138 THE GLANDS REGULATING PERSONALITY 



and their secretions will remain infantile, causing a persistent 

 infantilism or delay of puberty. 



Formerly there was ascribed to the ovaries, in a lump and 

 without qualification, an absolute despotism over the specifically 

 feminine functions of menstruation, gestation, parturition, and 

 lactation. Nowadays, we see its domain as a limited monarchy, 

 if not indeed as one sovereign state of a republic, a member equal 

 but not superior to the others of a board of directors. Its true 

 business comes down to two particular roles: first, the production 

 of ova, and, second, the secretion of a hormone or hormones. 

 Over the other functions once supposed its monopoly, all the 

 ductless glands rule. 



What concerns us now is its internal secretion or secretions. 

 One of them is known as lutein and it has never been chemically 

 isolated in its pure form. The existence of lutein, like the exist- 

 ence of electricity, is an inference, something we are sure is there 

 because of its effects. It originates in a remarkable part of the 

 ovary, the corpus luteum. Besides, there are the products of the 

 interstitial cells, the creations of a special layer of cells around 

 the ovum, the membrana granulosa. They produce a substance 

 tonic to the uterus. 



When the ovaries are removed, there occurs an atrophy of the 

 womb muscle, due to loss of this tonic substance. This atrophy, 

 accompanied by an abolition of the normal periodic uterine con- 

 traction, makes conditions unfavorable to pregnancy. It has been 

 claimed that the secretion of the corpus luteum is necessary for 

 the complete progress of a pregnancy. Cases are on record, how- 

 ever, of ovaries taken out soon after the onset of pregnancy, 

 without interference with the gestation. 



Castration is comparable in every way with the menopause 

 or the time of cessation of sexual life, a process that might be 

 called self-castration. It produces certain general constitutional 

 effects. Adiposity often develops, undoubtedly associated with 

 underfunction of the thyroid and pituitary glands. yThe woman 

 breathes less oxygen per minute and burns up less f<$d and tissue. 

 There is some disturbance of the lime balance with an increased 

 excitability of the vegetative nervous system. Concomitant is the 

 release of some brake upon the blood pressure mechanisms, so 

 that a family tendency to high blood pressure will flare up. Some 

 women are rendered unstable by the process, others are completely 

 transformed, and still others adapt themselves, with little or no 

 discomfort, to the new situation. The response to the revolution 



