On the occurrence of compensatory hypertrophy in the ovary / by E.S. Carmichael and F.H.A. Marshall.

  • Carmichael, E. S.
Date:
[1908]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: On the occurrence of compensatory hypertrophy in the ovary / by E.S. Carmichael and F.H.A. Marshall. 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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    \Re'printed fro^ the' Journfxl of Physiology, Vol XXXVI No. 6, February 28, 1908.] V . . U ON THE OCCURRENC^DFriaMPENSATORY HYPER- TROPHY IN THE OVARY. By E. S. CAB,MICHAEL, M.B., F.R.C.S.E., AND F. H. A. MARSHALL, M.A., D.Sc. {From the Physiological Laboratory, University of Edinburgh.) It has frequently been stated as a result of clinical and post-mortem observation that the kidney and other organs of excretion, when removed in part, have marked powers of compensatory growth, but there is little evidence that this is the case with the organs of internal secretion. Ribbert, however, has shown that the remaining testis is capable under certain circumstances of undergoing enlargement after one-sided castration. In the case of the ovary less has been done to test its power of compensation. Bond has recently published the results of some experiments performed by him and Horsley, in which it is shown that in rabbits compensatory hypertrophy of one ovary may occur when the other has been removed, and that this compensation is physiological as well as anatomical. Bond however asserts that this compensation only takes place if the animal is allowed to become pregnant or at least to have sexual intercourse, and he draws the conclusion that sexual intercourse acts as a stimulus to ovarian growth in adult life. Our own experiments dealing with the question of the power of compensation possessed by the ovary may be arranged in four series. 1. A single ovary was removed in rabbits which were pregnant at the time of operation. 2. A single ovary was removed in rabbits non-pregnant at the time of operation. 3 and 4. One ovary, and half or more than half of the opposite ovary, were removed in animals pregnant or non-pregnant at the time of operation. In the first series the operation was performed at various stages of pregnancy in three animals and therefore at a time when the organ was large and active.