JohannesburgDuring the course of an anatomical study of specimens of emphysematous lungs evidence was found to suggest that the bronchial circulation might play a more important part in producing the disease picture than has been appreciated hitherto. Consequently we undertook a detailed investigation of the bronchial arteries and veins in both normal and diseased lungs.In some respects our findings differ from presently accepted views of the anatomy of these vessels. MATERIAL AND METHODS OF INVESTIGATION The material us.d in our experiments is set out in Tables I and II. The specimens have varied from very fresh lungs obtained at operation to necropsy material injected at least 24 hours after death and after rigor mortis had passed off. In all, a total of 63 lung specimens were injected.The following injection techniques were employed: The Vinylite Corrosion Technique (Puckett and Newman, 1940).-In this procedure coloured plastic was injected into the vessels under a positive pressure which varied from 2 to 5 lb. per sq. in. The organic material was digested off the cast by immersion in either concentrated hydrochloric acid or a 40% solution of caustic potash. After digestion a careful dissection was necessary to remove the finer radicles of the pulmonary vessels in order to visualize for study the bronchial circulation. The lungs, in the majority of instances, were inflated with air before the injection of the blood vessels; in other cases vinylite was formed into the bronchi as an alternative to inflation with air. In preparing demonstration specimens, casts of the bronchi were made by pouring Wood's metal into the trachea before opening the chest.When injecting complete lungs obtained at necropsy the pulmonary artery was filled through a cannula tied into the main stem; the pulmonary veins were filled through a cannula in the left auricular appendix, the aorta being ligated at its origin to prevent the escape of vinylite into the systemic vessels. The bronchial arteries were injected through a cannula tied into the divided descending aorta, the arch of the aorta being clamped at the origin of the left subclavian artery and the intercostal vessels being tied or clamped before or during the injection. The veins which enter the azygos and hemiazygos veins were injected through these veins in a retrograde manner.

Testosterone (T), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and prolactin (PRL) levels were obtained in 33 male epileptic patients and 11 age-matched normal controls. The patients had significantly higher mean levels of FSH, LH, and PRL; T was decreased but not significantly so. Patients who had reported difficulties with sexual arousal on the Bear-Fedio Inventory had significantly lower T levels than those who did not. Increased LH levels correlated with younger age at onset of epilepsy and longer history of tonic clonic seizures. Increased PRL levels were related to a positive family history of epilepsy and nonfocal tonic clonic seizures. Anticonvulsant levels were unrelated to hormonal changes except for carbamazepine which was positively correlated with PRL levels.

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