ORGANS OF INTERNAL SECRETION 329 



According to Loisel, 1 the ovary fulfils a purifying function in 

 the organism, absorbing injurious products which are excreted 

 with the ova or absorbed as internal secretions. This theory 

 seems to have little experimental basis at present. 



THE FACTORS WHICH DETERMINE THE OCCURRENCE 

 OF HEAT AND MENSTRUATION 



Pflliger 2 advanced the theory that menstruation is brought 

 about by a nervous reflex, owing its origin to the pressure of the 

 growing Graafian follicles upon the nerve endings in the ovary. 

 This view received some support from Strassmann, 3 who claimed 

 to have induced " heat " in animals by injecting gelatine into 

 their ovaries, and so producing intra-ovarian pressure. 

 Elizabeth Winterhalter's 4 alleged discovery of a sympathetic 

 ganglion in the ovary also tended to support this theory ; but 

 Von Herff 5 discredited her description, which, so far, has re- 

 ceived no confirmation. 



Goltz 6 showed that heat in animals is not brought about 

 by a cerebral or spinal reflex. In one experiment the spinal 

 cord of a bitch was transected in the lumbar region ; normal 

 procestrum, followed by oestrus and conception, occurred as 

 usual, but copulation was unaccompanied by sensation, though 

 the animal showed a marked inclination towards the dog. 

 In another experiment the lumbar part of the spinal cord 

 was completely removed without interfering with the cyclical 



1 Loisel, "Les Poisons des Glandes genitales," C. R. de la Soc. de BioL, 

 vol. lv., 1903 ; vol. Ivi., 1904 ; and vol. Ivii., 1904. 



2 Pfl tiger, tfbcr die Bedtutung und Ursache der Menstruation, Berlin' 

 1865. 



3 Strassmann, Lekrbuch der gerichtlichen Medizin, 1895. 



4 Winterhalter, " Bin Sympathisches Ganglion im Menschlichen Ovarium',, 

 Arch.f. Gyndk., vol. li., 1896. 



5 Von Herff, " Giebt es ein Sympathisches Ganglion im Menschlichen 

 Ovarium," Arch.f. Gynak., vol. li., 1896. For information upon the innerva- 

 tion of the ovary, see Von Herff, " Uber den feineren Verlauf der Nerven 

 im Eierstock," Zeitschr. f. Geb. u. Gyncik., vol. xxiv., 1893. 



6 Goltz, " Ueber den Einfluss des Nervensystems auf die Vorgange 

 wahrend der Schwangerschaft und des Gebarakts," Pfliiger's Archiv,vo\. ix., 

 1874. Goltz and Ewald, " Der Hand mit verkiirztem Kiickenmark," Pfluger's 

 Archiv, vol. Ixiil., 1896. 



