HYPOPHYSIS AFTER CASTRATION 457 



there was a number of large elements present, containing spher- 

 ules of varying size, sometimes larger than the nucleus. The 

 contents of these spaces had a marked electivity for acid colors. 



Kon ('08) described a human case. This was of a 32-year 

 old man, examined three years after total castration. He found 

 that the chromophobe cells (reserve cells) had enlarged, so that 

 they had very abundant cytoplasm, and that these cells were 

 present in usually large numbers. 



Aside from the inconclusive experiments of Barnabo ('08), 

 the only investigation on albino rats which we have seen reported 

 is that of Zacherl, who worked in Biedl's laboratory. Biedl ('12) 

 describes his work briefly. He found grossly an increase in vol- 

 ume of the organ, and histologically a diminution in number of 

 acidophiles as contrasted with chief cells. But above all there 

 was a peculiar new cell formation, which he called castration cells. 

 This was an especially large pale cell, with pale stained nucleus, 

 with cytoplasm finely granular and filled with very fine vacuoles. 

 He pictures these at two months after castration, showing the 

 beginning of vacuolization. 



Consideration of these observations shows differences which 

 may be attributed to several causes. Where several investi- 

 gators obtain different results from their studies upon the same 

 form, it is evident that the methods and carefulness of the investi- 

 gations must have varied. For instance, in domestic cattle, 

 Fichera found relative increase in weight and increase in size 

 and number of eosinophiles; Marrassini found no increase in 

 weight and no constant increase in eosinophiles; while Wittek 

 found increase in weight, but no constant change in the number 

 of eosinophiles. In such a situation, one is apt to be most 

 favorably impressed with the most recent work, as the latest 

 investigator has probably tried to avoid the errors of his pred- 

 ecessors. In domestic fowl, however, Fichera and Marrassini 

 are in practical agreement, finding relative increase in weight 

 and increase in size of one type of cell. They describe this type 

 of cell somewhat differently, but it would seem that the material 

 on which their observations are based must be very similar. . 



