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PRACTICAL SEX HORMONE THERAPY, Endocrinology, Volume 20, Issue 2, 1 March 1936, Pages 230–232, https://doi.org/10.1210/endo-20-2-230
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Abstract
Male sex hormones are not yet well enough understood to be used in the clinic with safety. Androsterone is the name given to some crystalline preparations from urine, which were at first thought to be the testicular hormone. Recently crystalline material, called testosterone, has been obtained directly from the testis. This is known to be more active than androsterone and also to differ somewhat in the nature of the effects it will produce on accessory reproductive organs. These observations are important since they should give rise to clinical caution about applying the androsterone or even the testosterone to human problems. Both materials will probably lead to hypertrophy of the prostate and hence they may be contraindicated in the male climacteric, for which a therapeutic material is much needed. Some animal work indicates that there is a second testicular hormone which exerts inhibitory effects on the anterior pituitary gland and that this may be the desired material for both climacteric and prostatic problems of men in the later decades. This inhibitory material is not yet isolated for testing. It would seem to be the part of wisdom as regards the general practitioner to avoid the use of any male urinary or testicular extracts until the animal work and the results from special research clinics have given more certain indications for therapy and also dependable guides to the choice of material and dosage.
