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THE 
 
 SEXUAL SYSTEM, 
 
 AND 
 
 MEDICALCOMPANION. 
 
 EMBRACING 
 
 A description of the Anatomy, Generative Functions, 
 
 3Iarriage Conditions, and Special IHseases of 
 
 the Male and Female Sexual System, 
 
 WESLEY GJtINDLE, M.D., 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 "ADULTERATED DRUGS AND MEDICINES," "PATHOLOGY 
 
 AND TREATMENT OP PULMONARY CONSUMPTION," 
 
 "NEW MEDICAL REVELATIONS," 
 
 ETC., ETC. 
 
 KXOW THYSELF. 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 1864. 
 
A 
 
 Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1S64, by 
 
 WESLEY GRINDLE, M. D., 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern Distriot 
 of Pennsylvania. 
 
 STEREOTYPED BY WESTCOTT * THOMSON. 
 
 itjr V 
 
 PRINTED BY SMITH & PETERS, 
 
 Franklin Building*, Sixth Street, below Arch, 
 Philadelphia. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 • HOB 
 
 Preface. ~ » 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 
 
 The pudendum or external organs — The mona veneris, labia majora, labia 
 minora, clitoris, vestibule, meatus urinarius, urethra, and hymen de- 
 scribed — Their abuses, diseases, and malformations noticed — Amputations 
 of the nymphae and clitoris — Supposed hermaphrodites — The Lesbian 
 love — The uses of the nymphse, clitoris, and hymen explained, and ludi- 
 crous errors exposed — The internal genital organs — The vagina, womb, 
 fallopian tubes, and ovaries described — Interesting cases of impotence 
 from rigid contraction of the orifice of the vagina — The instinctive mo- 
 tions of the fimbriated extremities of the fallopian tubes — The ovum or 
 human egg — Its structures, minuteness, and wonderful capabilities con- 
 sidered — The corpus luteum — The doctrine omnia ex ovo established — 
 From Harvey 15 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 ilALE GENITAL ORGANS. 
 
 The penis, its form, dimensions, structures, attachments, etc. — The urethra, 
 its curving direction, varying size, elasticity, prominences, depressions, 
 etc. — A thorough knowledge of its anatomy necessary to treat strictures 
 of the urethra — How the prepuce is formed — Circumcision, its origin, 
 uses, etc.— The gians— The scrotum, its form and structures— The testes 
 and their appendages—Epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, ejacu- 
 latory ducts, etc. — Secreting structure of the testes consisting of minute 
 
 3 
 
4 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAG* 
 tubes 3780 feet long — The passage of the semen — The spermatozoa, or 
 male sperm-cells, their minuteness, forms, brisk motions, etc. — The repro- 
 ductive element of the male semen — Are they real animalcules ? — Have 
 they a sexual system ? — Their union with the ovum — Curious conjectures 
 —Hereditary tendencies in, the spermatozoa and ovum— Important sug- 
 gestions 43 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 
 
 Sexual development — Menstruation in girls, and seminal fluid in boys — 
 The period of puberty — Great variations — Premature and delayed men- 
 struation — How often do the menses occur — The lunar superstition — 
 Whole period of menstrual life — Interesting cases — Nature of the fluid, 
 its odor in the breath, etc.— Is it blood or a secretion ? — Why it does not 
 coagulate like blood — Its source and uses — How is it connected with 
 child-bearing ? — Generation a condition of puberty— The sexual organs, 
 amours, and generation of plants, and the lower animals — Interesting 
 cases — Generation in the genus homo — Amusing theories of the ancient* 
 — The true theory established by modern science — When and how tha 
 ovum and spermatozoa come in contact — The mechanical, chemical, and 
 vital forces of the vagina, womb, fallopian tubes, and ovaries— The ulti- 
 mate vital principle 66 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 
 
 Development of the conjugal feelings— The most proper age for marriages 
 Interesting examples — Matrimonial scale — Courtship and marriage cus- 
 toms in barbarous and semi-civilized countries — Ancient Britain and 
 Scotland, Italy, Turkey, Africa, etc.— Amusing cases— The hymen as an 
 evidence of virginity — Erroneous opinions — The Mosaic law — Unjust and 
 oppressive laws and customs — The consummation of marriage— Physical 
 disproportions condemned — Great men of illegitimate birth — Mental im- 
 pressions transmitted to the offspring— Interesting cases— Napoleon, 
 Queen Mary, etc., etc.— The charm of contrasts— Feminine men and 
 
CONTENTS. 5 
 
 PA01 
 
 masculine women — Qualifications of young people for the marriage re* 
 lation — Domestic acquirements — The lady loafer — The blessedness of 
 home — The advice of an oriental Brahmin — Marriage as a remedy — Un- 
 just laws relating to marriages and divorces — When divorces are justifiable 
 —Physical impediments— Caution, treatment, etc W 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 
 
 Kxtra-uterine pregnancy — False pregnancy — The non-gravid womb — The 
 change and enlargement of the womb during pregnancy — The origin, 
 development, and uses of the membranes, placenta, umbilical cord and 
 bag of waters — The appearance and size of the foetus at different periods 
 of its development — The nutrition of the foetus — How the blood is puri- 
 fied in the placenta, and the blood pabulum transmitted from the mo- 
 ther to the foetus— Practical inferences — Diseases of the man communi- 
 cated to the woman through the placenta — The likeness and peculiarities 
 of the first husband communicated to the children of the second hus- 
 band, etc. — The duration of pregnancy — Great variations — The Gardner 
 peerage case — Duration of pregnancy in a crazy woman — Variations in 
 the lower animals — Dr. Reid's table — The signs of pregnancy — Cessation 
 of the menses— Morning sickness— Changes in the breasts — Quickening 
 Form of the abdomen — Changes in the mouth and neck of the womb — 
 Bebound of the foetus — Sounds of the foetal heart, etc , 128 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 PARTURITION OR LABOR. 
 
 Vague thought&^f young married women concerning labor — A description 
 of the female pelvis and the child's head — The movements of the bead 
 in passing through the pelvis— How to determine when labor will com- 
 mence—How to tell when conception takes place — At what periods may 
 a woman conceive ? — Signs of approaching labor — Sensations of the fe- 
 male — Subsidence of the womb — How to tell spurious from true labor 
 pains — The show— How the first examination should be made, and its 
 objects — Attention to the bowels, bladder, etc.— Labor divided into three 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 Mft 
 
 stages — Character of the pains — Rigid os uteri — Rupture of the bag of 
 
 waters — The descent of the head — The support of the perineum — Cord 
 around the neck — The caul — The separation of the child — Horrible mis- 
 takes — Delivery of the after-birth — Bandaging the mother— After pains, 
 lochial discharge, etc.— Proper diet for the mother— Treatment of the 
 child— When should it be put to the breast?— Substitutes for the mo- 
 ther's milk— The bottle, the goat, and the wet-nurse 164 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 DISEASES OP FEMALES. 
 
 Falling of the womb and other uterine displacements — Their causes, symp- 
 toms, and treatment — Amenorrhoea or retention and suppression of the 
 menses — Causes of retention of the menses — Want of development, 
 stricture of the neck of the womb, imperforate hymen, and chlorosis— 
 The symptoms and treatment — The causes, symptoms, and treatment of 
 suppression of the menses — Dysmenorrhoea or painful menstruation- 
 Condition of the womb — Causes, treatment, etc. — Menorrhagia or pro- 
 fuse menstruation — Its terrible consequences — Its causes and treatment 
 — Leucorrhcea or the whites— How it destroys the human face divine— 
 The causes, treatment, etc. — Pruritus pudendi or excessive itching of the 
 external genital organs— May continue for life if left to itself— Its de- 
 scription, and the treatment recommended as infallible— Irritable blad- 
 der — Painful desire to pass the water at short intervals — Its horrible eP 
 focts if left to itself— may continue for life— The infallible cure 20* 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 
 
 W visions of the subject— Causes of abortions— Habit of the womb, death 
 of the foetus, detachment of the placenta, external violence, strong 
 mental emotions, etc. — Ludicrous case of abortion produced by anger- 
 Symptoms of threatened miscarriage — Pain and hemorrhage — Howthey 
 differ from pain and hemorrhage produced by other causes— The treat-, 
 ment— When to save the foetus, and when to hasten its expulsion — When 
 is it justifiable to induce miscarriages, or premature labor 7 Deformities 
 
CONTENTS. t 
 
 MM 
 ef the pelvis, retro-version of the womb, flooding during pregnancy, ex* 
 cessive nausea and vomiting, habitual death of the foetus, etc.— Preg- 
 nancy following rapes— Artful and wicked seductions— The civil laws- 
 Horrible consequences of abortions produced by charlatans and patients 
 themselves— A startling case— Advice and warning— An appeal to justice 
 and humanity u 246 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 STERILITY AND IMPOTENCE. 
 
 When justifiable to guard against pregnancy— Its practicability— Amusing 
 humbugs — The influence of children upon parents — Interesting illustra- 
 tions—Sterility in the male— How to detect it with the microscope — 
 Causes and treatment of sterility in the male— Interesting and amusing 
 cases— Causes of sterility in the female— Malformations, organic diseases, 
 derangement of the menstrual function, unsuitable marriages, etc. — Un- 
 known causes — An example — Remarks upon the treatment of sterility- 
 Its curability — Impotence in the female — The causes and treatment- 
 Impotence in the male common — The usual causes — malformations, con- 
 tinued continence, anxiety and fear at the consummation of marriage- 
 Sexual diseases and self-abuses the most frequent causes — Horrible con- 
 sequences of seminal weakness, and impotence arising from self-abuses 
 —Remarks upon the principles of treatment — Its curability — Important 
 mechanical invention — Its great success...., 277 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 
 
 Seminal weakness and self-pollution— Emissions during sleep— Those pro- 
 duced by defecation and urination— Those occurring slowly and almost 
 constantly — Detected by the microscope — Their destructive effects upon 
 the system— Impotency, atrophy, etc. — Imbecility, insanity, epilepsy, 
 paralysis, consumption, etc. — Startling description of Hufeland — Causes 
 of seminal weakness — Sexual excesses, gonorrhceal and gleety dis- 
 charges, masturbation, etc., etc.— Interesting case of treatment— What is 
 masturbation ?— How to protect the young from such horrible pollution* 
 
8 CONTENTS. 
 
 nil 
 
 — Its destructive effects upon the mind and body — Quotation from the 
 Rev. Dr. Adam Clarke — Quotation from Hippocrates — Priapism, atrophy, 
 and insensibility of the organ — Disgusting and dangerous means to pro- 
 duce erotic sensations — Startling account of the inn-keeper — The dis- 
 gusting and horrible practices of Gabriel Gallien the shepherd of Lan- 
 guedoo— Remarks upon the treatment of seminal weakness and mastur- - 
 bation 309 
 
 4 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 
 
 Gonorrhoea produced by infectious matter — Ludicrous ideas of some authors 
 — The period of incubation — How the symptoms commence — Character 
 of the discharge — The painful symptoms — Scalding in making water, 
 swelled glands, chordee, phymosis, paraphymosis, swelled testicles, irri- 
 table bladder, etc. — The formation of spasmodic and permanent stric- 
 tures — Terrible consequences of bad treatment — Syphilis — The primary 
 ■ore or chancre — Its situation in males and females — Varieties ; hard, 
 ■oft, and sloughing — The whole virile member sometimes destroyed — The 
 formation of syphilitic buboes — Constitutional syphilis most to be • 
 dreaded — Dirty, scaly, copper-colored skin diseases, running sores, sore 
 throat, destruction of the palate, and the nasal appendage, falling of the 
 hair and eyebrows, diseases of the bones, joints, etc.— Syphilitic bron- 
 chitis, paralysis, etc.— Why not reported in our bills of mortality— He- 
 reditary transmissions— Fearful mortality of children— The treatment 
 of such children— Remarks upon the treatment of primary and constitu- 
 tional syphilis 343 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 There is a universal custom among authors to present their 
 works to the public by certain preliminary remarks, called a 
 Preface which looks well enough mechanically, as a sort of handle 
 to a book. Some authors carry this custom still further, and suc- 
 ceed the preface by stringing together a number of paragraphs 
 which they call an Introduction ; but the reader, conscious that this 
 is a form without much substance, with a very slight notice, usually 
 passes over all such preliminaries, and enters, at once, upon the pe- 
 rusal of the body of the work. We hope, however, that this preface 
 will be carefully perused by every one into whose hands the book 
 may pass, for we have brought to light many startling, as well as 
 practical truths, usually regarded as hidden things among eminent 
 medical men, and some preliminary explanation, as to their cha- 
 racter, design, arrangement, etc., seems necessary. 
 
