74 INTERNAL SECRETION 



secretion of the testis is to destroy fat in the body. For this 

 reason men are thinner than women, and castrated men 

 become fat. 



The view that the internal secretion of the testis which is 

 responsible for the secondary sexual characters is derived from 

 the interstitial cells of Leydig is strongly supported by the 

 facts that these cells have the characters of secretory cells (fatty 

 granules and mitochondria), that the animal remains normal 

 even when there is atrophy of the seminiferous tubules (after 

 tying of vas deferens), and that it is only when we remove the 

 atrophic testis with the Leydig's cells then in good condition, 

 that we produce the changes that are noted after castration. 

 (Massaglia. ) 



It is stated (Wheelon and Shipley) that castration causes a 

 depression of the vaso -motor irritability and that transplanta- 

 tion partially reinstates normal activity. 



In the human subject Lichtenstern reports that after loss of 

 both testes, transplantation of a testis from another man 

 restores the previous physical and psychical condition. 



Brown-Sequard's work has already been referred to, and a 

 summary of the alleged beneficial results from the use of 

 Poehl's spermin has been given. Orchitic extracts have also 

 been recommended in certain toxic dermatoses, and even in 

 psoriasis, with the idea that they have an antitoxic action. In 

 asthenia and nervous irritability it is stated that the extracts 

 of testis are useful and far-reaching in their results. 



B. The Internal Secretion of the Prostate Gland 



It has been reported that after prostatectomy in dogs the 

 testicles gradually lose; their functional activity, ejaculation 

 ceases to occur, the formation of spermatozoa is stopped, and 

 the other generative secretions are no longer formed. On the 

 other hand, the administration of glycerin extract of prostate 

 to dogs so operated upon prevents the atrophic changes ; 

 ejaculation continues, the spermatozoa do not disappear, the 

 preputial glands secrete. It is inferred, therefore, that the 

 functional activity of the testis and other generative organs is 

 dependent upon an internal prostatic secretion. 



Walker had previously obtained contrary results with white 

 mice. As Mai -hall very justly points out, the most obvious 



