Earl T. Engle

Time of ovulation.

18 patients awaiting gynecological surgery at the Sloane Hospital fo r Women pretested for regular temperature charts for their menstrual cy cle were studied to determine the correlation between basal body temperature and the appearance of the endometrium and the ovary with the time of ovulation. Patients were admitted several days prior to their expected temperature rise and all were operated upon on the day on which their temperature showed the characteristics rise indicative of ovulation. An endometrial biopsy was obtained and both ovaries examined at the time of surgery. Attempts were made to classify the patients into chronological groups as measured by the age of their corpora lutea. 6 were without evidence of ovulation. 2 were grouped as less than 12 hours after ovulation. 4 had corpora lutea of about 24 hours. 2 had a 36-hour corpus luteum and 2 had 48-hour and 72-hour or longer. The endometriums showed much less progressive change evidence of luteal activity appearing only after corpora lutea were at least 36 hours. In spite of possible 24-36 hour variations between actual temperature rise and time of operation further differences indicate there is some variation in the time at which different corpora lutea begin to elaborate progesterone. A discussion following this paper covers the clinical advisability of using the temperature charts especially for artificial insemination.