 No enlightened physician can doubt for a moment, that a sys- 
 tematic work upon the sexual system of both sexes, designed for 
 the reading masses of the American people, is greatly needed in the 
 present state of society ,• for we constantly find large numbers of 
 men and women laboring under the most fearful apprehensions re- 
 lative to their physical condition, or afflicted with various weak- 
 nesses, infirmities, and diseases of the most dangerous and loath- 
 some character, all for the want of a little sound instruction con- 
 
 y 
 
10 PREFACE. 
 
 corning themselves — the manner in which they are made, the fane- 
 tions of their sexual organs, the causes which induce debility 
 and disease, and the best method of prevention and cure. Surely 
 " The true study of man is man." 
 
 To the best of our knowledge — and we have taken great pains to 
 look into the matter — there is no work extant possessing the requi- 
 site characteristics to guide and instruct the people upon these deli- 
 cate subjects. Those voluminous works, designed for our medical 
 colleges and libraries of physicians, filled with abstruse technicali- 
 ties from the Greek and Latin, and the erudition of every branch 
 of medical science, from anatomy to materia medica, cannot be read 
 with profit by any man, except a physician, or student of medicine, 
 in connection with a full course of medical study; They are, there- 
 fore, entirely above the comprehension of non -professional readers, 
 and to them must for ever remain sealed books. On the other hand, 
 those insignificant works, designed for the people, and scattered 
 broadcast over the land, emanate from men without learning, expe- 
 rience, or reputation in the profession, and contain such a large ad- 
 mixture of errors, vulgarities, and falsehoods, that they are only 
 fit to be consigned to the flames, as they can only mislead, 
 confuse, and perplex the reader, and render distasteful all such 
 studies. 
 
 To fill this gap in our popular literature, this work has been pre- 
 pared with great care in the statement of facts, the arrangement of 
 subjects, and the purity and elegance of style, which give it the 
 high character of a correct instructor, and an entertaining com- 
 panion, upon subjects of the most thrilling and vital interest to all 
 classes of the community. It is divided, as the reader will perceive, 
 into chapters, with the running contents of each- chapter prefixed. 
 The reader, can, therefore, find many collateral and dependant sub* 
 jects, not indicated in the heading of the chapters, by casting his 
 eye over these contents ; many others he cannot find without read- 
 
PREFACE. 11 
 
 in g the whole book, as our space, in this particular, has been greatlj 
 limited. The book is, therefore, designed to be read, as well as pre- 
 served for future reference. 
 
 In the following brief outline the reader will perceive the sys- 
 tematic arrangement of these subjects : — 
 
 The first chapter is devoted to a description of the female genital 
 organs, and their offices in the reproduction of the species. In the 
 second chapter, we have described the male genital organs, and their 
 functions in furnishing the male element of reproduction. In the 
 third chapter, the reader will find an interesting and faithful de- 
 scription of sexual development, or that period of life in both sexes 
 when the generative faculty commences. The fourth chapter is on 
 matrimony, in which those great physical, mental, and moral quali- 
 ties, which lie at the foundation of happy marriages, and the peace 
 and good order of society, are pressed home upon the understanding 
 and consciences of our readers ; and many other thoughts of thrill- 
 ing and practical interest, connected with the relations of the sexes, 
 are freely divulged. In the fifth chapter, the reader will find a de- 
 scription of gestation, in which we consider the development of the 
 foetus, its appearance at different stages of gestation, and its nutri- 
 tion ; the formation and growth of the membranes, the growth of 
 the womb, etc., etc. The sixth chapter is devoted to a careful de- 
 scription of the divinely appointed powers and processes of natural 
 labor, its management, the care of the mother and the child, etc. 
 In the seventh, we give a concise description of various diseases pe- 
 culiar to the female organization. In the eighth, we treat of abor- 
 tions and premature labors, which multitudes of ladies should read 
 carefully and ponder well. In the ninth chapter, we. treat of 
 sterility and impotency, subjects of the deepest interest to thou- 
 sands who are barren from imprudences, or other causes, which the 
 enlightened physician can remove. In the tenth chapter, the reader 
 will find a portraiture of the destructive consequences of various 
 
12 PREFACE. 
 
 kinds of sexual abuses and pollutions, which every young man, and 
 many of riper years, should carefully ponder. The eleventh, and 
 last chapter, consists of a treatise upon infectious sexual diseases, 
 usually called venereal diseases, and semetimes bad diseases. Every 
 person should have some correct knowledge of the nature of these 
 diseases. It is too late to say that they are unsuitable subjects for 
 the study of the young and innocent ; for the innocent may be con- 
 taminated in various ways ; and the most efficient way of deterring 
 them from the practice of vice, is to hold up before them the terrible 
 consequences thereof. 
 
 In withholding all engravings from this book, we have been in- 
 fluenced by the two following reasons : 1. They can seldom be of 
 service, except to the medical student, in connection with dissec- 
 tions, preparations, casts, etc., but more frequently confuse than 
 enlighten the general reader. 2. In a popular work upon the 
 sexual system, pictures are always in bad taste, especially upon 
 anatomical subjects. To every person of decent sensibilities, they 
 appear vulgar and obscene, and tend to inflame the passions of 
 young persons, and lead them into habits of licentiousness, degra- 
 dation, and ruin. Every parent, therefore, into whose hands one 
 of these dirty things may happen to fall, should defy the anger of 
 Venus Fricatrix by indignantly throwing it into the fire. 
 
 In treating these subjects, we have been obliged to use many, 
 names derived from the Greek and Latin — especially the latter — 
 sanctioned by long usage among medical men ; but when practicable 
 we have followed them by a brief definition ; at other times, the 
 connection in which they stand, renders their meaning clear enough. 
 Our constant study has been, to make these delicate and important 
 subjects clear and intelligible to the intelligent masses of non-pro- 
 fessional readers, and as far as possible to avoid all language which 
 could offend the sensibilities of sensible people. No doubt, there U 
 a mock modesty which will pretend to be horrified at the discussion 
 
PREFACE. 13 
 
 of some of these subjects, though they affect honor, reputation, 
 health, and life itself. To such persons, the language of an old 
 English king, when he picked up the lady's garter in a crowd, and 
 presented it to her, seems appropriate — honi soit qui mal J pense ! 
 This, therefore, is not a book to be hid away in trunks and closets, 
 but having been read, it should be preserved for future reference, as 
 an important addition to the family library. 
 
 - Upon the nature and treatment of many of the abuses, infirmities, 
 and diseases of the sexual system, we have spoken with great plain- 
 ness and confidence, not in the spirit of boasting, nor professing to 
 have outrun our professional brethren in general medical learning ; 
 but while physicians of learning, who alone are capable of investi- 
 gating these subjects, have almost entirely ignored #iem, especially 
 in this country, we have devoted much time, and patient labor to 
 their investigation and treatment which give us the right to speak 
 with confidence. Indeed, the science of medicine is so extended, 
 and the human family are subject to so many disorders, affecting 
 the whole system generally, and every organ in particular, and these 
 are so varied in their nature and treatment that it is impossible for 
 any man to dabble in the routine of general practice for a whole 
 life-time, and rise to eminence in any special branch of medicine — 
 especially the complicated and difficult branch under consideration. 
 
 Every physician who has an appointment in a large hospital, or 
 in a respectable medical college, is assigned to a special department 
 of medicine; and if he possesses talent, industry, and a good ob- 
 servation, he may attain to a degree of eminence in that depart- 
 ment. Hence, we have eminent surgeons, eminent physicians, emi- 
 nent obstetricians, eminent pharmaceutics, etc., but it is almost im- 
 possible for one man to obtain eminence in all these branches. 
 
 In the New York University where we passed the greater portion 
 of our pupilage, and, according to the custom of such institutions, 
 were made Doctor of medicine, there were four cliniques, viz : 0n« 
 
14 PREFACE. 
 
 surgical, one medical, one for the treatment of diseases of women 
 and children, and one for the treatment of venereal and other sexual 
 diseases ; and in pursuing our studies still further, we found similar 
 arrangements abroad, and in other countries. In this way the in- 
 terests of such institutions, and of the profession generally, are pro- 
 moted, by bringing before the classes the greatest amount of skill 
 and experience. Is it, therefore, strange, that the skillful and effi- 
 cient treatment of the various and complicated infirmities and dan- 
 gerous diseases of the male and female sexual system, should re- 
 quire much study, investigation, and experience ? 
 
 The late SirAstley Cooper, an English surgeon of great eminence, 
 observed to his class : " Gentlemen, these are some of the arcana of 
 the profession,^nto which you will not be readily admitted; it is 
 not until you have contended long with popular prejudices, that 
 you will be made acquainted with such important secrets. When 
 forty years of practice shall have rolled over your heads, when you 
 shall have the snows on the tops of the mountains, then, and not 
 till then, will you be required to give your opinion on such weighty 
 matters." 
 
 Philadelphia, 1864. 
 
THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 FEMAJLE genital organs. 
 
 The pudendum or external organs— The mons veneris, labia majora, 
 labia minora, clitoris, vestibule, meatus urinarius, urethra, and 
 hymen described — Their abuses, diseases, and malformations no- 
 ticed — Amputations of the nymphse and clitoris — Supposed her- 
 maphrodites—The Lesbian love — The uses of the nymphae, clitoris, 
 and hymen explained, and ludicrous errors exposed — The internal 
 genital organs — The vagina, womb, fallopian tubes, and ovaries 
 described — Interesting case of impotence from rigid contraction 
 of the orifide of the vagina — The instinctive motions of the fim- 
 briated extremities of the fallopian tubes — The ovum or human 
 egg — Its structures, minuteness, and wonderful capabilities con- 
 sidered — The corpus luteum — The doctrine omnia ex ovo estab- 
 lished. — From Harvey. 
 
 The sexual system in the female consists of various or- 
 gans, having as many names and special offices to perform 
 in the generation of the species. For the purposes^f de- 
 scription, they may be divided into the external and the 
 internal, the former embracing those which are situated 
 upon the outside of the pelvis, while the latter are pro- 
 tected within the body of the female, no portion of which 
 
 being brought into view except by the use of instruments. 
 
 (15) 
 
16 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 It is evident, therefore, that the line of division is the 
 entrance to the vagina. The external organs are sometimes 
 included in the single name, pudendum. 
 
 Persons not studied in anatomy are often greatly per- 
 plexed to understand some of the terms which are usually- 
 employed to designate the relations and positions of v£fcious 
 parts of these organs. Thus, when we use the word ante- 
 rior ', as applied to any part of the external organs, they 
 think it should be superior, and when we use the word 
 posterior ', they think the word inferior would better express 
 the position of the part. But such confusion will disappear 
 from the mind of the reader, if he reflect that all anatomi- 
 cal descriptions regard the subject as being in the standing, 
 and not in the sitting or lying posture. In such a posture, 
 the intelligent reader will readily understand, ihat a hori- 
 zontal line will be parallel to the fissure of the pudendum ; 
 while in the lying posture, such a line would be at right- 
 angles, or very nearly so, to the fissure. 
 
 We often associate two of these words thus, anteropos- 
 terior, from before backwards ; antero-superior, or we say, 
 anterior superior, meaning before and above, etc. 
 
 With this brief key to the use of these terms, we shall 
 proceed to describe first the external, and secondly the in- 
 ternal genital organs of the female. 
 
 Mons Veneris literally signifies mount of love. It is 
 situate in front of the symphysis pubis, being the anterior- 
 superior portion of the external organs, and it consists 
 chiefly of fibrous, cellular, and fatty tissue, covered with 
 integument. It is rounded and more or leas prominent 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 17 
 
 according to the amount of its tissue and the prominence 
 of the bone on which it is situated. At puberty it is 
 covered with hair. It is not known to possess any function, 
 or to be of any use in the sexual economy, except to pre- 
 vent injury from any undue violence or pressure in the in- 
 tercourse of the sexes. For this purpose it forms a sort 
 of cushion. It also gives the characteristic rotundity and 
 loveliness to the female form. 
 
 This structure, like some other parts of the genital organs, 
 is liable to active inflammations, at any age of the patient, 
 which, without timely and efficient treatment, may run on 
 to produce abscesses, and burrowing fistulous openings, 
 causing much suffering, and a long, tedious recovery. 
 
