Cyclic Changes in the Interstitial Cells of the Ovary and Testis in the Woodchuck (Marmota Monax)

The significance of the so-called interstitial cells found in the ovary and testis of many mammals and of some lower orders is still a much-debated subject. Since the introduction of the term “interstitial gland” by M. Bouin in 1900 with reference to the ovary and later applied to the testis by P. Bouin and P. Ancel ('03), these cells have received much attention in connection with the supposed internal secretory activity of the gonads, for which there is much evidence not only from experimental but also from strictly clinical sources and especially in the rapidly increasing field of organotherapy. One is particularly struck with the number of reports in current clinical literature on the more or less successful use of ovarian extracts and transplants in female disorders.