THE FUNCTION OP THE OVARY 217 



pause insomnia is frequent and may be extreme the 

 pathogenic factor is often a latent hyperthyroidism. 

 On the other hand, a tendency to somnolence is due to 

 thyroid insufficiency. 



THE PITUITARY GLAND 



The pituitary gland is so intimately concerned with 

 the proper development and maintenance of the gen- 

 ital functions that an insufficiency of the pituitary 

 secretion is likely to be associated with amenorrea or 

 scanty menstruation. The dystrophia-adiposo-genitalis 

 is supposed to be due to pituitary subsecretion just 

 as acromegaly is supposed to be due to an excess of 

 secretion. But Bell points out that as amenorrhea is 

 usually found in both conditions the explanation of 

 the two diseases is not simple over- or under-secretion. 

 Acromegaly is a condition producing masculinity and 

 consequently amenorrhea. "While in dystrophia-adi- 

 poso-genitalis genital atrophy is invariable, yet, if 

 functional activity has existed before the disease, ac- 

 tivity may return on relief of the condition by decom- 

 pression or by the administration of pituitary ex- 

 tract." 7 He suggests that delayed menstruation, ac- 

 companied by obesity, might be successfully treated 

 with pituitary extract if the age of puberty were not 

 too long past. In cases presenting obesity, mental dull- 

 ness along with amenorrhea, thyroid extract followed 

 by pituitary may be used. Better still, both may be 

 given together. Deficiency of the pituitary secretion 

 seems to cause under-development of the sex glands 

 in youth and sexual inactivity in the adult. 3 



Bandler 5 believes that many of the functional dys- 

 menorrheas are due to an excessive action of the pos- 

 terior lobe. In my own experience, in one case of 

 hyperovarism the periods were accompanied by terrific 

 headaches. On several occasions these were markedly 

 relieved by the use of pituitary whole gland. 