 Labia Majora literally signifies the large lips. They 
 are also called the labia externa, or the external lips of the 
 vagina. They consist of two thick folds of integument, 
 cellular and fatty tissue, and extend from the inferior and 
 central part of the mons veneris to the perineum behind — 
 the perineum being the structure between the vagina and 
 the anus, which is about one and a half inches in extent. 
 
 At puberty, the labia majora are more or less covered 
 with hair, and their general form is semi-lunar or like a 
 half-moon. Where they meet behind and disappear into 
 the perineum we find a fold of mucous membrane stretch- 
 ing across and binding the two folds of the lips more closely 
 together. This is about as thick and strong as the frenum 
 or bridle of the penis, and it is called the fourchette or 
 frenum* of the vagina.. It is often ruptured at the first 
 labor ; and it is, therefore, of some consequence, together 
 
18 rin: SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 with other evidences, in deciding the question as to the 
 delivery of a child. There is a little space between the 
 fourchette and the posterior border of the orifice of the 
 vagina, which is called the fossa navicularis, literally signi- 
 fying a little ship. 
 
 , The internal surfaces of the labia majora are smooth and 
 moist with a mucous secretion, and in the young they are 
 of a pink color, while in the old they have a pale or livid 
 hue, and they resemble the mucous membranes of other 
 parts. In virgins, these surfaces are closely in contact ; 
 but in women who have born children, they remain more 
 or less separated. The anatomical name of the space be- 
 tween the labia majora is the vulva ; and we will here call 
 attention to a misapplication of this term by many writers. 
 It is frequently used by such to denote the labia majora 
 themselves, and hence, when they describe the diseases of 
 these parts there is some difficulty in getting their precise 
 meaning. We repeat, therefore, that the term refers simply 
 to the space between the labia majora, or more properly 
 speaking, to the mucous surfaces brought into view by 
 separating the lips, and the term should be used in no 
 other sense. 
 
 The labia majora arc very elastic, and their principal use 
 seems to be to favor the dilatation of the parts during partu- 
 rition ; for during the passage of the child's head, they are 
 so distended that their form entirely disappears, returning, 
 however, to their normal condition after the labor is com- 
 pleted. They are subject to various diseases, such as in- 
 flammation, infiltrations, fatty growths, eruptions, excoria- 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 19 
 
 tions, itchings, etc. ; and their surfaces sometimes adhere 
 or grow together. This latter condition is sometimes found 
 to exist at birth, but it most frequently takes place in the 
 adult, as the result of excoriations and uncleanliness. The 
 mucous and sebateous glands, which in health secrete a 
 fluid to lubricate the parts, and to protect them from the 
 consequences of friction, will through some morbid influ- 
 ence, sometimes pour out an acrid irritating material, which 
 inflames and excoriates the internal surfaces of the labia ; 
 and if the female be married, this acrid secretion, it is sup- 
 posed by some authors may produce in the husband a sort 
 of gonorrhoeal discharge. Great caution is, therefore, re- 
 quired, on the part of the practitioner, not to confound such 
 an affection with true venereal disease. 
 
 Labia Minora litteraUy signifies the lesser lips. They 
 are sometimes called the labia interna or the internal lips ; 
 but more frequently they are spoken of as the nymphae, 
 whence is derived the English word nymph, signifying a 
 goddess of the woods, meadows, and waters ; and some- 
 times lewd and immodest girls, and flirts, are called nymphs. 
 The labia minora are two folds of mucous membrane situ- 
 ated within the labia majora, and extending from the 
 superior junction of the latter to the middle of the vaginal 
 orifice, where they disappear into the other structures. 
 They have a free margin like a cock's comb, and are well 
 supplied with nerves, and some erectile tissue is found in 
 their structure. In virgins, they are concealed within the 
 vulva, but in women who have born children, they are more 
 or less elongated, and often protrude beyond the vulva, and 
 
20 HIE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 they change from the virgin pink to the brownish color as 
 age advances. 
 
 In the Hindoos, Persians, Hottentots, etc. , the nymphae 
 are sometimes greatly elongated, and form most inconve- 
 nient flaps, somewhat resembling a dog's ears. Travelers 
 have described these dog's ears as extending the enormous 
 length of six or eight inches, and they are not unfrequently 
 removed by the knife of the surgeon. . Unlike the large 
 lips they do not disappear during parturition, and investi- 
 gators have been puzzled to ascertain their uses. They 
 were supposed by the early writers to be serviceable during 
 micturition in giving direction to the stream of urine, but 
 this notion is now abandoned, for they do not seem to be 
 arranged in such a manner as to fulfill any such purpose. 
 It has also been supposed that they favor the dilatation of 
 the vaginal orifice during labor, but a sufficient refutation 
 of such an hypothesis, is found in the fact that they do not 
 disappear, as we have already stated, during such dilatation, 
 which any one who attends a case of labor, can verify for 
 himself. In order to favor the dilatation of the passage 
 for the escape of the child, it would be necessary to put 
 them upon the stretch, so that, for the time being, they 
 would lose their crescentic form, and disappear into the 
 surrounding parts, which, as we have said, does not take 
 place. Another doctrine is that, as the nymphae increase 
 the extent of surface sensibility, the pleasurable excitement 
 upon the approaches of the sexes must also be increased as 
 a necessary appendage of the generative powers. This is 
 the most reasonable doctrine, for we know that pleasure is 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 21 
 
 a necessary concomitant of generation. Most people are 
 too selfish to propagate their species from a sense of duty 
 alone. If it is bitter in the belly it must be sweet in the 
 mouth. 
 
 The nymphse are liable to eruptions, excoriations, itch- 
 ings, and a high state of venereal furor or excitement, often 
 becoming exceedingly troublesome. There is a disease 
 called nymphomania, because it was supposed to be seated 
 in the nymphae, which consists in an insatiable and uncon- 
 trollable desire for venereal indulgence. It occurs most 
 frequently in females of a nervous temperament excited by 
 masturbation, obscene pictures, lascivious prints, or what- 
 ever keeps the organs in a state of excitement, and the 
 imagination filled with voluptuous thoughts. 
 
 The Clitoris. — This word, according to Dunglison the 
 learned lexicographer, is from the Greek x^i™^ and liter- 
 ally signifies " a servant who invites guests." This name, 
 as well as many others in our medical nomenclature, shows 
 that the older anatomists were in the habit of giving names 
 to various parts of the body suggested by vulgar and trivial 
 circumstances. A servant who invites guests ! not always 
 politely, perhaps. It is sometimes called penis muliebris, 
 which, translated into plain English, means a woman's 
 penis. • 
 
 This is a. small rounded body, not larger than the end of 
 a child's little finger, situate within the anterior part of 
 the vulva, and receiving from the labia minora a covering 
 called the prepuce of the clitoris. It also has a double 
 frenum consisting of very small folds of membrane. That 
 
22 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 portion of the clitoris brought into view by separating the 
 large lips, is its head or glans merely ; the body being 
 directed above and concealed from view by the other struc- 
 tures. The glans and the body together, are ordinarily 
 about one inch long. Like the penis, it is attached to 
 the pubic bone by two crura, and it has the' capability 
 of being erected under sexual excitement ; indeed, its body 
 consists of the same structure, which makes up the larger 
 portion of the penis, the corpora cavernosa. 
 
 It is usually stated by authors, that this little insignifi- 
 cant organ is the principal seat of pleasure in the inter- 
 course of the sexes ; but this doctrine, to our mind, is very 
 questionable. The notion seems to be merely traditionary, 
 having been handed down from the days of Aristotle to 
 the present time, and endorsed by the whole profession 
 without an inquiry as to its soundness. 
 
 The clitoris is undoubtedly a mere analogue of the male 
 penis ; a slight attempt, as it were, to develope in the 
 female an organ which is essential only to the male sex. 
 The same analogy is found to exist between other parts of 
 the male and female sexual organs. The male mamilla- 
 ries, for instance, are far from being fully developed organs. 
 They seem to have no office to perform, and they are re- 
 garded as mere rudimentary analogues of 'the well developed 
 female breasts so indispensable in furnishing nourishment 
 for her offspring. We cannot, therefore, ascribe to the 
 clitoris the important office of being the principal seat of 
 the sexual organism. But by subjecting this little organ 
 to friction, as in masturbation-ra most miserable degrading 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 23 
 
 practice by the wayYwe suppose it may be the seat of 
 considerable lascivious excitement ; but in the legitimate 
 connection of the sexes, it is quite different ; the vagina 
 must, in such cases, be the chief seat of pleasure, which is 
 thence distributed to other portions of the sexual aparatus, 
 the clitoris being no more excited than other parts of the 
 external organs. 
 
 As a malformation, the clitoris is sometimes so elongated 
 as to resemble the penis of a lad before puberty, and de- 
 ceive the female as to her true sex. Many cases are on 
 record, where females with this malformation have been 
 attired and reared from infancy as males, and have ac- 
 quired the habits of the rougher sex, and passed in the 
 world as such, till, by some accidental circumstance, their 
 true sex was discovered. Such cases were once known as 
 hermaphrodites. It is recorded of the Abyssinian women, 
 and some other races, that this organ so often attains such 
 an enormous length as to establish the custom of removing 
 it with the knife of the surgeon. At the time the Abys- 
 einians were converted to Christianity, an effort was made 
 to abolish this species of circumcision as a remnant of 
 paganism, but the men rebelled against the innovation ; 
 and the Roman Pontiff was compelled to restore the cus- 
 tom. The lustful embraces of women with each other, 
 # called the Lesbian Love, no doubt had its origin in such 
 malformations, or the attempt to satisfy the sexual instinct 
 between a so-called hermaphrodite and a virgin. This re- 
 volting practice derived its name from the Island of Lesbos 
 where it is said to have been practiced by Sappho the eele- 
 
24 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 brated poetess. In ancient Rome, and in Paris, before the 
 first French revolution, we are informed that societies of 
 such women existed. In the latter place they styled them- 
 selves the vestals, a name signifying the consecration of 
 virgins to a life of celibacy and chastity. 
 
 The Vestibule, Meatus Urinarius and Urethra. — 
 Bounded in front by the clitoris, on either side by the 
 nymphae, and behind by the meatus urinarius, we find a 
 small triangular space, to which the name vestibule ha9 
 been given. As the vestibule, or entrance to a build- 
 ing, is at the front part of the building, so this smooth 
 little space is immediately in front of the orifice of the 
 vagina ; hence its name. It is occasionally studded with 
 small fleshy excrescences, which may give rise to mucous 
 discharges, and it is often the seat of very annoying and 
 persistent itching, which we have noticed more fully under 
 the head of Pruritus Pudendi in our chapter on female 
 diseases. 
 
 At the anterior part of the orifice of the vagina, we find 
 a little pad-like prominence about as large over as the 
 widow's mite, or a gold dollar, which is depressed in the 
 centre. This is the external opening of the urethra, called 
 the meatus urinarius. It is easily recognized by the finger ; 
 and is, therefore, a good guide for the physician when it is 
 necessary to introduce the catheter to draw off the urine, 
 enabling him to perform the operation without the ex- 
 posure of the female. The female urethra is, strictly 
 speaking, an internal organ, but we will describe it in con- 
 nection with its external opening, the meatus urinarius. 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 25 
 
 It is about one inch and a quarter long, and extends 
 backwards through the anterior wall of the vagina, and 
 ^lightly upwards into the bladder. Its structure consists of 
 cellular tissue, with some muscular fibres, and a lining of 
 mucous membrane continuous with that of the bladder. 
 This canal is very dilatable, and in consequence of this, 
 and also its shortness, stone in the female bladder is com- 
 paratively unfrequent, for the nucleus of formation is easily 
 washed out of the bladder at the time of voiding the urine. 
 The Hymen. — This is a Greek word which literally 
 signifies marriage, nuptial song, etc. , and hence it is used 
 by anatomists as the name of a membrane which stretches 
 across the orifice of the vagina, and is usually ruptured 
 upon the consummation of the marriage rite, or at the first 
 sexual intercourse. It is semi-lunar in form, with an 
 opening in front to the vagina. Sometimes there is an 
 opening behind, and at other times the membrane grows 
 around the entire orifice, and is perforated with one or 
 more small holes. Again, the hymen is occasionally im- 
 perforate, that is, it entirely closes the orifice to the vagina, 
 having no hole through it. In such a predicament, when 
 the girl arrives to puberty, there can be no escape of the 
 menstrual fluid, which remains pent up, as it were, in the 
 vagina and womb, causing the patient great suffering and 
 sometimes simulating pregnancy. The reader will find 
 this condition more fully pointed out under the head of 
 amenorrhoea, in our chapter upon female diseases. The 
 remedy is very simple, in the hands of a skillful physician, 
 and no time should be lost in seeking relief. 
 
