104 THE SEX-COMPLEX 



Effects of Morley 1 in a plea for the recognition of the placenta 



extracts* 1 as an or g an °f internal secretion lays emphasis on the 

 necessity of standard and efficient methods for the 

 preparation of extracts. The effects of the extracts 

 prepared by him in five different ways are given. No 

 physiological results were obtained, except in the cases 

 of two of the preparations which caused slight contrac- 

 tions of the isolated uterus; but in both the extracts 

 were found to contain the products of decomposition. 



Seitz 2 believes that the placenta plays the part of an 

 organ of internal secretion through the medium of the 

 chorionic epithelium, but he does not substantiate his 

 views with any reliable evidence. 



We have already seen that the action of fcetal 

 (including placental) extracts on the mammary glands 

 is not specific; consequently this matter requires no 

 further consideration here. 



TESTICLE AND PROSTATE 



This work is devoted especially to the female aspect 

 of the sex-complex, so it will be enough to mention here 

 that the testicle, like the ovary, has an internal secretion, 

 and that it is probable that the cells of Leydig — better 

 called the * interstitial cells ' — are chiefly responsible 

 for this function. 



Further details concerning the physiology of the 

 testicle may be obtained from such works as those of 

 Biedl and Vincent. 



The prostate has been considered by some to possess 

 an internal secretion. Serrallach and Pares 3 were the 

 first to make this declaration as the result of prostatec- 

 tomies on dogs, which caused, they thought, retro- 

 gressive changes in the testicles. This result, however, 



1 Morley, W. H., Trans. Amer. Gynecol Soc, 1917, vol. xlii, p. 228. 



2 Seitz, L., Verhand. Deutsch. Oesellsch. f. Gyndk., 1913, vol. xv, 

 p. 213. 



3 Serrallach, M., and N. Pares, Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol., 1907, vol. 

 lxiii, p. 790. 



