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Scientific Proceedings (129) 



with normal Shive solution was determined and in a similar 

 way the effect of menstrual serum on the growth of seedlings 

 was ascertained. It was found that while the average growth 

 of the seedlings in a 1 per cent, solution of normal blood serum 

 in Shive solution gave about 75 per cent, of growth as com- 

 pared with the normal Shive, a similar solution of menstrual 

 serum affected the seedlings in a much more toxic way. This 

 toxicity expressed itself in two ways, in the first place the abso- 

 lute growth in the length of the roots was much less, on an 

 average about 50 per cent., as compared with the normal seed- 

 lings. In the second place, the rootlets no longer grew in a 

 perfectly straight direction, but were curled and distorted in 

 various ways. Numerous experiments repeatedly performed in 

 the above way with numerous samples of sera from normal and 

 menstruating subjects as compared with normal ones. The 

 greatest toxicity was usually found at the beginning of menstrua- 

 tion and was demonstrable even during the premenstrual period 

 of a day before the actual onset of the catamenial flow, growth 

 in such cases being as low as 30 per cent, of the normal. 



Similar experiments were made with samples of saliva ob- 

 tained from normal and menstruating subjects and difference 

 in toxicity was conclusively demonstrated in the case of that 

 secretion also. It was also found that what we may call the 

 "menotoxin" was present likewise in the red blood cells and 

 some very striking experiments revealed the presence of the 

 same menotoxin in the skin secretion of menstruating individuals. 

 Experiments are in progress with a view of ascertaining more 

 intimately the chemical nature of the menotoxin. Various 

 glandular extracts, such as ovarian, corpus luteum, thyroid 

 suprarenal, pituitary, etc., have been examined and more defi- 

 nitely known chemical compounds have also been studied. Fuller 

 data will be published in due time. 