26 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 The hymen is sometimes spoken of by the older anato- 
 mists, as the flos virginalis, which means the flower of the 
 virgin, and when she is deprived of it, she is said to be de- 
 flowered. The remains of this membrane, after it has 
 been ruptured, consist of a number of little folds, called 
 the carunculas myrtiformes, from theip supposed resem- 
 blance to myrtle leaves. Upon these little folds we have 
 seen ulcerating sores, soon after marriage, as the result of 
 too frequent intercourse, which had led to the suspicion 
 of the patient having contracted venereal disease. In 
 such a case, the medical man cannot be too careful in pro- 
 nouncing his opinion ; for the well-being and happiness of 
 the parties may be destroyed by his ignorance, or secured 
 by his ability to form a correct diagnosis. 
 
 But what use does the hymen subserve ? One writer, 
 who holds the position of professor in a Medical College 
 — whose name we prefer to suppress — makes the uncouth 
 and unfounded statement, that the rupture of the hymen 
 increases the sexual delight, and he seems to suppose that 
 this is its only use. But we think the whole sisterhood of 
 married ladies will give the contradiction to such a state- 
 ment. So far as the rupture of the hymen is concerned, 
 there is pain instead of pleasure, which accords with the 
 statement that, in pain shall a woman " conceive and bring 
 forth;" and experience shows that, as a general thing, 
 some little time must elapse after marriage, before the 
 female is fully prepared to enjoy the pleasures of the 
 nuptual couch. 
 
 The hymen does not exist in the lower animals, and its 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 27 
 
 use in the genus homo seems to be of a moral, rather than 
 a physical character. Its existence, at the time of mar- 
 riage, has always been regarded as evidence of virginity, 
 and its absence as proof of unchastity. Its existence 
 should not, therefore, be regarded as a trivial and unim- 
 portant circumstance, for when man ceases to place the 
 highest value upon the virtue of her, whom he chooses to 
 be his life companion, and the mother of his children, so- 
 ciety must, indeed, retrograde, and fall into a state of de- 
 pravity and discord, worse than barbarism. 
 
 But this evidence of virginity, or a want of virginity, 
 is liable to many exceptions ; and to avoid, with as much 
 care as possible, any unjust reflection upon virtuous females, 
 we have fully explained the whole subject in our chapter 
 on Matrimony or Marriage, to which we refer the 
 inquisitive. 
 
 The Pars Intermedia, and bulbous vestibule, consist of 
 a series of enlarged and convoluted venous channels belong- 
 ing to the external organs, and covered in by the labia 
 majora. To give a minute description of these, in a popu- 
 lar work like the present, would not be profitable to our 
 readers. We also find certain sebaceous and muciparous 
 glands, imbedded in these organs, which we shall pass over 
 with this simple notice of their existence. 
 
 Let us now proceed to describe the internal female geni- 
 tal organs. These consist of the vagina, the uterus or 
 womb, the fallopian tubes, and the ovaries. 
 
 The Yagina, literally signifying a sheath, is a cylindri- 
 cal canal, extending from the vulva to the neck of the 
 
28 THE SfXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 womb, which it embraces. It is not, as many suppose, a 
 straight canal, but it is somewhat curved to correspond 
 with the axes of the pelvis ; consequently the concavity of 
 the curve is in front, and the convexity behind. It is com- 
 posed of three tissues, tor coats, the external or cellular, 
 the middle or muscular, and the internal or mucous, thus 
 forming a thick, tough canal. Extending the whole length 
 of the vagina, both upon its anterior and posterior walls, 
 we find two columns called the raphe, from which arise 
 numerous transverse folds of mucous membrane, which are 
 called the rugae. These are most numerous at the inferior 
 portion of the canal, and very distinct in virgins, but 
 almost entirely absent after the birth of several children. 
 Their chief use is evidently to allow of the necessary dis- 
 tention of the canal during parturition. 
 
 The vagina is well supplied with blood-vessels, and 
 nerves, which are found in the greatest abundance at the 
 lower extremity. The middle coat contains some erectile 
 tissue, which gives it the character of an erectile organ ; 
 and by its outward coat it is connected to the surrounding 
 parts. In front, it is in relation with the urethra and a 
 portion of the bladder ; and behind, with the perineum and 
 the rectum. Its middle portion is in contact with the rec- 
 tum, illustrating, according to the ethics of an old anatpmist 
 the truth of the adage, that there is but one step from the 
 sublime to the ridiculous. In the quiescent state, the 
 vagina is never an open canal ; but, on the contrary, it is 
 entirely closed by the contact of the anterior and posterior 
 walls. At its orifice we find a few attenuated muscular 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 29 
 
 fibres, which are denominated the constrictor vaginae muscle. 
 This is but slightly under the control of the will, which 
 may be proved by throwing an injection into the vagina, 
 when it will be found that the female cannot sufficiently con- 
 strict the orifice to prevent the escape of the fluid. Its 
 action is, therefore, involuntary, and just sufficient to keep 
 the parts closed when there is no distending force ; but by 
 sexual abuses, various diseases, and frequent parturitions, 
 it loses, in a measure, its healthful tonicity, and as a weary 
 sentinel at the gate of the citadel, performs its duty in a 
 very sluggish manner. 
 
 The average length of the vagina may be set down at 
 four inches and a half, and the extremes, in a normal con- 
 dition, at three inches for the minimum, and six inches for 
 the maximum length. It is shorter and more capacious 
 in women who have borne children, than in the adult virgin. 
 Its average diameter is about one inch, but it is larger in 
 some portions of its extent than in others, being constricted 
 at its commencement, but slightly dilated as it approaches 
 the womb. 
 
 The vagina being a curved canal, with the convexity 
 behind, its posterior is always longer than its anterior wall, 
 the difference being nearly one inch. 
 
 The average length of the vaginal canal as laid down in 
 many of our text-books upon anatomy, is somewhat over- 
 stated. Our attention was once particularly called to this 
 subject, and th« frequent examinations, which it has been 
 necessary to make during the course of our practice, and 
 our measurements in the dissecting room, confirm the cor- 
 
30 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 rectness of our present estimate. Some of these works 
 make the vagina about one inch longer than our estimate, 
 which is certainly erroneous. Moreover, we never have 
 any trouble in reaching the mouth of the womb with our 
 index finger, which, making all proper allowances for the 
 straight direction of the finger, the vagina being curved, 
 and also for the yielding of the external soft parts upon 
 the pressure of the hand, could not so easily be accom- 
 plished, if the estimates of these authors were literally 
 correct. 
 
 The orifice of the vagina is sometimes exceedingly rigid, 
 and so firmly contracted, as to resist all attempts at the 
 marriage consummation, even when the hymen interposes no 
 material resistance. A very interesting case of this de- 
 scription came under our treatment a few years ago. A 
 gentleman residing in another state, and occupying a re- 
 spectable position in society, had been married some three 
 years, and was unable, during that long time, to effect the 
 nuptial right. Of course, he supposed there was some in- 
 curable malformation, and resigned himself to his fate with 
 as good grace as he could command. Finally, 'he concluded 
 to seek medical advice, and after a short correspondence, 
 brought his wife here for treatment. Upon ascertaining 
 the real condition of things, we had a number of bougies 
 made of different materials and various sizes, suited to 
 this particular case, which we very carefully but persever- 
 ingly introduced into the vagina, succeeding a smaller by 
 a larger, from time to time, as the condition of the parts 
 might justify. This treatment we accompanied with other 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 31 
 
 remedial measures calculated to relax the rigid structures, 
 such as injections of warm water into the vagina, warm 
 baths, Belladonna ointment rubbed well upon the rigid 
 structures, and such internal treatment as we deemed ap- 
 propriate to the general health and the local condition. 
 The result was that in about two weeks we had succeeded 
 in dilating the orifice sufficiently for all practical purposes. 
 We then suggested to the husband that it might not be 
 necessary to carry our treatment further, which seemed to 
 meet his heart-felt approbation ; and upon the next day, he 
 came hurriedly into our office, with his face beaming with 
 delight, and looking a little sheepish withal, and ex- 
 claimed ! — On second thought we will not repeat his lan- 
 guage, but the unmistakable signification thereof was that, 
 our dilating services would no longer be required. 
 
 The Uterus, or womb, is situated in the pelvis, above 
 and in front of the superior extremity of the vagina, be- 
 tween the bladder and rectum, with the small intestines 
 above. Anatomists divide this organ into three parts, viz. : 
 the fundus, which is the upper and broader portion ; the 
 cervix or neck, which is the inferior cylindrical portion ; 
 and the body, which is all that portion included between 
 the fundus and the neck. The os uteri, sometimes called 
 the os tincae, or in plain English the mouth of the womb, 
 is the opening of the vaginal extremity of the neck. In 
 the virgin it is somewhat triangular, or circular and very 
 smooth, but in the woman who has borne children it is 
 transverse, and more or less wrinkled or ragged. The 
 lips of the os uteri vary somewhat in size, the anterior 
 
32 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 being shorter and a little thicker than the posterior. The 
 vagina is attached to the neck which it completely encircles, 
 so as to leave a portion of the neck projecting into the 
 canal ; and the space included between that portion of the 
 neck, and the superior extremity of the vagina, is known 
 as the vaginal cul de sac. This cul de sac is the greatest 
 behind, as the vagina is attached to the neck further up 
 on its posterior than on its anterior portion. 
 
 Most persons, not students of anatomy, entertain very 
 erroneous views as to the size and shape of this child-bear- 
 ing organ. The general impression seems to be, that it is 
 about as large as a man's two fists, having a cavity that will 
 hold about as much as a tea-cup. At the full term of gesta- 
 tion, it is true, the womb attains an enormous bulk; but in 
 the adult virgin, it is a very small organ, being about three 
 .inches long, one and a half or two inches wide at its 
 broadest portion, one inch thick, and about one inch in 
 diameter at the neck. It does not usually exceed one 
 ounce and a half in weight. In women who have borne 
 children, however, the unimpregnated womb never entirely 
 returns to its virgin size, but weighs about two ounces and 
 a half. But if it be removed at the full term of gestation, 
 and entirely freed of its contents, it will be found to weigh 
 about three and a half pounds. 
 
 The cavity of the womb in the adult virgin, is about as 
 large as a split-almond, its walls are nearly or quite in con- 
 tact, the canal which extends through the neck is not 
 . much larger than a large sized pipe-stem, and it is con- 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 33 
 
 siderably constricted where it opens into the cavity, forming 
 the internal os uteri. 
 
 Upon its posterior surface the womb is quite convex, 
 and slightly so upon its anterior surface. In the virgin it 
 is quite flat upon its top ; but in the woman who has borne 
 children it is considerably rounded. Its neck, mouth, 
 and lips, which are brought into view by the speculum, 
 are larger and somewhat differently shaped in a woman 
 who has borne a child, than in the virgin. This may be re- 
 garded as infallible evidence that the female has borne a 
 child. In form, the womb has been compared to a flask 
 with its mouth turned downward, but a flattened pear will, 
 perhaps, convey a better idea of the general appearance 
 of this organ. 
 
 The substance of the womb consists of three structures. 
 The outer, is a covering of peritoneum such as invests the 
 viscera generally; the middle is a thick muscular structure, 
 consisting of transverse, longitudinal, and oblique fibres ; 
 and internally we have a lining of mucous membrane. la 
 the neck of the womb we find a number of small glands, 
 which become enlarged during pregnancy, and secrete an 
 abundance of mucous fluid to keep the parts well lubri- 
 cated. The membrane lining the canal of the neck is 
 arranged into folds, and enlarged during pregnancy, re- 
 sembling a tree with its numerous branches. This is 
 called the arbor vitae, or tree of life, described by the older 
 authors. Upon the mucous membrane of the uterus, 
 especially in its neck, we find great numbers of minute 
 hair-like projections, so small that* they can be seen only 
 S 
 
>34 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 under the microscope. They are called the cilia. They 
 are endowed with vitality, and are constantly in motion, 
 resembling the wave-like oscillations of a field of wheat, 
 set in motion by the wind. It was once supposed that they 
 had the important office to fulfill of assisting in the trans- 
 mission of the male spermatic fluid to its destination. But 
 this is proved to be erroneous, for wherever they are found 
 • — and they are found in other passages of the body — their 
 motions are such as to convey the secretions towards the 
 outlet. 
 
