 mones are nearly always present. If it is desired to use the 

 ovipositor test to demonstrate the presence of a given "hor- 

 mone" in a glandular extract, it should be borne in mind that 

 the reaction of the ovipositor might be influenced by the 

 various steroids present. Hence it is important to examine 

 more closely the behaviour of such hormonal mixtures. 



Experiments made in this connexion have shown that the 

 effects of the separate components of hormonal mixtures are 

 simply complementary. There is no question of antagonism 

 between, e.g., androgenic and estrogenic substances. Evident- 

 ly the hypophysis is capable of converting the stimulus 

 received from each substance, resulting in the production of 

 gonadotrophic hormone and growth of the ovipositor. 



Since the estrogenic hormones all show a latent period of 

 5 Yz hours, and the androgenic steroids are effective only in 

 very high doses, the ovipositor test is suited chiefly to the 

 demonstration of steroids of the progesterone type, whose 

 latent period is only i hour, the period of linear growth end- 

 ing before the reactions caused by the estrogenic substances 

 begin. It is also important to note that, of all pregnene deriv- 

 atives, progesterone is the most active. It is wore than 1200 

 times as active as pregnanediol and all androgenic steroids. 



Of the organs examined, from which aqueous extracts 

 were prepared and added to the aquarium water, the follow- 

 ing proved to be inactive: cerebrum, duodenum, epiphysis, 

 stomach, liver, posterior pituitary, spleen, pancreas, thymus, 

 and thyroid. Positive results were obtained with suprarenal 

 gland, corpus luteum, interstitial tissue of the ovary, placenta, 

 and testis. Of the body-fluids, amniotic fluid reacted nega- 

 tively. Positive reactions were obtained in most cases from 

 blood, fluid from ovarian-cysts, follicular fluid, sperm, and 



