THE PINEAL 



It is questionable'whether the pineal gland has often Extirpation 

 been completely removed from mammals, although many exper 

 experimenters have attempted to do so ; partial removal, 

 however, has been effected. Sarteschi 1 states that after 

 partial extirpation of the pineal the rabbits on which he 

 operated became very emaciated and remained under- 

 developed. Exner and Boese 2 operating on a large 

 number of rabbits were unable to find any changes 

 in regard to the reproductive functions or somatic 

 development. Dandy 3 , who improved the experimental 

 technique, likewise obtained no positive results from 

 complete removals. 



Foa 4 found that it was possible to perform complete 

 extirpation on the fowl. He removed the pineals from a 

 large number of chickens a few weeks old. As a result 

 there was a great degree of sexual precocity in the males, 

 both in respect of the primary and secondary character- 

 istics ; but pullets after this operation showed no altera- 

 tion in regard to the sex characteristics. Similar 

 experimental results have been reported by Horrax 5 

 working with guinea-pigs and rats. 



Reviews of the literature of the pineal body have 

 been written by Kidd 6 and McCord 7 . These contain 

 analyses of the recent work on the subject. 



1 Sarteschi, U., Folia Neurobiol., 1910, vol. iv, p, 675. 



2 Exner, A., and J. Boese, Deutech. Zeitsch. f. Chirurg., 1910, vol. cvii, 

 p, 182. 



3 Dandy, W. E., Journ. Exper. Med., 1915, vol. xxii, p. 2. 



4 Foa, C., Archiv. Ital. de Biol., 1912, vol. Mi, p. 233. 



5 Horrax, G., Archiv. Int. Med., 1916, vol. xvii, p. 607. 



6 Kidd, L, J., Med. Chronicle, 1912, vol. xxiv, p. 154. 



7 McCord, C. P., Trans. Amer. Gyn. Soc., 1917, voL xlii, p. 41. 