 The womb is held in its place by the vagina below, and a 
 number of ligaments extending from the organ in various 
 directions. We have the broad ligaments passing off at 
 the sides, the anterior ligament, which passes from the 
 uterus to the bladder, and the posterior ligament, which 
 extends from the posterior part of the neck of the womb 
 v to the rectum. These four ligaments, are simply folds of 
 . the outer covering of the womb, reflected, as it were, to 
 other organs. We also have two round ligaments extend- 
 ing from the sides of the fundus of the womb to the labia 
 majora, the right being a little shorter than the left, so 
 that during pregnancy the womb is inclined a little to the 
 right side of the mother. 
 
 From the position of the uterus, and the yielding char- 
 ■acter of the ligaments and the vagina, which holds it in 
 position, it is capable of considerable mobility, even in its 
 natural condition. By an over distended bladder, it may 
 be made to yield backwards, and by an accumulation of 
 faeces in the rectum, it may be pushed upon from behind, 
 
FE3IALE GENITAL ORGANS. 35 
 
 and made to yield forwards, and by the pressure of the in- 
 testines from above, as in lifting, coughing, or an effort at 
 bearing down, it may be made to sink lower in the pelvis, 
 and by pressure from below upwards, it may be made to 
 rise higher. An explanation of the displacements of this 
 organ, constituting disease, will be found in its proper place. 
 The Fallopian Tubes, one on each side, arise from the 
 superior lateral angles of the womb. They are sometimes 
 called the ovaducts, that is, the ducts of the ovaries. Every 
 gland that performs any known function must have a duct 
 to convey away its secretion. The ovaries are glands, and 
 the fallopian tubes must be regarded as their ducts. They 
 are four or five inches long and consist of three structures, 
 a serous, muscular, and mucous. They are somewhat fun- 
 nel-shaped, being hardly large enough where they open into 
 the womb, to admit a small sized knitting-needle, while at 
 the other extremity they are about as large as a good sized 
 goose-quill. Unlike the ducts of other glands, the fallopian 
 tubes are not connected to the ovaries except by a ligament- 
 ous cord. Their outer extremities are, therefore, free 
 and somewhat remarkable for being divided into a number 
 of fringe-like processes, called the corpus fimbriatum. 
 These fringe-like bodies seem to be endowed with instinc- 
 tive life, as they seize the ovaries, and receive into their 
 hand-like grasp the ovum when ripe, and ready to be con- 
 ducted through the tubes to the womb. It was formerly 
 supposed that this action took place only at the time of 
 sexual intercourse, or under the influence of venereal ex- 
 citement, and it was called morsm diaboli, which signifies, 
 
36 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 when translated into plain English, the devil's bite. The 
 appropriateness, as well as delicacy of such a name, we 
 must leave to the imagination of our readers. 
 
 The fallopian tubes have a double office to perform. 
 They not only receive the ovum furnished by the ovary, 
 and convey it to the womb, but they also convey the fecun- 
 dating element of the male semen in the direction of the 
 ovary, till it comes in contact with the ovum, producing 
 fecundation. But this will be explained more fully in our 
 chapter on puberty and generation. 
 
 Like other portions of the sexual aparatus, the fallopian 
 tubes are liable to malformations, and diseases, interfering 
 with, or entirely preventing the fulfillment of their health- 
 ful functions. But such cases must be regarded as exceed- 
 ingly rare, and as there are no means by which we can 
 positively determine their existence during life, it is hardly 
 proper, as a general rule, to be influenced by the supposi- 
 tion of their existence, in our efforts to cure sterility in the 
 female. 
 
 The Ovaries. — These are two glandular bodies, situated 
 on either side of the uterus, and connected to that organ 
 by means of rounded cords, called the ligaments of the 
 ovaries. They are flattened, oblong, and ovoid bodies, or 
 almond-shaped, nearly as large as the male testes. They 
 are sometimes called the testes muliebris, which means, the 
 female testes. Being developed in the broad ligaments 
 which consist of two layers of peritoneum, reflected from 
 the womb, their external covering is the same as that of 
 the womb : and also the same as that of the fallopian 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 37 
 
 tubes. Beneath this we find a tissue of dense fibrous 
 membrane, called the tunica albuginia, because it is a 
 white investment, and still beneath this we come to 
 the true structure of the ovaries called the stroma. It is 
 a cellulo-fibrous structure, commingled with some muscular 
 fibres, and abundantly supplied with blood-vessels which 
 give it a bright red color. The stroma, signifying a bed, 
 is so called because it seems to form a sort of concealment 
 or covering for the development of the female germ-cells, 
 which we shall now proceed to describe. 
 
 Upon cutting into the ovary, there may be discovered 
 fifteen or twenty small sacks, varying in size from a pm's 
 head to a pea, first pointed out by De Graaf, in 1673 ; 
 hence, they have received the name of the Graafian sacks, 
 follicles, or vesicles. They are discovered in a rudimen- 
 tary condition in the ovaries of infants and young children, 
 being limited mostly, at that period of life, to the surface 
 of the ovary, not one coming to maturity till puberty. 
 Each Graafian follicle consists of two membranes adhering 
 to each other, the outer of which is derived from the, 
 stroma of the ovary, while the inner is independent 
 of that body, and has adhering to its internal surface a 
 certain amount of very fine granular substance sorne- 
 times called the membrana granulosa. These membranes 
 constitute the follicle, and the contents of the follicle 
 are an albuminous fluid, certain granular matter, and the 
 ovum. 
 
 Keeping in view the difference between the Graafian 
 follicle, and the ovum which it contains, while it remains 
 
3d THE SEXUAL SYSTEM* 
 
 i 
 
 in the ovary, a very brief description will suffice to give the 
 reader a sort of general knowledge of this wonderful struc- 
 ture, and its more wonderful phenomena. 
 
 The human ovum is exceedingly small, being no more 
 than ~ of an inch in diameter, or the size of a mere pin's 
 point, hardly large enough to be seen distinctly with the 
 naked eye ; still it contains all the parts and structures of 
 the egg of the common fowl, or the ostrich. It has five 
 distinct parts, viz. : a granular substance, called the mem- 
 brana granulosa, which adheres to a colorless albuminous 
 membrane, called the zona pellucida, which surrounds the 
 vitellus or the yolk ; and within the yolk we have the ger- 
 minal vesicle, and still within that the germinal spot, 
 which is the life-force out of which the new being is to 
 evolve. As these structures can be seen only under the 
 microscope, and as the human egg is obtained with great 
 difficulty, a more detailed description, in a work like the 
 present, would be entirely useless. Its minuteness, but 
 more especially its capabilities, under favorable circum- 
 stances, of which we shall have more to say in the proper 
 place, are the chief thoughts connected with this subject, 
 calculated most deeply to impress the reflecting mind with 
 the mystery, as well as the majesty, of nature's forces. 
 Surely man is made from the dust of the earth ! 
 
 But by what process is the ovum made to escape from 
 the ovary, and the Graafian follicle? The explanation 
 given by physiologists generally, is in substance, as follows : 
 As the follicle and the ovum within advance towards 
 ripening, an increased amount of albuminous fluid is grad- 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 39 
 
 tially and constantly being collected within the follicle, 
 which pushes it, as it were, toward the surface of the 
 ovary. This ^ pressure constantly continued, is deemed 
 sufficient to cause the absorption of the coverings of the 
 ovary, and also the tissues of the follicle, till they become 
 bo attenuated that they lo3e their power of resistence, when 
 they rupture and the ovum escapes, the fimbriated ex- 
 tremity of the fallopian tubes, at the same time, grasping 
 the ovary to receive and conduct it onward to the womb. 
 This explanation, the reader will observe, makes the process 
 somewhat mechanical; but the process may be entirely 
 physiological, that is, the absorption and rupture of the 
 membranes may result from a special provision of the vital 
 force, without regard to the mechanical pressure upon the 
 parte. "We confess that our convictions are decidedly in 
 favor of this latter view. 
 
 The remains of the ruptured membranes, after the es- 
 cape of the ovum, are denominated the corpus luteum, 
 literally signifying the yellow body. There are peculiari- 
 ties about this, which has greatly puzzled investigators. 
 At every menstrual period, as a general rule, an ovum is 
 maturated and expelled from the ovary, and if it come ia 
 contact with the male sperm-cells, hereafter to be described, 
 and pregnancy follows, we have a corpus luteum entirely 
 different, in many particulars, from that which we find in 
 the unimpregnated female. In the latter case it is seldom 
 larger than a small sized pea, and immediately begins to 
 contract, and in six or eight weeks entirely disappears, 
 leaving f<# a time, a slight cicatrix or scar, such as might 
 
40 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 be observed in the healing of the other tissues. In the 
 former case, the corpus luteum is slightly puffed out upon 
 the surface of the ovary, and attains a size covering one- 
 fourth or even one-half of that organ. It does not begin 
 to diminish in size till the fourth or fifth month, and it 
 does not entirely disappear till three or four months after 
 delivery; its whole duration, therefore, being twelve or 
 thirteen months. In both cases, this body has, at first, a 
 bright red color, then a yellowish color which continues 
 more or less to the last, and in both cases the Graafian 
 follicle and the scar are at last absorbed, leaving nothing 
 but a little pit-like depression. By this frequent oblitera- 
 tion of the follicles, which takes place during the menstrual 
 period of the female, the ovary, in advanced life, presents 
 a number of little furrows or pits as the seats of corpora 
 lutea. 
 
 The attempts of physiologists to explain the causes of 
 all these phenomena, have given to the profession many 
 theories, which we cannot introduce in this work. Coste 
 had his theory ; Churchill has given us an explanation 
 somewhat different ; and our own beloved Professor Meigs 
 has succeeded in making a corpus luteum for his own 
 special purpose. 
 
 The doctrine expressed in the three latin words, omnia 
 ex ovo, which literally translated reads, all things from an 
 egg, but which is used to express the doctrine that all 
 living things are derived from eggs, was first established by 
 the illustrious Harvey, and the rapid advancement of medi- 
 cal science since his time, instead of refuting, has%onfirme4 
 
FEMALE GENITAL ORGANS. 41 
 
 the truth of this most wonderful and sublime conception. 
 For we now know that all living things, whether they be- 
 long to the vegetable or animal kingdom, have their com- 
 mencement in the egg formation, and whether the egg be 
 large or small, or a mere speck that can be seen only under 
 the microscope, there resides within its structure, all the 
 characteristics, and all the peculiarities of the full grown 
 species, and individuals. This is certainly a mystery, infi- 
 nitely above the comprehension of finite beings, and cannot 
 fail to impress the thoughtful mind with the existence and 
 presence of an immutable Infinite Cause. Harvey was by 
 no means insensible to such impressions, when he gave 
 utterance to the following language, translated form hi3 
 works : 
 
 " A more sublime and divine Artificer than man seems 
 to make and preserve *nan ; and a nobler agent than a cock 
 doth produce a chicken out of the egg. For we acknowledge 
 our omnipotent God and most high Creator to be every- 
 where present in the structure of all things living, and to 
 point himself out -by his works, whose instruments the 
 cock and the hen are in the generation of the chicken. 
 For it is most apparent that in the generation of the 
 chicken out of the egg, all things are set up and formed 
 with a most singular providence, divine wisdom, admirable 
 and incomprehensible artifice. Nor can these attributes 
 appertain to any but to the omnipotent Maker of all 
 things, under what name soever we cloud him , whether 
 it be the mens divina, the divine mind with Aristotle ; 
 or anima mundi, the soul of the universe with Plato ; 
 
42 THE SEXUAL ST8TEM. 
 
 or with others the natura naturans, nature of nature 
 himself; or Saturnus or Jupiter with the heathen, or 
 rather as befits us, the Creator and Father of all things in 
 heaven and earth, upon whom all animals and their births 
 depend, and at whose beck and mandate all things are 
 created and begotten." 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 43 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 MAZE GJEXITAZ OBGAXS. 
 
 The penis, its form, dimensions, structures, attachments, etc.— The 
 urethra, its curving direction, varying size, elasticity, promi- 
 nences, depressions, etc. — A thorough knowledge of its anatomy 
 necessary to treat strictures of the urethra — How the prepuce is 
 formed — Circumcision, its origin, uses, etc. — The glands — The 
 scrotum, its form and structures — The testes and their appendages 
 — Epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles, ejaculatory ducts, 
 etc. — Secreting structure of the testes consisting of minute tubes 
 3780 feet long — The passage of the semen — The spermatozoa, or 
 male sperm-cells, their minuteness, forms, brisk motions, etc. — 
 The reproductive element of the male semen — Are they real ani- 
 malcules ? Have they a sexual system ? — Their union with the 
 ovum — Curious conjectures — Hereditary tendencies in the sperma- 
 tozoa and ovum — Important suggestions. 
 
