26 



R. G. HOSKINS 



endocrin components of the gonads. Castration tends to result in delayed 

 closure of the epiphyses and persistence of body growth past the normal 

 age of puherty. This fact has long been made use of in case ,of farm 

 animals. As is well known, the castrated cockerel develops into the over- 

 grown capon. Various data on this point will be found in the chapter 

 on "eumichism." That the fervent, early maturing, relatively short 

 races may derive their somatic and mental characteristics in part from 

 relative preponderance of the gonadal hormones is possible if not probable, 

 just as the more phlegmatic, tall, late maturing races may derive some 

 of their characteristics from relative depression of these hormones. 



Similarly the thyroid might be regarded as a factor in the determina- 

 tion of stature. The stunted cretin, whether human or experimental, 

 is well known. There is in the literature no little evidence of an intimate 

 relationship between the thyroid, the hypophysis, and the gonads. A 

 theory that these three organs functioning synergistically and supplement- 

 ing each other largely determine the height of the individual or the race 

 would be quite tenable. For further data the chapter on "Hormone Fac- 

 tors in Growth and Development" may be consulted. 



In addition- to changes in general growth processes the endocrin 

 organs are capable of conditioning various modifications of configuration. 

 The heavy features, the protruding lower jaw with widely spaced teeth, 

 the beetling brows, and the gorilla-like proportions of the acromegalic are 

 well known. That there is a tendency toward modification in this direc- 

 tion during pregnancy has often been noted, and this tendency may be 

 correlated with hyperactivity in the hypophysis, a condition first de- 

 scribed by Erdheim and Stumme. Similarly, the configuration of the 

 cretin is characteristic. The arrest of growth in cretinism affects the 

 skeleton in general, but cranial changes are particularly prominent. The 

 base of the skull, especially, fails to develop, with the result that the root 

 of the nose appears to be flattened and retracted between the eyes ; whereas 

 the upper forehead appears to project. These are the features that, as 

 Keith points out, give the Mongolian face its characteristic aspect. They 

 are also to be traced in lesser degree in the Negro race. Indeed, in one 

 aberrant branch of this race, the bushmen of South Africa, the thyroid- 

 facies is even more marked than in the Mongolian. 



The differences in skin and hair of various races are striking. Pig- 

 mentation is one of the characteristic results of suprarenal deficiency in 

 man, and Keith is inclined to ascribe to such deficiency a significant role 

 in the production of skin coloration in the darker races. The fact that 

 suprarenal hypertrophy leads at times to marked hirsutism, whereas- the 

 darker races tend towards sparseness of hair, would bear out this assump- 

 tion. On the other hand, suprarenal deficiency leads to bodily weakness, a 

 condition that is not especially characteristic of the darker races. Also, 

 suprarenal hypertrophy results in precocious puberty, whereas there is 



