THE HORMONES IN HUMAN REPRODUCTION 



produce more hormone but considerably less. In short, the 

 two functions of the testis, spermatogenesis and hormone pro- 

 duction, run parallel to a certain extent. For this reason some 

 of the soundest of the investigators are not willing to point 

 to one or the other of the constituent tissues of the testis and 

 saj^ "here is the sole source of the hormone." The tubule cells, 

 even if they are inactive in producing sperm cells, may for all 

 we know still be taking part in making the hormone ; or per- 

 haps the two kinds of cells work together. If a time ever comes 

 when the hormone can be recognized in the tissues in very 

 small amounts, say by some sort of super-spectrograph or 

 X-ray analysis, such as the modern magicians of the physics 

 laboratories are using in their easier problems of test tube 

 chemistry, then perhaps we can answer such questions as 

 these. 



There is no sharp division between the estrogens, the andro- 

 gens, and the progestins. Several of these substances give 

 both estrogenic and androgenic effects, and a few have been 

 found even to affect the uterine lining like progesterone, 

 though only in very large doses. 



The androgens are usually assayed by testing their effect 

 upon the growth of the comb of the capon. The League of 

 Nations Committee on Standardization of Drugs set up in 

 1935 an international standard of potency, specified as the 

 equivalent of 0.1 milligram of crystalline androsterone. This 

 is approximately the daily dose required to give a measurable 

 response in a capon's comb in 5 days. 



The androgenic hormones are usually injected in oil solu- 

 tion. In recent years the method of implanting pellets under 

 the skin has begun to be tried. The hormones are also effective 

 when applied in suitable ointments. Growth of the cock's 

 comb can be elicited by applying hormone-containing oint- 

 ments directly to the comb itself (Appendix II, note 19). 



Effects and medical use of the androgenic hormones. The 



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