EFFECTS OF OOPHORECTOMY 29 



secondary sex-characteristics. I do not know on what The inter- 



' ial cell 

 ovary. 



grounds such a supposition has arisen, for it is contrary l^ Q la> 



to all available evidence. 



In those animals in which the interstitial cells are 

 prominent many of the secondary characteristics of sex 

 are noticeably indecisive. Further, I shall show in the 

 second part of this book that in the human subject the 

 possession of a profusion of interstitial cells in the gonads 

 may be associated with secondary characteristics of sex 

 opposite to that represented in the genital glands. 



My own experiments concerning the functions of the Experiments 

 ovary as a whole have been carried out on dogs, cats and ^^^ifl^ 

 rabbits. As already stated, the ovaries of the carnivora functions of 

 resemble in structure the human ovary more closely than 

 is the case with the ovaries of rodents. The methods of 

 investigation have consisted in noting the effects of 

 oophorectomy on the pregnant and non-pregnant uterus, 

 on the other ductless glands and on the general meta- 

 bolism, and of the influence of grafts in various circum- 

 stances. 



EFFECTS OF OOPHORECTOMY ON THE GENITAL FUNCTIONS 

 AND ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE REST OF THE 

 GENITALIA 1 



Effect of oophorectomy on the non-pregnant Atrophy of 

 uterus. — Some years ago, in conjunction with Hick, the muscle- 



m coats oi tne 



I pointed out that the first effect of oophorectomy on uterus foUow- 

 the uterus was the production of atrophy in the muscle- tomy? P 

 coats 2 . Figure 14 shows the normal uterus of the cat 

 with its two muscle-coats, and figure 15 that of the 

 same cat 238 days after oophorectomy. We concluded 

 that the normal muscle-contractions were abolished 



1 Most of the experimental investigations, not otherwise indicated, 

 concerning the functions and interrelations of the hormonopoietic organs 

 detailed in Part I of this work were first described in the Arris and 

 Oale Lectures in 1913, to which reference will not be made in this 

 connexion, 



2 Bell, W. Blair, and P, Hick, Brit. Med. Journ., 1909, vol. i, p, 655. 



