The Effect of Intravenous Estrogens on Ground Substance

Abstract

Intravenous estrogens have been used for years by specialists in various fields of medicine to control bleeding. Many theories have been advanced to explain their mechanism of action. Some of these theories are within the realm of probability, while others do not appear to be applicable. Our studies would seem to indicate that intravenous estrogens have a definite effect on the ground substance rather than on the intravascular factors which have been stressed in the past. For some time, Jacobson^1-4 wrote about "spontaneous hemorrhage." He drew an analogy between the spontaneous physiological hemorrhage of menstruation and spontaneous hemorrhages elsewhere in the body. Smith and Smith⁵ indicated that a substance was released into the blood stream as the estrogen level decreased. This substance was not identified but was supposed to be one of the initiating factors in uterine bleeding and appeared to have a toxic effect which was specific