THE ADRENAL BODIES 243 



also present. The condition is described as typical of " struma 

 suprarenalis." 



Gallais has recently observed and collected a number of 

 cases in which tumours have given rise to striking abnormali- 

 ties in the development of the reproductive organs. He groups 

 them together under the title " genito-adrenal syndroma." 

 One form of this syndrome is characterized by sexual precocity, 

 other forms being such as are described above. He regards 

 the cortex of the adrenal body as essentially a " puberty 

 gland." 



There are other evidences derived from comparative ana- 

 tomy and physiology of the association between the adrenal 

 cortex and the sexual functions. 



Functional variations. Stilling, in his researches upon the 

 adrenal body of the rabbit, observed periodic variations in the 

 weight of these organs. There was enlargement of the glands 

 in male rabbits during the breeding -season. In the same 

 communication he reports that the peripheral part of the cortex 

 in the frog contains, during the summer, certain peculiar 

 elements, the " summer cells," which atrophy later on during 

 the pairing season. Patzelt and Kubik have, however, come 

 to the conclusion that Stilling's summer cells are present the 

 whole year round and are independent of age, sex, or state of 

 nutrition. These authors prefer to call the cells in question 

 acidophile cells from their staining reactions. A curious point 

 is insisted upon by these writers. They find that the acido- 

 phile cells are only present in one species, viz., in R. esculenta. 

 They are entirely wanting in the adrenal bodies of the other 

 anura which they investigated, as also from the glands of the 

 urodela and the reptilia. They note also that similar cells are 

 found in the parathyroids of mammals and in the pituitary 

 gland throughout vertebrates. 



As far back as the year 1806 Meckel noted a relationship 

 between the adrenal bodies and the reproductive organs. 



Nagel in 1836 remarked that animals with large sexual 

 organs and well -developed reproductive instincts possessed 

 large adrenal bodies, which in birds and amphibians became 

 still larger during the breeding season. Glynn remarks that 

 it is highly probable that a similar change occurs in human 

 beings, but that there are no recorded observations on this 

 point. He suggests that such an enlargement, if it does take 



