On the growth of the albino rat (Mus norvegicus var. albus) after castration / by J.M. Stotsenburg.

  • Stotsenburg, J. M.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: On the growth of the albino rat (Mus norvegicus var. albus) after castration / by J.M. Stotsenburg. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    ]ar to that described above, with the additional effect of permanently reducing the number of cases and hence the general significance of the averages. Observation in the case of any litter was usually brought to a close bv some illness which interfered with the normal growth of one or more of the animals. In such a case, observations on that litter were discontinued. When this occurred, the fact is noted in the last column of each table. Conclusions. 1. In the case of albino rats, the growth curve for the castrates is similar to that for the normals. 2. Castrates are as susceptible as normals to the incidental in- fluences modifying growth. 3. Castrates are as susceptible as normals to the forms of disease and digestive disturbances which hinder normal growth. Although these observations show that in the albino rat the normal growth curve is not modified by castration, yet it is not uncommonly assumed that in man prepubertal growth is casually related to the maturing of the reproductive system at puberty. Against this assumption, in addition to the direct evidence fur- nished by the foregoing observations, the following facts may be adduced: In man castration is not usually practised before the ninth year (Mobius, ’96). Castrates are never described as dwarfed, and are often stated to be heavier (i. e., fatter) or to have longer limb bones than normal (Ecker, ’64, ’65), (Lortet, ’96), (Tandler and Grosz, ’98). The amount of growth is then certainly not diminished, and it seems probable therefore that prepubertal growth it not retarded by castration. Indeed there are positive statements in the literature to the effect that it is increased. Further in support of the idea that the relation between puberty and prepubertal growth in man is merely incidental, we have the fact that in the rat the corresponding point in the growth curve,