68 THE PHYSIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 



Reinl, Ott, and Giles, 1 but Vicarelli 2 and certain other authors 

 have recorded an increased temperature during menstruation. 3 

 Zuntz, 4 however, as a result of more recent experiments, says 

 that there is a regular lowering of the temperature throughout 

 the menstrual period, after which it rises to the normal. 



Stevenson states also that the curve of urea excretion follows 

 a similar course to the temperature curve, and that, speaking 

 generally, there is an increase in metabolism coincident with the 

 time of development of the uterine mucosa. There is, however, 

 no doubt much truth in von Noorden's criticism 5 that the 

 " menstrual wave " hypothesis has given occasion to many pre- 

 mature conclusions regarding the behaviour of the metabolism. 

 Schroder, 6 who investigated the nitrogen metabolism, found a 

 retention of nitrogen immediately before and during menstrua- 

 tion (cf., Potthast, &c., for dogs, p. 54), but other investigators 

 have obtained somewhat different results. 7 Zuntz has shown 

 from numerous experiments that, contrary to the conclusions of 

 other authors, there is no evidence of a constant variation in 

 the respiratory exchange during the menstrual cycle. 



Mosher 8 states that there is a fall of blood pressure at the time 

 of menstruation. Zuntz 9 records a diminution in the pulse rate. 



Sfameni 10 states that there is a decrease in the quantity of 

 haemoglobin in the blood during menstruation. He says also 

 that the number of blood corpuscles increases in the days imme- 

 diately preceding the haemorrhage, but is diminished during it. 11 



1 Giles, " The Cyclical or Wave Theory," &c., Trans. Obstet. 8oc., London, 

 vol. xxxix., 1897. 



2 Vicarelli, "La temperature de I'ute'rus dans ses diverses conditions 

 physiologiques," Arch. Ital. de Biol., vol. xxxii., 1899. 



3 Sfameni, " Influence de la menstruation sur la quantite d'hemoglobine," 

 Arch. Ital. de Biol., vol. xxxii., 1899. 



4 Zuntz (L.), " Einfluss der Ovarien auf den Stoffwechsel," Arch.f. Gynak., 

 vol. Ixxviii., 1906. 



5 Von Noorden, Metabolism and Practical Medicine (English Translation), 

 vol. i., London, 1907. 



6 Schroder, '- Untersuchungen liber den Stoffwechsel wahrend der Men- 

 struation," Zeitsclir.f. klin. Medicin, vol. xxv. , 1894. 



7 See von Noorden. loc. cit. 



8 Mosher, " Blood -pressure during Menstruation," Johns Hopkins Hospital 

 Bulletin, 1901. 9 Zuntz, loc. cit. 10 Sfameni, loc. cit. 



11 Cf. Carnot and De8andre, " Variations du nombre des Hematics chez la 

 Femme pendant la pe'riode menstruelle," C. R. de la Soc. de Biol , vol. Ixvi., 

 1909. 



