Use of Progesterone in the Treatment of Post-Partum Psychosis

STUDIES previously made at this hospital suggest that the adrenal cortex is hyperactive in early but not in chronic schizophrenic, manic-depressive and involutional psychoses.1 Nevertheless, although adrenocortical dysfunction in general often causes mental changes (the psychologic disorders accompanying Addison's and Cushing's diseases are well known), in the "functional" psychoses the adrenal factor is peripheral and is not of primary etiologic significance.1 On the other hand, the administration of large amounts of testosterone, a steroid hormone that depresses pituitary-adrenocortical function, often results in improvement in patients with "functional" psychoses of recent onset — as was shown in a study made here . . .