52 



THE SEX-COMPLEX 



Effects of It will be seen that in this animal acetone was present 



tomy oifthe three times in 20 estimations after operation. 



metabolism. 



Effects of 



pregnancy, 



ca i c i um excreted after operation was the same 

 in quantity as before operation. There was a drop in 

 the phosphorus excretion, in spite of the increase in the 

 specific gravity after operation ; and the total nitrogen 

 and urea are increased out of proportion to this rise in 

 the specific gravity. It will be noticed, also, that the 

 ammonia-coefficient was slightly increased. 



I am well aware that the records of one animal 

 cannot carry much weight ; but this was the only 

 uncomplicated and reliable result out of five non- 

 pregnant animals on which I operated in this series. 



Before considering the effect of thyroidectomy on 

 tne rest f tne organs of internal secretion I shall first 

 recount a rather important series of experiments in 

 which thyroidectomy was performed on three pregnant 

 cats which survived the operation for some time. They 

 were carried out in order to observe the influence of the 

 thyroid on the metabolism during pregnancy, especially 

 with reference to the possible production of the symptoms 

 of eclampsia with marked alterations in the ammonia- 

 coefficient. Further, I had in my mind the possibility 

 that the secretion of the foetal thyroid might reach the 

 mother's circulation and mitigate the effects of the 

 thyroidectomy performed on her. 



The records of each case (table IV, cats nos. 1, 2, 3) 

 are drawn up to show the metabolism before operation, 

 and in two cases after operation and before parturition. 

 In one case the kittens were born alive at full term two 

 days after the operation and before the estimations of 

 the urinary metabolism had been resumed. It may be 

 pointed out here that no estimations were carried out 

 for a few days after any operation in order to avoid the 

 effects produced by the anaesthetic. 



It will be noticed that acetone, albumin and sugar 

 were found a good many times after operation in cat 

 no. 1, and more frequently after parturition than before, 

 without any great disturbance of the ammonia-coefficient. 



