THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 91 



modes of preparing ovarian extracts. He employed (1) fresh 

 gland, (2) dried gland, (3) ovarian juice or fluid extract. This 

 last was watery or alcoholic, or a glycerin extract. He recom- 

 mended the employment for medical purposes of the ovaries of 

 the sow. 



This author performed a series of experiments upon animals 

 in order to investigate the toxicity of the ovarian extracts, 

 and found that the glycerin or watery preparation is much 

 more toxic for the male than for the female. After large doses 

 males died with pyrexia, hsematuria, and other disturbances. 

 With non-toxic doses the males lost weight, the females gained 

 weight. The resistance of pregnant females was much less 

 than that of non-pregnant. 



Clinically, his results were as follows : Troubles of the 

 menopause, natural or after castration, are considerably 

 relieved by ovarian extract without other medication. There 

 is constant amelioration in cases of amenorrhcea and chlorosis, 

 and there is a real improvement in the mental troubles 

 which accompany genital lesions, or which occur after cas- 

 tration. Improvement in the general condition is marked 

 in all cases. The extract should never be given to preg- 

 nant women. 



Andrews speaks very cautiously as to the benefit accruing 

 from the administration of ovarian extracts, while Cohn 

 finds that the results are nearly always disappointing. 



Batty Shaw says that the special value of ovarian substance 

 is shown in cases in which the ovaries are ill-developed, or have 

 become atrophied as at the menopause, or have been removed 

 by operation. 



There are numerous other papers on the subject of ovarian 

 medication. Much of the work has been very uncritical. 

 No due regard has ever yet been taken even in experiments on 

 animals as to the condition of the ovary from which the 

 extract is made, and it seems clear that the corpus luteum will 

 in the future have to be considered separately both experi- 

 mentally and clinically. 1 



1 Bouin and Ancel now believe that the corpus luteum secretes a hormone 

 which excites the mammary gland to growth, but that the hormone which 

 excites to secretion is derived from a gland which they claim to have discovered 

 in the muscular layer of the uterus, and to which they have given the name 

 " myometrial gland." Recent work has thrown considerable doubt upon 

 the existence of any such " gland " in the uterine wall. 



