68 INTERNAL SECRETION 



by Dixon. He finds that the preparations contain a very 

 large amount of nucleo -protein and other proteins, some 

 organic substances unaltered by boiling, and inorganic salts. 

 Injection into the circulation caused a fall of blood-pressure, 

 but this we now know is an action common to all tissue extracts. 

 Walker is doubtful of the efficacy of testicular medication, 

 stating that the injection of fluid extract into castrated dogs 

 had no effect in arresting the atrophy of the prostate gland. 



It is exceedingly doubtful how far the effects of subcutaneous 

 injection of orchitic extracts are to be regarded as specific. 

 Fresh (unboiled) extracts of various organs and tissues of the 

 body have a distinct stimulating effect when administered 

 subcutaneously to dogs, cats, and other laboratory animals. 



There are, however, reasons of quite another kind for thinking 

 that the testis pours into the blood-stream certain materials 

 which are essential for the proper development of the body 

 and the maintenance of normal health and vigour. The 

 condition of persons or animals in whom the testes have not 

 descended, or from whom the testes have been removed, is 

 strong evidence that, besides the function of the preparation 

 of the specific reproductive elements, the organs have other 

 important duties to perform. There seems to be no doubt 

 that the secondary sexual characters in the male are due to 

 an internal secretion on the part of the testis. Castration 

 before the age of puberty in man is well known to y prevent 

 the growth of hair on the face, to arrest y the growth of the 

 thorax, and pelvis, and the larynx (and so preserve the voice 

 of childhood). It is stated that the practice of castrating 

 boys for the cathedral choirs in Rome was carried out until 

 1878. Male sopranos or " sopranists " were formerly a leading 

 feature of musical life. " A peculiarly soft and full quality 

 of tone seems to have been the characteristic of these evirati, 

 who, as a class, disappeared from the operatic stage with Vel- 

 luti, who retired about 1829, and died as late as 1861." 1 The 

 effect on the larynx is noticed also in horses and cattle when 

 the testes are extirpated in early life. There is in many 

 eunuchs a tendency to a certain form of gigantism, and the 

 mental characteristics are peculiar. 



The first result of castration before the age of puberty is the 

 hind ranee' to further development of the reproductive appara- 

 1 Oxford History of Music, Vol. IV., F. Maitland, 1902. 



