Psychology of sex - Total No. of Records in System :: 2032

THE BIOLOGY OF SEXpituitary, again, appears to yield three hormones, onewhich promotes growth, one which stimulates the ovaries,causing maturation of the Graafian follicles, which produceoestrin, which initiates changes in the uterus toreceive the fertilized ovum; while a third hormone leadsto further uterine changes for the fixation of the ovum.The second is of special practical importance as its presencein the urine is the basis of the Zondek-Aschheim testof pregnancy.There is a close resemblance between the action ofinternal secretions and drugs. Sharpey-Schafer would restrictthe use of the term "hormone to those having1 *anexciting influence, and would term those with an opposinginhibitory influence "chalones." He would call both together"autacoids," to signify that they are drug-likeprinciples produced by the body itself.It will be seen that we now have to define physiologicalphenomenain terms of chemical as well as of nervousregulation. We see also that both sets of terms, and thechemical perhaps even more than the nervous, lie on theother side of psychic phenomena. We have to realize theexistence of a large number of substances in the body,very minute but very potent hormones and vitamins aswell as the derivative serums and vaccines which mayproperly be termed bio-chemical drugs. Their significanceseems greater the more our rapidly growing knowledge ofthem extends. But we are not therefore justified in importingbio-chemical phraseology into psychology. It haslong been clearly understood that it was a mistake toattempt to introduce histological terminology intopsychology. It would be equally a mistake to introducebio-chemical terminology. An emotion remains an emotion,alike whether a hormone or a chalone has on thephysical side taken part in its production.