Abstract
Summary
Castration of hamsters caused a decrease in the number (25-30%) and in the size of erythrocytes. In animals castrated when young enough to have fewer cells than the number typical for castrates the count increased up to the castrate level. Splenectomy had the same effects as castration upon the number and size of red blood cells and no additional change occurred when castrated animals were splenectomized. Liver extract or iron citrate injected daily for three days restored a normal count and normal average corpuscular volume in all operated animals, castrates, splenectomized, and splenectomized castrates. Testosterone injected for a similar length of time was effective in castrates only and was ineffective in all splenectomized animals.
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