The Effect of Resecting a Part of the Uterus on the Formation of the Hen’s Egg

IT HAS been clearly demonstrated (Asmundson and Jervis 1933, Asmundson and Burmester 1936) that resection of a part of the uterus results in reduced secretion by the uterus. The shells of eggs laid after the operation weighed less than the shells of eggs laid before the operation. It may also be considered well established that resection of a part of the oviduct has no direct influence on secretion in another part of the oviduct. Thus when a part of the albumen tube was resected there was a reduction in the amount of the albumen secreted while the amount of shell secreted was not reduced except when there was an appreciable reduction in the combined weight of the yolk and albumen. This it has been pointed out, is a secondary effect since the amount of shell secreted depends not only on the area of secreting surface, but also on the total . . .