§ I EXAMINATION OF BITTERLING HYPOPHYSIS 51 



of standard shades was made, by blacking on similar paper a progessivc 

 sequence of 'zYi, 5, 10, etc. cm- with marking ink. As control, a standard 

 figure corresponding to the hypophysis picture was selected after each 

 measurement. In this way the values of the different series could be 

 compared with each other. During a pre-examination it was shown that 

 a medium and a lateral section sufficed for quantitative determination. 

 We took more than two sections, however, and calculated the average 

 value therefrom. We thus obtained a definite value for each hypophysis, 

 for the total number of basophil cells, on the basis of which a curve was 

 constructed. 



We shall now consider what this curve expresses. We 

 should have preferred to determine the moment and the 

 quantity of hormone extrusion; but this is impossible both 

 for the ovary and the hypophysis. What can be measured, 

 however, is the restitution of a quantity of hormones pre- 

 viously secreted. Thereby a loss of substance from the pitui- 

 tary cells is registered, after the event, and at the same time 

 the preparation for the next extrusion. Since this restitution 

 phase lasts for some time, it may be assumed that the hypo- 

 physis curve derived from it "lags" slightly behind the curve 

 representing happenings in the ovary (to be discussed later), 

 in spite of the fact that the hypophysis is responsible for the 

 changes in the ovary. Neither should we lose sight of the fact 

 that, although the hypophysis, by secreting hormones, may 

 react immediately to an exogenous stimulus, it is possible that 

 the conditions necessary for a reaction may not exist in the 

 ovary; for instance, that there are not sufficient large — i.e., 

 luteinisable — ova present. 



The hypophysis curves may be drawn in two ways:— 

 (a) we may regard the anatomically limited gonadotropic 

 region, in which nothing else is happening, as a closed unit, in 

 which two kinds of cells are seen, i.e., the acidophil cells, 

 which still contain hormone and may secrete it, and the baso- 

 phil cells, which are in the restitution phase, and do not con- 

 tain hormone. The proportion between the number of cells 

 m these functional periods is expressed in a curve in which the 

 hormone content (acidophilia) is plotted against the loss 

 (basophilia). The curves obtained in this way represent the 

 relation between pituitary activity and the formation of 