 In the preceding chapter, we have endeavored to give 
 the reader a clear description of the anatomy of the female 
 genital organs, some of their uses, diseases, and malforma- 
 tions, and also, to remove certain erroneous notions con- 
 cerning their forms, structures and functions. The func- 
 tions and diseases of the genital organs, however, will be 
 more fully described, in the future chapters of this work. 
 The present chapter will be devoted to a description of the 
 male genital organs ; and, as many intelligent persons, not 
 
44 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 educated in medical science, necessarily entertain erroneous 
 views concerning some portions of these organs, we shall 
 find, as in the preceding chapter, many errors to correct. 
 
 The Penis is the external pendant organ at the inferior 
 and front part of the body. Penis is a Latin word without 
 change of termination, and if we wish to use it in the plural 
 number it must be written penes ; but it is so commonly 
 used by English writers, as. the most proper name for the 
 male pendant organ, that almost every, person is familiar 
 with its use, and it may now be regarded as an English 
 word. This organ is sometimes called the virile organ, the 
 virile member, etc. , merely for a change of words ; and in 
 some books it is called the yard. But. this latter name is 
 both vulgar and inappropriate ; to carry the joke a little 
 further we might, with equal propriety, call this member, 
 the furlong, perch, or pole, or designate it by any other 
 word used to measure space or distance. A man who has 
 brains enough to write a book, ought not to commit such 
 blunders as introducing the word yard to designate the 
 member under consideration. 
 
 From the attachment of this organ at the pubic bone to 
 its extremity it is about six inches and a half long, and 
 from the external soft parts covered with hair it is about 
 five inches and a half long, and for the purposes of sexual 
 congress, about four inches and a half long, corresponding 
 with the length of the vagina. The reader will of course 
 understand us to speak of the average size. Like other 
 appendages of the body the size of this organ varies, in 
 different individuals. There is a silly and vulgar notion 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 43 
 
 among some people, that this organ is larger in small men 
 than in large men. But when this is the case, it is an ex- 
 ception to a general rule. A small man may have larger 
 feet, hands, eyes, nose, and ears than a man much larg'er 
 than himself; but the rule is, the larger the man, the larger 
 are all the appendages of the body. % 
 
 This organ is divided by anatomists into three portions ; 
 the root, the body, and the extremity. The root is bifid 
 or split into two parts, called the crura or legs, which are 
 firmly attached to the rami of the pubis and ischia ; or 
 what is definite enough for the general reader, they are 
 attached to the front part of the pelvic bones. It also has 
 other strong connections about the pubes, and it cannot be 
 easily torn from its attachments. If now we remove the 
 integument, and dissect out the parts beneath, which com- 
 pose the principal bulk of the organ, we shall find that it 
 consists chiefly of two structures, called the cavernous and 
 spongy bodies. The cavernous bodies form the upper and 
 lateral portion, making about three-fourths of the bulk of 
 the organ. They lay side by side, like the two barrels of a 
 double-barreled gun. The spongy body lies beneath, and 
 resembles the ramrod of such a gun, being, however, a 
 little larger in proportion. These parts are all firmly held 
 together by the integument which covers them and the 
 cellular structures beneath. The extremity of the penis is 
 called the glans penis, sometimes its head ; and its general 
 form is conical. It is simply an enlargement of the spongy 
 body. At the apex there is a small vertical slit, the meatus 
 urinarius, and beneath and extending a little backwards. 
 
46 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM, 
 
 i 
 
 there is a slight notch in which is attached a small fold of 
 membrane derived from the foreskin, which is called the 
 frenum or bridle. This is sometimes too short, bending 
 the glans downward when the organ is erected, and pro- 
 ducing considerable pain. In such a condition it should be 
 clipped off by the surgeon. At the base of the glans, there 
 is a prominent rim or edge called the corona glandis, the 
 crown of the glans, behind which there is a constriction 
 called the column or neck, which is exposed when the fore- 
 skin is drawn back. 
 
 The Urethra is a membranous canal, extending from 
 the meatus urinarius through the spongy body of the penis, 
 and thence into the bladder. This canal is divided into 
 three portions. Commencing at the bladder it passes 
 through the prostate gland, which is called the prostatic 
 portion, and is about one inch in length. Next comes the 
 membranous portion, as it is called, which is between the 
 prostate gland and the spongy body of the penis, and is 
 hardly an inch long. This is the smallest part of the 
 urethra. The remaining portion is called the bulbous, and 
 it extends from the bulb, or internal extremity of the 
 spongy body, to the meatus urinarius. The urethra is 
 much larger in some portions of its extent, than in others. 
 Where it commences at the glans it is constricted ; it then 
 enlarges for about an inch ; it is then smaller, but gradually 
 enlarges as it approaches the bulb ; it is then small for 
 nearly an inch, when it again enlarges as it reaches the 
 bladder. This canal is also curved, and much more curved 
 in some parts than in others. It ha* a number of ducts 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 37 
 
 opening into it, as it approaches the bladder, and there 
 are many little prominences and depressions in various por- 
 tions of its extent. Hence it is important that every medi- 
 cal man who performs any sort of operations for the cure 
 of diseases of these parts, should have their minute 
 anatomy thoroughly fixed in his mind. It is especially 
 dangerous to attempt the treatment of strictures of the 
 uretha without such knowledge. The danger in such 
 cases, arises from the liability of producing lacerations and 
 punctures, and making false passages, which might entail 
 life-long misery upon the patient. In addition to a thorough 
 knowledge of the anatomy of the urethra, great caution 
 must be used as to the condition of the parts, and the 
 kind of instruments best suited to each case. Many physi- 
 cians, not possessing such knowledge, have the honesty to 
 decline such difficult cases altogether, while others equally 
 unscientific, perhaps, are so fool-hardy as to attempt their 
 treatment, as though it were a very simple affair. But 
 their works follow them, and in a majority of cases, their 
 patients are the miserable victims of such presumptuous 
 folly. Many cases of the kind have come under our care. 
 Patients, therefore, labouring under this distressing affec- 
 tion, cannot be too cautious into whose keeping they com- 
 mit themselves. But more upon this subject in its proper 
 place. 
 
 The skin of the penis is very thin, and very loosely con- 
 nected to the parts which it surrounds ; and what may ap- 
 pear remarkable, it never contains any deposit of fatty 
 tissue. However corpulent, therefore, a man may become 
 
48 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 there is no enlargement of this organ by the accumulation 
 of fatty tissue. Like the nose, and the ears, etc. , it re- 
 mains the same as before, and the thoughtful reader will 
 perceive that this is a wise provision of nature. The front 
 portion of this integument forms the prepuce. This is 
 simply a doubling of the skin, the surface of the inner fold 
 coming in contact with the glans, partaking of the char- 
 acter of mucous membranes. When it is drawn forward 
 it covers the glans, but when the organ is erected, and it 
 is drawn backwards, which takes place in the intercourse 
 of the sexes, the folding of the skin disappears, and its 
 mucous surface, comes in contact with the mucous surface 
 of the vagina of the female. 
 
 Circumcision consists in the removal of a large portion 
 of the prepuce ; and it is observed at the present day by 
 the Jews, and to some extent, by the Mahometans, as a 
 religious rite. But there can be little doubt that it had its 
 origin in what was conceived to be a physical necessity. 
 For circumcision would, no doubt, to some extent, prevent 
 masturbation, and other sexual abuses ; for the glans being 
 constantly uncovered, become harder, and are not so easily 
 excited by any slight frictions ; also, it may to some ex- 
 tent, be a slight protection against venereal diseases, as 
 the parts cannot b§ so easily impressed with the venereal 
 poison. Now when we consider that the ancients, long 
 before Moses received the law upon Mount Sinai, were 
 generally given over to the gratification of their sexual 
 lusts, it is not difficult to conceive that this custom had its 
 origin as a physical necessity. It is also reasonable to sup- 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 49 
 
 pose that, in coition, the circumcised cannot so readily 
 impress the female, nor be impressed so readily himself, 
 as there is less sensitive surface coming in contact with the 
 vagina. 
 
 In this connection we may notice certain glands, which 
 appear to be mere appendages of the penis. The prostate 
 gland is a hard firm body, about the size of a large horse- 
 chestnut, situate at the neck of the bladder, the urethra 
 passing through it, as we said in describing that canal. 
 Two- thirds of it lies behind the urethra toward the rectum. 
 It is somewhat conical in form with its apex directed for- 
 wards and downwards, and its base towards the bladder. 
 Anatomists describe it as consisting of three lobes. It is a 
 little convex upon its posterior side, and can be felt by the 
 finger of the surgeon in the rectum, and is a guide in many 
 examinations and operations, upon parts situated within 
 the pelvis of the male. This gland has fifteen or twenty 
 ducts opening into the prostatic portion of the urethra. 
 It is sometimes inflamed, and enlarged, and makes pressure 
 upon the urethra, obstructing the passage of the urine. 
 In old men its gradual enlargement is sometimes very dis- 
 tressing, producing the sensation of a bearing-down pain, 
 and interfering with micturition. Such patients should 
 have mild, but skillful treatment. ThefS are two little 
 glands, about the size of peas, situated immediately be- 
 neath the membranous portion of the urethra, each having 
 one duct which extends forward about three-quarters of an 
 inch, and opens into the bulbous portion of the urethra. In 
 addition to these, we find numerous little glands, situate 
 4 
 
50 THE SEXUAL STSTEM. 
 
 in the mucous tissue, through the whole extent of the 
 bulbous portion of the urethra, with their ducts directed 
 forwards. 
 
 The Scrotum is the pouch containing the testicles sus- 
 pended within by the spermatic cord. It hangs from the 
 root of the penis, the left side dropping a little lower than 
 the right. A raphe or line divides the scrotum into two 
 lateral halves. It is contiuued backwards through the 
 perineum, and forwards, though not so well marked, along 
 the under surface of the penis. The scrotum consists of 
 two coats, the external being the integument, and the in- 
 ternal closely adhering to it, being called the dartos. The 
 dartos consists of contractile tissue. It is sometimes quite 
 flaccid, at other times, it is corrugated, drawn, up, closely 
 hugging the testicles. The application of cold will produce 
 such corrugation, or puckering ; while a moderate degree 
 of warmth tends to relax the parts. In cold weather when 
 a person does not keep warm, such puckering is common, 
 but in warm weather when a man cannot keep cool, relaxa- 
 tion is found to exist. The dartos sends inwards a septum, 
 or partition, as it were, dividing the sack into two distinct 
 cavities, one for each testicle. 
 
 The Testes. — The word testis is the singular of testes, 
 and literally signifies witness, because the existence of these 
 organs is the evidence of man's virility. In the foetus they 
 are situated in the abdomen, immediately in front of the 
 kidneys, but they begin to descend about the seventh or 
 eighth month of gestation. They are two small, oblong 
 glands, convex in front, somewhat rounded upon their 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 51 
 
 sides, and slightly compressed behind, and with all their 
 coverings, are about the size of a pullet's egg, but the 
 glands themselves, when divested of all their coverings, 
 are seen to be no larger than a pigeon's egg. Their situa- 
 tion in the scrotum is somewhat oblique, their superior 
 portion being directed a little forwards and outwards, and 
 their inferior extremity a little backwards and inwards. 
 Lying upon the posterior aspect, and extending from tha 
 upper to the lower extremity, we find a small body flat- 
 tened from before backwards, called the epididymis, from 
 two Greek words signifying upon the testicle. The upper 
 extremity of this body is called the globus major, the lower 
 extremity the globus minor. In addition to the skin and 
 dartos, the testicle is covered in by three tunics ; first, the 
 tunica vaginalis ; second, the tunica albuginea;*and third, 
 the tunica vasculosa. The tunica vaginalis is suspended 
 from parts above the testicle, with which it is blended. It 
 is a shut sack of serous membrane, and of course, consists 
 of two layers. Fold your handkerchief, then place it 
 around an orange, and the orange would have a double 
 covering of the handkerchief; in like manner the testes 
 get a double covering of serous membrane. The external 
 layer of the sack is called the tunica vaginalis reflexa be- 
 cause it is reflected, or derived, from the inner tunic, 
 which is called the tunica vaginalis propria, because it is 
 the proper covering of the testicle ; the former is connected 
 to the dartos by means of very loose cellular tissue, and 
 the latter is closely adherent to the tunica albuginea. The 
 inner layer is also reflected around the epididymis con- 
 
52 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 necting it to the testicle. The two surfaces of the tunica 
 vaginalis do not adhere together, but they are remarkably 
 smooth, and glossy, like all serous sacks ; and they are kept 
 moist by a proper secretion of serous fluid, thus allowing 
 motion between their surfaces without friction. The 
 tunica albuginea is a fibrous membrane of sufficient thick- 
 ness and firmness to give form to the testicle. This tunic, 
 at the posterior part of the testicle, is reflected into the 
 gland, and forms a projecting ridge extending the length 
 of the gland, which is called the mediastinum, sometimes 
 called the corpus highmorianum. This contains the vessels 
 and ducts of the testicle in their passage into the substance 
 of the organ. The tunica vasculosa, is an extremely at- 
 tenuated and delicate membrane, situated immediately 
 within the tunica albuginea, inclosing the substance of the 
 testicle. This membrane sends processes into the sub- 
 stance of the testicle, which intervene between all the 
 lobules of that organ. It is a nutrient membrane con- 
 taining the blood-vessels which supply the organ with 
 blood. 
 
