story told by
his parents was quite extraordinary, even to the jaded palate of the
clinic professor and his assistants. They said that he was a little
over five years old, a statement conclusively proved correct at his
death. Up to the time at which his illness began, he had been quite
normal in size, intelligence and interests. But with the onset of his
misfortune, he had begun to grow, and rapidly until now he looked
and corresponded in all measurements to a normal boy of twelve or
thirteen. Hair developed all over his skin, most prominently and
abundantly in the typically hairy places of adults. His voice became
low-pitched, and most remarkable of all, his sexuality and mentality
precocious. He became capable of true sexual life and is said to have
asked many questions about the fate and condition of the soul after
death. On one occasion he remarked reflectively: "It is odd how much
better I feel when I let other children play with my toys than when I
play with them myself." Other statements attributed to him imply the
most astounding maturity of thought and mental process. Headaches
finally came, and he died about four weeks later. The cause of the
whole bizarre tragedy was found to be a tumor of the pineal gland.

As has happened before in medical history, no sooner was the one
prodigy reported, than a score of others of the same ilk sprang into
the limelight. Cases of precocious genital development, especially,
some of them occurring as early as the second year of life, were
linked with them. It is an interesting point to be noted that in
these, as in those started by an overaction of the adrenal cortex, it
is premature masculinity that is stimulated. The adrenal cortex must
be classed as a gland of masculinity. The pineal possibly acts as a
brake upon the adrenal cortex.

Very soon after the report of Von Hochwart's prodigy appeared, an
experimental research on the pineal was begun in New York. The pineal
glands of a number of young bullocks were obtained and used for
feeding, to see whether an overaction of the internal secretion
could be produced. Guinea pigs, kittens and rabbits were used. The
experiments covered about two years in time. Of a dozen small
kittens, the subjects outgrew the controls rapidly in activity, size,
intelligence, and resistance to intercurrent disease. Of ten small
rabbits, the controls weighed about a third less than the subjects,
which were strikingly clean, active, fat and salacio