THE GENERATIVE GLANDS 377 



The castration of domestic animals, such as stallions, bulls, rams, 

 cocks, &c., is also frequently performed, and at an early age. 



The first result of prepuberal castration is the defective 

 development of the genital apparatus. Post-mortem examination 

 shows that the seminal vesicles and the prostate of eunuchs are 

 small and atrophied. The penis does not, as a rule, become 

 atrophied, and for this reason it is customary to amputate the 

 penis of eunuchs employed as harem guards. Atrophy of the 

 seminal vesicles and prostate is observed in castrated animals, 

 especially in rats which have been deprived of their genital glands 

 at the age of 4 to 6 weeks (Steinach). 



That the removal of the testes not only produces inhibition of 

 prostatic development, but leads to involution of the fully-formed 

 organ, is shown by a large number of animal experiments as 

 well as by Athanasow's careful histological investigations. 

 These observations suggested castration as a therapeutic measure 

 in the treatment of hypertrophy of the prostate ; the method was 

 first carried out, with good result, by Ramm of Christiania in 

 1893. 



The results which have since been obtained justify us in 

 regarding castration as a rational method of treatment in prostatic 

 hypertrophy and one leading to complete or partial cure. It is 

 somewhat difficult, however, to find a satisfactory explanation of 

 these results. 



The inhibition of development in the case of the growing 

 organ is readily explicable. The hormone supplied by the testis 

 is essential to the normal development of the seminal vesicle and 

 the prostate. Walker showed that prostatic atrophy may be pre- 

 vented in castrated dogs by the subcutaneous injection of testicular 

 extract. In the case of hypertrophy of the prostate, which usually 

 appears at a time when the external secretory activity of the testis 

 is reduced, we have to assume an increase in the testicular internal 

 secretion. Otherwise we are compelled to refer the results of 

 castration in this condition to the operation of other momenta. 

 The suppression of the external secretion of the testis might also 

 lead to the atrophy of disuse in the secondary genital organs. It 

 was this view which suggested the operative treatment of prostatic 

 hypertrophy by the removal of one testis, and by the ligature or 

 resection of the vas deferens. Both methods were found to be 

 unsatisfactory and have been abandoned. 



The etiology of hypertrophy of the prostate is to-day much 

 less obscure than formerly, when the internal and external secre- 

 tions of the testicle were regarded as functions of the same tissue, 

 namely, the spermatogenetic elements. Now that we know that 

 Leydig's cells in the interstitial tissue of the testicle are the 

 probable seat of its internal secretory activity, it is a rational 

 supposition that senile hypertrophy of the prostate results from 

 the over-production of the hormone in combination with a reduced 



