50 THE INTERNAL SECRETIONS 1920 



prescribing a single organotherapeutic product, where- 

 as, due to the deficiency of one, all are below par, as 

 they have lost the stimulus which they get from one 

 another and which also stimulates themselves, no mat- 

 ter which gland was at fault in the beginning. In fact, 

 as to whether a single gland was at fault even in the 

 beginning, is not above question (11). Time and fur- 

 ther clinical experiment will show these relationships 

 more definitely, i. e., that there may be a possibility of 

 measuring the exact amount of stimulus one gland has 

 on all of the others. 



At the present time we know that certain deficiencies 

 affect the well-being of many individuals, and that 

 overproduction does likewise. Brown-Sequard noted 

 the difference on himself by the ingestion of gonad 

 secretions, and being a pioneer, did not perceive at the 

 time that he not only replaced gonad substances, but 

 stimulated the production of new endocrine substances 

 by autohormonic influence. [Hallion calls this "homo- 

 stimulation." H.R.H.] His feeling of well-being and 

 ability to perform tasks which before were considered 

 impossible, was due to more than the increased gonad 

 function. His experiments show that the influence of 

 the secretion of the Leydig cells on some of the other 

 endocrines is very great. Had the stimulus been given 

 to the sex glands only there could have been only an 

 increase in sexual power, whereas, he mentions more 

 the power to stand physical strain and sustained men- 

 tal exertion; for sustained mental exertion itself has 

 an effect both on physical power and the testes. 



Before maturity the influence of the gonads is small 

 or absent, but once it is developed it must impart cer- 

 tain stimuli to other endocrine organs which they 

 afterwards need to maintain the balance. If this were 

 not so, the so-called pituitary eunuch, or other men who 

 have become impotent, would not waste lavish sums to 

 regain this libido, while the true eunuch, who was cas- 



