Hypophysectomy of birds. I-Technique, with a note a on results

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Abstract
Hypophysectomy is now performed readily in many mammals and amphibians, but so far it has apparently not been successfully accomplished in birds. Fischera (1905) attempted to cauterize the pituitary body of the fowl, but obtained only dubious results. In view of our increasing knowledge of the reproductive system and secondary sexual characters of birds, it is evident that hypophysectomy would open up a wide field of investigation for work on sex hormones. The parapharyngeal route for removing the pituitary was precluded by the large size of the gullet, while the temporal route seemed to offer little hope. The extensibility of the mouth tissues, however, suggested that a buccal approach would be practicable. It was found barely possible to open the beak sufficiently to give easy access to the back of the mouth, but a comparatively small incision in the thin elastic floor of the mouth provided a ready approach to the soft palate and the base of the skull. We have found it possible to remove the pituitary with comparative ease by this transbuccal route, and the present paper is devoted to a description of the exact technique of the operation. The following description applies primarily to the fowl; notes on the differences found in other birds are given in Section III.

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