The production of certain distinct types of reactions by the use of ovarian extracts. 1

The present status of our knowledge on the rôle of the ovary as an endocrine gland, and on the exact physiological effects produced by the use of ovarian preparations and extracts, is far from being satisfactory. Though the importance of the ovary as an internal gland is well recognized, there is yet much controversy regarding the interpretation of its particular functions. Some investigators consider the corpus luteum as the only or chief active endocrine part of the ovary, while others attribute more importance to the interstitial tissue or to the follicular complex. This divergence of opinions is partly due to the fact that the methods used for the study of this problem have been somewhat incomplete and the conclusions drawn more or less exclusive. The corpus luteum, for instance, has been repeatedly underestimated in its importance as an endocrine gland since no positive results have been obtained by certain investigators, who have tried several luteal preparations. The fact that one type of ovarian extract may be inactive in a case where another is active must not be taken as a proof that the former does not possess a certain hormonic action which might be detected by the use of other methods.