1 6 o. BERNER. M.-N. Kl. 



subjects it must be assumed that the hormone from the suprarenal tumour 

 so alters the interstitial cells that they begin to produce new hormones, 

 and, with them, new, that is to sa}- opposite, sexual characters, or that the 

 suprarenal hormone does awa}^ with the function of the interstitial cells. 

 The latter assumption would explain the cock-like appearance of nw hen, 

 as the experiments made by Godale and Pézard have shown that castrated 

 hens acquire a cock-like appearance. 



It is moreover a peculiar fact that in some cases of suprarenal virilism, 

 but not in all, there is hypertrophy of the clitoris. Can it be supposed 

 that in certain cases the hormone acts directly upon that organ ? 



In order to elucidate these questions I have made an experimental 

 investigation, in which I have injected suprarenal extract into young animals 

 to see whether it affected the secondary sexual characters. As far as I 

 am aware, no such investigations have been made with the exception of 

 those of Shattock and Seligmax, which were carried out on ducks. I shall 

 hope, on some future occasion, to give an account of the results of these 

 investigations. 



Christiania; March, J 923. 



