38 
PHYSIOLOGY: EVANS AND LONG Proc. N. A. S. 
^ The point-set t is said to be the limiting set of the sequence of point-sets h, t2, h, 
. . . provided that (a) each point of t is the sequential limit point of an infinite subsequence 
of some sequence of points, Pi, P2, P3, . . . sucht hat, for every n, Pn belongs to tn, and 
(b) if Pi, P2, P3, ... is a sequence of points such that, for every n, Pn belongs to tn 
then t contains the sequential limit point of every subsequence of Pi, P2, P3, . . . which 
has a sequential limit point. 
CHARACTERISTIC EFFECTS UPON GROWTH, OESTRUS AND 
OVULATION INDUCED BY THE INTRAPERITONEAL 
ADMINISTRATION OF FRESH ANTERIOR HY- 
POPHYSEAL SUBSTANCE'^ 
By Herbert M. Evans and J. A. Long 
Department of Anatomy, University of Cawfornia 
Communicated by L. Hektoen, December 23, 1921 
At the last session (Proc. Amer. Assoc. Anat., Anai. Rec, vol. 21) we 
reported a characteristic acceleration of growth in rats treated intra- 
peritoneally with the finely ground, fresh anterior lobe of the hypophysis 
of beef. We had shown that this effect is in marked contrast to the lack 
of effects from oral administration of the same substance, even in very 
large amounts. Two careful series of experiments with litter mate controls 
have now been completed, some members of the first series having been 
experimented with continuously for a period of over one year. Such ani- 
mals are invariably much heavier than their litter mate sisters. The greatest 
disparity which has been observed was attained on the 333rd day of life 
when an animal receiving anterior hypophyseal substance weighed 596 
grams and its healthy litter mate control weighed 248 grams. It would 
not appear to be incorrect to characterize these changes as producing 
constantly a certain degree of true gigantism. Increase in weight results 
to a great extent from a storage of fat, but is not solely due to this, the 
skeleton being invariably somewhat larger and heavier, and, as would 
be expected, the heart, lung, alimentary canal and kidney are heavier. 
The fat deposits in the omentum and mesentery are such that these struc- 
tures weigh three or four times as much in the experimental animals as 
in their controls. The weight of the hypophysis, thyroid and thymus 
is not appreciably effected. 
Most surprising is the effect on the reproductive system. Oestrus, as 
detected by typical changes in the vaginal smear, may never occur in these 
animals or may be exhibited only at long intervals. It was, consequently, 
surprising to find that in all instances the ovaries instead of being under- 
developed weighed twice as much as they did in the control animals and 
exhibited great numbers of substantial corpora lutea. The uterus, on 
the contrary, weighed absolutely about half as much as it did in the normal 