 The minute structure of the substance of the testicle is 
 of great interest to anatomists and physiologists, and 
 should be studied more thoroughly by medical men gener- 
 ally, and for the benefit of medical students and physicians 
 who may give this book a perusal, we will here introduce 
 an elaborate and very accurate description of the substance 
 of these glands, and some of their appendages, from Wil- 
 son's Human Anatomy, one of the most popular text-books 
 in English and American medical schools. We will then 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 53 
 
 endeavor, as much as possible, to simplify the whole des- 
 cription for the benefit of the general reader. 
 
 1 ' The substance of the testes consists of numerous coni- 
 cal flattened lobules, the bases being directed towards the 
 surface of the organ, and the apices towards the medias- 
 tinum. Krause found between four and five hundred of 
 these lobules in a single testis. Each lobule is invested by 
 a distinct sheath, formed of two layers, one being derived 
 from the tunica vasculosa, the other from the tunica albu- 
 ginea. The lobule is composed of one or several minute 
 tubuli, tubuli seminiferi, exceedingly convoluted, anasto- 
 mosing frequently with each other near their extremities, 
 terminating in loops or in free caecal ends, and>of the same 
 diameter throughout, ~ of an inch, according to Laugh. 
 The tubuli seminiferi, are of a bright yellow color ; they 
 become less convoluted in the apices of the lobules, and 
 terminate by forming between twenty and thirty small 
 Straight ducts of about twice the diameter of the tubuli 
 seminiferi, the vasa recta. The vasa recta enter the sub- 
 stance of the mediastinum, and terminate in from seven to 
 thirteen ducts, smaller in diameter than the vasa recta. 
 These ducts pursue a waving course from below upwards 
 through the fibrous tissue of the mediastinum ; they com- 
 municate freely with each other, and constitute the rete 
 testes. At the upper extremity of the mediastinum, the. 
 ducts of the rete testes terminate in from nine to thirty 
 small ducts, the vasa efferentia, which form by their con- 
 volutions a series of conical masses, the com vascuhsi; from 
 tin bases of these cones tubes of larger size proceed, which 
 
M THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 constitute, by their complex convolutions, the body of the 
 epididymis. The tubes become gradually larger toward 
 the lower end of the epididymis, and terminate in a single 
 large and convoluted duct, the vas deferens. 
 
 " The epididymis is formed by the convolutions of the 
 excretory seminal ducts, externally to the testes, and pre- 
 viously to their termination in the vas deferens. The most 
 numerous convolutions, and the aggregation of the coni 
 vasculosi at the upper end of the organ, constitute the 
 globus major ; the continuation of the convolutions down- 
 wards, is the body ; and the smaller number of the convo- 
 lutions of the single tube at the lower extremity, the globus 
 minor. The tubuli are connected together by a very deli- 
 cate areolar tissue, and are enclosed by the tunica vagi- 
 nalis. 
 
 "A small convoluted duct of variable length, is generally 
 connected with the duct of the epididymis immediately 
 before the commencement of the vas deferens. This is the 
 vasculum aberrans of Haller ; it is attached to the epididy- 
 mis by the areolar tissue in which that body is enveloped. 
 Sometimes it becomes dilated towards its extremity, but 
 more frequently retains the same diameter throughout. 
 
 " The vas deferens may be traced upwards in the course 
 of the seminal fluid, from the globus minor of the epi- 
 didymis along the posterior part of the spermatic cord, 
 and along the spermatic canal to the internal abdominal 
 ring. From the ring it is reflected inwards to the side of 
 the fundus of the bladder, and descends along its posterior 
 surface, crossing the direction of the ureter, to the inner 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 55 
 
 border of the vesicula seminalis. In this situation it be- 
 comes somewhat larger in size and convoluted, and termi- 
 nates at the base of the prostate gland, by uniting with thf 
 duct of the Yesicula seminalis and constituting the ejacula- 
 tory duct The ejaculatory duct, which is thus formed by 
 the juncture of the duct of the vesicula seminalis with the 
 vas deferens, passes forwards to the anterior extremity of 
 the vera montanum, where it terminates by opening into 
 the prostatic urethra. * * * * 
 
 "On the under surface of the base of the bladder, and 
 converging towards the base of the prostate gland, are tw6 
 lobulated and somewhat periform bodies, about two inches 
 in length, the vesiculae seminales. Their 'upper surface is 
 in contact with the base of the bladder; the under side 
 rests on the rectum, separated only by the recto-vesical 
 fascia ; the larger extremities are directed backwards and 
 outwards, and the smaller ends almost meet at the base of 
 the prostate. They enclose between them a triangular 
 space, which is bounded posteriorly by the recto-vesical 
 fold of peritoneum, and which corresponds with the trigo- 
 num vesicae on the interior of the bladder. Each vesicula 
 is formed by the convolutions of a single tube, which gives 
 off several irregular caecal branches. It is enclosed in a 
 dense fibrous membrane, derived from the pelvic fascia, 
 and is constricted beneath the isthmus of the prostate 
 gland into a small excretory duct. The vas deferens, 
 somewhat enlarged and convoluted, lies ( along the inner 
 border of each vesicula, and is included in its fibrous in- 
 vestment. It communicates with the duct of the vesicula 
 
56 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM, 
 
 beneath the isthmus of the prostate and forms the ejacu- 
 latory duct." 
 
 There reader! unless you are a laborious student of 
 medicine it is not expected that you can fully and accurately 
 comprehend the above description. To have a complete 
 knowledge of all such complicated structures of the human 
 body, requires all the facilities and aids found in our best 
 medical schools, such as dissections, preparations, casts, 
 plates, etc., and in addition to all these, good teachers. 
 It must be remembered that our medical science is not the 
 growth of a day, but has come down to us by piece-meals ; 
 like every other science, one investigator contributing his 
 mite, another adding a little more, and so on, until we 
 have a noble and sublime structure, complete in many of 
 its parts, but in other parts, quite imperfect, but advancing 
 as rapidly as can be expected in the nature of things. 
 
 As regards these glandular organs, and their appendages, 
 let the general reader bear in mind the following facts, 
 which we have simplified as much as possible. The sub- 
 stance of the testicle is composed of minute tubes, which 
 are divided into four or five hundred parcels, called the 
 lobules of the testis. These are much convoluted, are 
 situated transversely in the testicle, and each lobule con- 
 verges to form a single straight duct; these latter pass 
 into other ducts, which are situated longitudinally in the 
 testes, and pass through the upper extremity of the organ, 
 again becoming greatly convoluted, and passing downwards 
 along the posterior aspect, forming, with its coverings the 
 epididymis, a flattened body which can be felt between the 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 57 
 
 thumb and finger. At the lower extremity the epididymis 
 curves outwards and upwards, and forms a single tube, 
 called the vas deferens, which at the posterior part of the 
 epididymis feels like a hard firm cord, about as large as a 
 knitting-needle. After extending upwards and forwards 
 into the abdomen, as one of the structures of the sper- 
 matic cord, it dips down into the pelvis, and passes along 
 the under surface of 'the bladder, where it comes in contact 
 with the seminal vesicles. The seminal vesicles do not 
 consist of many tubes, like the lobules of the testes, but 
 each consists of one tube so convoluted as to be about two 
 inches long ; but when carefully dissected and drawn out its 
 full length, is about five inches long. Now the ducts of the 
 seminal vesicles communicate with the ducts of the vas 
 deferens in front, and the union of these form the two ex- 
 cretory ducts, opening into the urethra near the ducts of ■ 
 the prostate gland. It will, therefore, be observed that 
 the convoluted tubes constituting the seminal vesicles are 
 entirely distinct from the tubular structure of the testicles. 
 While the epididymis, and the vas deferens, are mere pro- 
 longations of the structure of the testicle ; the seminal vesi- 
 cles, though tubular, are entirely independent of their 
 structure. Now the seminal vesicles maybe regarded as 
 reservoirs for the semen, till it is absorbed or expelled 
 from the body. Where the ducts of the vasa deferentia 
 communicate with the ducts of the seminal vesicles, there 
 is an arrangement, which causes the semen, when it reaches 
 that point, to pass backwards into the seminal vesicles, 
 there to remain till absorbed or expelled from the body. 
 
53 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 In the latter process, the action of the muscular tissue 
 about the seminal vesicles, and their ducts, places the 
 passage in such a position, and exerts so much force upon 
 the semen, that it is rapidly expelled through the ejacula- 
 tory ducts into the urethra, and through the urethra out 
 of the body. The reader should bear in mind, that the 
 semen is constantly being secreted by the testes, and con- 
 stantly being conveyed into the seminal vesicles, and that 
 it is expelled from the body, in a state of health, only 
 under the influence of sexual excitement. 
 
 We have said that the substance of the testicles consists 
 of minute tubes. In the extract from Wilson these are 
 called tubuli seminiferi, and according to the best esti- 
 mates, there are about 840 of these in each testicle, and 
 each tube is about two feet and three inches long. Now if 
 , this tubing could be dissected out, unravelled, and placed 
 end to end, we should find 1890 feet in one of the testicles, 
 and in both of them 3780 feet, or nearly three-quarters of 
 a mile. This will give the reader an idea of the minute- 
 ness of the secreting structure of these organs. There is 
 a world under, as well as over the microscope. \ 
 
 But we now come to consider the function of the testi- 
 cles, or their elaboration of a material, which is indispens- 
 able in the reproduction and perpetuation of the species, a 
 subject of the deepest and liveliest interest to all intelligent 
 readers. When upon the female genital organs, we showed 
 that the function of the ovaries consisted in furnishing the 
 germ-cells or ova, which was the female element in the re- 
 production of the species. In like manner the function of 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 59 
 
 the male testicles consist in furnishing the sperm-cell^, 
 which is the male element of reproduction, the union and 
 growth of these two elements producing a new being. 
 
 The semen of the male appears to the naked eye like a 
 muco-senii-liquid, or jelly-like substance, without life or 
 the power of motion ; but if we take a small quantity of it 
 from a healthy person, who has attained to puberty, and 
 place it under a microscope of sufficient magnifying power, 
 we shall discover that it is literally alive with minute fiii- 
 mentous bodies. These bodies, therefore, have an inde- 
 pendent life and power of motion. They are shaped very 
 much like the brain and spinal cord, when dissected from 
 their bony cavities, and exposed to view ; and this resem- 
 blance opens up a subject for the speculation of the curious 
 in physiological science ; but as no facts can be demon- 
 strated from such speculative theories, we will not here 
 indulge in them, at the exclusion of more important mat- 
 ter. We will, however, remark that some investigators 
 have drawn the inference from such resemblance, that 
 these little bodies consist entirely of nervous tissue, that the 
 primordial element of every living creature consists of 
 nervous tissue, and that all the other tissues and elements 
 of the living body depend upon the nervous system for 
 their existence and perpetuation. 
 
 But these little bodies are described by plrysiologists, as 
 resembling in their general form, the tadpole ; and, if we 
 imagine the tail of this infant animal to be much longer 
 and smaller than it really is, in proportion to its body, the 
 resemblance is accurate enough. But how exceedingly 
 
60 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 minute ! According to the best investigators their bodies 
 are about —of an inch long, and their tails about ~ of an 
 inch long. When upon the female ovaries we pointed out 
 the fact that, the ovum furnished by these glands is no 
 larger than a pin's point, or about ^ of an inch in diam- 
 eter ; but the whole length of one of these bodies is much 
 less than the diameter of an ovum. From these state- 
 ments will the reader endeavor to form an idea of the ex- 
 ceeding minuteness of the male sperm-cells ? 
 
