520 



V. D. LESPDsTASSE 



Compensatory Action 



As we have seen from the study of excess of early develojyment of 

 puberty, there is a marked reciprocal action between the pituitary, the 

 adrenal, and the testicle in regard to excess secretion and the early de- 

 velopment of puberty. 



In castrated individuals a small percentage retain their sexual libido 

 and do not tend to become extremely fat but grow tall. This condition 

 was investigated by Livingston in rabbits, and he found that his rabbits 

 were of two types, those that increase markedly in weight and become 

 very fat, and those that do not. This corresponds with the two types of 

 eunuchs, the fat type and the tall type. His work was very accurate, and 

 in the tall type he showed an absolute increase in weight of the pituitary 

 in proportion to body weight, whereas in the fat individuals there was no 

 such increase in weight. In the adrenal the changes were less marked, 

 and there was more uncertainty as to the effects on the adrenal of castra- 

 tion, although there was a tendency toward hypertrophy. 



Data available as to the conditions of the thymus in cases of precocious 

 puberty show that it is usually atrophied. In conditions of delayed sexual 

 development the thymus persists longer than normal. The thymus is sup- 

 posed to have anti-sexual action and inhibit the development of secondary 

 sex characters. 



