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HYPERTROPHY of smooth muscle and narrowing of the cavity in seminal vesicles of rats following treatment with oestrone (menformon) has been previously described [for references see Freud, 1933, 1, 2]. While stimulating the growth of non-epithelial structures, oestrone damages the columnar epithelium of seminal vesicles by reducing the surface of their cavity, hastening shrinkage of cells and desquamation in castrates. The detached epitheial lining often conglomerates in masses reminiscent of tumours or embryonic tissue. Eosinophil leucocytes invade the smooth muscle and submucosa. Male hormone (hombreoll, assayed on combs of capons) maintains or even increases the ramification of the cavity, prevents shrinkage and desquamation of columnar cells and stimulates them to secretion and mitosis. Hombreol does not interfere with the growth-stimulating effects of oestrone on the wall of the vesicles. The two substances mutually enhance their hypertrophic actions (pacemaking). Contrary to the one-sided effect of oestrone, sufficiently large doses of hombreol (5 or more c.u. daily) stimulate general hypertrophy of seminal vesicles, even when thoroughly purified from contamination with oestrogenic substances. Correspondence between the effects of oestrone in mnaue and females. Castrated female rabbits and rats, when treated with 100-1000 M.u. of oestrone daily during several weeks, have very thick uteri, with a narrow unramified cavity. Epithellum shrinks and becomes partially detached and conglomerated. The thickened wall consists for. the most part of enormously hypertrophied submucous or interstitial fibrous tissue, reminiscent of fibroid tumours (see Fig. 1). An infiltration with eosinophil leucocytes is also noticeable. This favours Witherspoon's theory [1933] concerning the possible causes ofuterine fibroids in human beings. Ramification of the uterine cavity and hypertrophy, mitosis and secretion of the epithelium are stimulated by the hormone of the corpus luteum (progestin), which is thereby proved to be a female analogue of hombreol. The combined effects of oestrone and progestin on the uterus are

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