THE FUNCTION OF THE OVARY 225 



However brief this review of the subject, it suffices 

 to point out the major interrelationship between the 

 ovary and the other glands and the variety of their 

 influences. Bell 8 puts great stress on the part the in- 

 ternal secretions play in forming woman's physical, 

 mental and emotional states. He refers to Helmonts' 

 statement, "Propter solum uterum mulier est quod 

 est" which Chevan later changed to "Propter ovarium 

 solum mulier est quod est." Virchow in reiterating 

 this added, "all the peculiarities of her body and mind 

 everything, in fact, which in the true woman we 

 admire and revere as womanly, is dependent on the 

 ovary." But in the light of the interdependence of 

 the endocrine glands Bell suggests changing the state- 

 ment to "Propter secretiones internas tolas mulier est 

 quod est," thus modernizing the phrase. 



On the whole then, with the ovarian and plurigland- 

 ular preparations, the physician has at his command 

 powerful remedies. In the use of these the larger his 

 knowledge of the interrelations of the whole endo- 

 crine system the more skillful will be his ministrations. 

 James, the psychologist, said that in right thinking 

 the first step is "to conceive the problem aright." This 

 is equally true in diagnosis. Comprehension and ap- 

 preciation of the significance, force and influence of 

 these glands will enable the physician to place the 

 blame more nearly where it belongs. The proper use 

 of these derivatives may afford to the patient an escape 

 from that physical and psychic state so aptly expressed 

 by Charles Lamb as "the majestic isolation of pain." 



Indeed, some knowledge of endocrinology is fast be- 

 coming an essential. To quote Garretson, "there is 

 no branch of medicine which can be intelligently prac- 

 ticed without an understanding of endocrine function 

 therefore, the general practitioner, as well as the 

 specialist, without a working knowledge of this sub- 

 ject and its practical application, is immeasurably 



