90 INTERNAL SECRETION 



D. Ovarian Medication. 



Brown-Sequard in a first communication to the Societe de 

 Biologic, in June, 1889, expressed the opinion that the ovaries 

 of animals might furnish a juice which would have a beneficial 

 effect upon women similar to that obtained in the case of men 

 by the employment of testicular extracts. In 1890 he reports 

 that a Parisian midwife had injected herself with a liquid 

 made from the ovaries of guinea-pigs, and had benefited thereby. 

 He further calls attention to a report of Villeneuve, who made 

 injections of ovarian extract into three individuals two women 

 and one man. One of the women, who had undergone double 

 ovariotomy, was very considerably benefited. Finally, he 

 gives an account of the work of an American lady doctor, Mme. 

 Augusta Brown, who " avec un grand courage " had observed 

 good results by injection of extracts made from the ovaries 

 of rabbits. The injections were mostly subcutaneous, but 

 the application was sometimes made on to the skin after 

 blistering, and in one case the juice was applied directly to 

 the uterus (in the case of prolapse). 



Brown-Sequard does not seem to regard these reports as 

 of much value, for he concludes that it is the testicular juice 

 which ought always to be given " comme agent dynamo- 

 genique " in women as well as in men. He states that the 

 ovarian extracts are less powerful than the testicular, and 

 their action is not specific. 



Mainzer obtained good results in the treatment of heats, 

 sweating, headache, etc., after double ovariotomy, and also 

 in the vasomotor troubles of the menopause. 



Bestion de Camboulas gives many interesting references 

 showing how completely persuaded were many physicians 

 of the period that the ovary is a gland with an internal secre- 

 tion. The evidence at their disposal was, however, very meagre. 

 They seem to have been led to their belief chiefly by Brown- 

 Sequard's famous dictum that all glands, whether or not they 

 possess a duct, pour into the blood useful principles, whose 

 absence makes itself felt after their extirpation or their destruc- 

 tion by disease. 1 



Bestion de Camboulas gives an account of the various 



1 Bestion de Camboulas says naively : " The ovary, being a gland, ought 

 not to escaf tli is law.'' 



