PHYSIOLOGY OF THE OVIDUCT 399 



that in the domestic fowl also removal of the oviduct does not 

 cause a permanent degeneration of the ovary. He states that 

 the ovary at first shrinks but later is in the same condition as in 

 unoperated birds. The yolks are discharged into the body 

 cavity. 



The results of twenty-nine operations on the oviduct are 

 given .in table 1. In twenty-four of these cases (all except 

 21 to 24 and 27) egg-laying was prevented. In fifteen (1 to 9' 

 and 15 to 20) yolks could not enter the duct. In cases 15 to 

 20 practically the entire duct was removed when either in in- 

 fantile or non-laying condition. The birds were autopsied 

 at periods varying from ten days to nearly five years after the 

 operation. They were in varying conditions of health and 

 disease. Their ovaries presented the same range of variation 

 shown in our large series of autopsy records on unoperated 

 birds. Those of the normal healthy birds showed all stages 

 from strictly non-laying to fully functional condition, while 

 several of the birds with serious visceral lesions showed various 

 stages of absorption of ovarian yolks. In no case is there the 

 slightest evidence of atrophy of the ovary. 



Several of the operations especially on the removal of the 

 oviduct (cases 15 to 20) were performed before the sex organs 

 had begun the rapid growth which precedes the first period of 

 production in the pullet. In all of these cases the ovary continued 

 to grow. 



These results show that neither the ligation, section, nor entire 

 removal of the oviduct causes degeneration or prevents the further 

 growth of the ovary. 



Sellheim ('07) states that after the removal of the oviduct 

 the ovary at first shrinks. He believes this to be a result of 

 the severe operation. Our experience shows that a bird is not 

 in laying condition for some time after any serious abdominal 

 operation involving prolonged anesthesia and considerable sur- 

 gical shock. It seems quite possible that the 'shrinking' of 

 the ovary noted is the return to a strictly non-laying condition 

 due to a general physiological disturbance rather than the spe- 

 cific effect of the removal of the oviduct. This post-operative 