 When these minute bodies were first discovered, and for 
 a long time afterwards, they were regarded as animalcules, 
 that is, little animals having a stomach and other organs 
 belonging to all animals. Under this notion, they were 
 called spermatozoa, from two Greek words, signifying 
 sperm-animals, and this name is generally in use at the 
 present time. Spermatozoa is the plural, and spermato- 
 zoon the singular number. * 
 
 As the female ova have their origin, and development 
 in cells, so the spermatozoa originate and ripen in cells, 
 which are formed within the tubuli seminiferi of the testi- 
 cles. When fully ripe the cells burst and the spermatozoa 
 escape, and are mixed with other secretions on their pas- 
 sage to the seminal vesicles and also with the secretions 
 of the seminal vesicles themselves, and when ejected from 
 the body, they are mixed with other secretions in the 
 urethra. But a small portion of the semen, therefore, 
 consists of these spermatozoa, still tens of thousands of 
 them may be thrown from the body at each sexual congress. 
 What waste of material! showing the wisdom of the 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 61 
 
 Creator in making abundant provision for the certain per- 
 petuation of the species. The same thing is observed in 
 all vegetable and animal productions. But few acorns are 
 trodden into the soil and produce new oaks, and but few 
 of the spawn of fishes are developed into new fishes, other- 
 wise the ocean could not contain them. 
 
 The motions of these spermatozoa are affected by the 
 density of the secretions or fluids with which they may be 
 mixed. If very dense, their motions will be impeded, but 
 if too thin, they may be dissolved and destroyed. When the 
 female organs are in a healthy condition, and the sperma- 
 tozoa find their way into the womb, or fallopian tubes, 
 though fecundation does not take place, they retain their 
 power of motion for more than twenty-four hours, show- 
 ing that the healthy secretions of the female organs are 
 favorable to the prolongation of their vitality. But if the 
 secretions are acrid, or unhealthy, they may quickly destroy 
 them. Cold water, alcohol, mineral acids, metallic salts, 
 and some other chemical agents, will produce the same ef- 
 fect. Hence the doctrine of the prevention of pregnancy, 
 though a* humbug, deception, and immorality, in the 
 hands of advertising quacks, is still a matter of science 
 wisely kept from the knowledge of the masses. 
 
 When the spermatozoa were first discovered, investigators 
 were wrapped in amazement, and with strained eyes, and 
 microscopes much inferior to those we now possess, they 
 saw many wonderful things, some of them, doubtless, ex- 
 isting merely in the imagination. One observer thought 
 they were very sportive, and declared he saw them jump- 
 
62 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 ing over each other, and playing like little kittens; an- 
 other thought he saw quarrels among them, which grew 
 into fierce and deadly attacks upon each other ; and still 
 another enthusiast declared that he saw a rebellion among 
 them, that they were drawn up in line of battle, and 
 pitched into each other without mercy, but he says nothing 
 about the impliments of warfare; and still another de- 
 luded fellow declared, in the most enthusiastic and positive 
 terms, that they were of both sexes, that he saw such 
 caresses among them, as are produced by the sexual pas- 
 sion alone ; and that they even gave themselves up to sexual 
 intercourse, under his very eye, without the appearance of 
 shame upon their countenances. 
 
 But badinage aside, it has been supposed that the 
 spermatozoa consist of both sexes, and that the sex of the- 
 future being depends upon the sex of the spermatozoa, 
 which unite with the female ovum. This, however, is a 
 mere theory, lacking confirmation ; but, at least, as good as 
 most others that attempt to account for the determining 
 cause of the sex. Indeed if we admit this theory to be 
 correct, and we wish to inquire into the original cause of 
 the sex, we shall be obliged to go back one step further, 
 and inquire what causes the sex of the spermatozoa ; and 
 in such an inquiry we are entirely in the dark, for there is 
 a limit beyond which we cannot go in our investigations ; 
 showing that we are finite, and cannot explore that which 
 is infinite, but must end our inquiries by resolving them, 
 at last, into nature's omnipotent and incomprehensible 
 forces- 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 63 
 
 The theory that the spermatozoa are real animalcules, 
 possessing a stomach and other organs constituting an 
 animal, is not maintained by most physiologists at the 
 present day. Carpenter, one of our greatest lights in 
 physiological science, thinks they cannot justly be re- 
 garded as proper animalcules. Their power of motion 
 he considers analogous to the reproductive particles of 
 plants, which, in many cases, exhibit a spontaneous mo- 
 tion of extraordinary activity, after they have been set free 
 from the parent structure. In this respect, they have 
 also been compared to those minute hair-like processes 
 found in the neck of the womb, air-passages, etc. , called 
 the cilia, which are so small that they cannot be seen with- 
 out the aid of the microscope. They are constantly in 
 motion, and when separated from their attachments, still 
 retain the power of motion for a time. But such reasons 
 are far from demonstration ; and for ought we can prove to 
 the contrary, these minute particles may be real animal- 
 cules. We may have our theories upon this subject, but 
 at present, we must rest content with them ; we cannot 
 have demonstration. 
 
 But without going too far into mere speculation, enough 
 is positively known about these spermatozoa to excite the 
 wonder and admiration of every intelligent, reflecting mind. 
 We know that their forms are precisely as we have de- 
 scribed them, and that they are endowed with brisk mo- 
 tions, when alive and vigorous, for we distinctly see them 
 under the microscope; we know that their bodies are 
 about ™ of an inch long, and that their slender tails are 
 
64 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 about ± of an inch long, for we can make these calcula- 
 tions accurate enough, by knowing the magnifying power 
 of the microscope under which we see them ; we know, 
 that when they are thrown into the vagina, their motions 
 are vigorously directed towards the womb and the fallo- 
 pian tubes, and that the most vigorous reach their destina- 
 tion, unless some obstruction intervenes to prevent their 
 passage ; and we also know that they are the reproductive 
 element of the male semen, and that the union of one or 
 more of them with the ovum constitutes fecundation, and 
 is the commencement of a new being, needing the womb 
 for a home, and nutrition from the mother's body, till it is 
 capable of an independent existence. Othir matters are 
 clearly demonstrated, concerning the spermatozoa of differ* 
 cut animals, which we will not here dwell upon. 
 
 In the preceding chapter, we stated that all the pecu- 
 liarities and hereditary tendencies of the mother were 
 wrapped up in the ovum, and impressed upon her offspring. 
 The same remark is appropriate to the spermatozoa of the 
 male parent. In some subtle and mysterious manner, the 
 peculiarities and hereditary diseases of the father, are in- 
 corporated in the minute sperm-cells, and are impressed, 
 more or less, upon the future progeny. The hereditary 
 diseases of one of the parents, it is true, are not always fully 
 'developed in the offspring, because the physical condition 
 of the other, sometimes being the opposite, counteracts, 
 in a measure, the hereditary tendency; but when the 
 physical condition of both parents is the same, any heredi- 
 tary tendencies become much stronger, and are more likely 
 
MALE GENITAL ORGANS. 65 
 
 to descend to future generations. The same reasoning 
 applies to the peculiarities and diseases of the mind, and 
 there is not a physician living, who has earned a just 
 reputation of being skillful, who cannot trace the diseases 
 and weaknesses, both of the body and the mind, from the 
 parents to their offspring. 
 5 
 
CO THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 CHAPTER III, 
 
 TTTBEIITY AND GEXERATIOX. 
 
 Sexual development — Menstruation in girls, and seminal fluid in 
 boys — The period of puberty — Great variations — Premature and 
 delayed menstruation — How often do the menses occur — The 
 lunar superstition — Whole period of menstrual life — Interesting 
 cases — Nature of the fluid, its odor, its odor in the breath, etc.— 
 Is it blood or a secretion ? — Why it does not coagulate like blood 
 — Its source and uses — How is it connected with child-bearing ? 
 — Generation a condition of puberty — The sexual organs, amours, 
 and generation of plants, and the lower animals — Interesting 
 cases — Generation in the genus homo — Amusing theories of the 
 ancients — The true theory established by modern science — When 
 and how the ovum and spermatozoa come in contact — The me- 
 chanical, chemical, and vital forces of the vagina, womb, fallo- 
 pian tubes, and ovaries — The ultimate vital principle. 
 
 Much has been said and written about the critical period 
 or change of life, as it is usually called, when woman 
 ceases to menstruate and bear children, and begins to de- 
 scend towards the weakness of old age. Now this, it is 
 true, is a period fraught with more or less danger, the 
 patient being liable to various affections, which before 
 were entirely absent, or had lain dormant in the system ; 
 and skillful treatment is often necessary to insure the 
 health of the patient in after life. But the great change 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 67 
 
 of life, the period when the sexual passions and capabili- 
 ties are unfolded, and the sexes are drawn towards each 
 other by the impulse of love, is the most critical and 
 dangerous that can occur in the life-time of a human being. 
 
 This period is technically called Puberty. In girls it is 
 characterized by a sanguineous discharge from the vagina, 
 known by various names presently to be noticed ; in boys, 
 the secretion of the seminal fluid commences, which, at 
 first, is thin and watery, but becomes more consistent and 
 fructifying as the youth attains adult life. 
 
 In all latitudes and in all races puberty appears earlier 
 in girls than in boys, and Buffon, a French author, at- 
 tempted to explain the cause of this difference by the 
 quaint remark, ' ; that man being naturally stronger and 
 more robust than woman, nature ought to employ more 
 time in his development." This, however, is no explana- 
 tion at all, and the question admits of none. We might 
 as well try to explain why trees are not animals, and birds 
 are not fishes. In all such inquiries we must go back to 
 the great first cause, and can only say that such is the de- 
 cree of Heaven. 
 
 Immediately before puberty we often observe more or 
 less languor, debility, and sickness, as though nature was 
 bestowing all her efforts on this great functional revolution, 
 and permitting a temporary diminution of the force and 
 vitality of other organs. If the youth is at school, he will 
 be inclined to remain away ; he will be averse to any se- 
 vere exercise of body or mind ; his thoughts will bo un- 
 settled and wandering, and his lessons the greatest 
 
68 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 drudgery to him. At such times the youth should be al- 
 lowed some relaxation from bodily and mental toil. Teach- 
 ers and parents should, therefore, be fully alive to this 
 subject, that they may properly guide those committed to 
 their care. 
 
 But when this revolution is fully accomplished, a health- 
 ful reaction takes place, and all the other powers of the 
 system are nourished and invigorated ; and, if diseases 
 previously existed, such as scrofula, chlorosis, convulsions, 
 etc. , they will often be held in check, or entirely disappear. 
 And now comes a settling and strengthening of the whole 
 system, and there is a rapid increase of the whole body ; 
 the bones and muscles become harder and firmer, the joints 
 are more enduring and reliable ; the chest and respiratoiy 
 organs more capacious ; the genital organs increase with 
 the rest of the body, and in males particularly, the voice 
 becomes hoarser and fuller, being changed from the shrill- 
 ness of childhood to the fullness and depths of adole- 
 scence. 
 
 In the female, there is a sudden and rapid development 
 of the breasts, hips, pubes, thighs, and calves of the legs ; 
 her eyes become more brilliant and expressive, a new 
 loveliness appears on her countenance, and there is a new 
 elegance of her form and figure. But unlike the other 
 sex, there is not a total change in her original constitution. 
 In other words, the change from childhood to adult life is 
 not so complete in some respects as in the male sex. The 
 texture of her organs never lose all their original delicacy 
 and softness ; they never assume the strength and firmness 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 69 
 
 of those of man, neither does she so completely part with 
 the mental characteristics of her childhood, for she is al- 
 ways delicate and tender, instinctively leaning upon him 
 who is appointed to be her protector and her support. 
 And he who would cheerfully and properly discharge the 
 domestic obligations resting upon him, as a husband, 
 should never lose sight of this difference between the 
 sexes. 
 
 Puberty in the female, as we have already intimated, ia 
 characterized by the menstrual discharge, which is of suf- 
 ficient interest to claim our special attention. 
 
 The technical names for the menstrual discharge are the 
 catamenia, and the menses; but it is more commonly 
 spoken of as the monthlies, the courses, and the monthly 
 turns, and women very often speak of being unwell, 
 not meaning that they are sick, but that their menses 
 are upon them. They will also speak of having a show, 
 meaning that their menses have appeared ; or, that they 
 have not seen anything, meaning that no discharge has ap- 
 peared. The term menstruation relates to the function or 
 action, which furnishes the menstrual fluid, or the act of 
 menstruating ; but the word menses relates to the fluiS itself. 
 Physicians do not ask ladies if they have had their men- 
 struation regularly, but if they have had their menses, or 
 if they have menstruated regularly, etc. 
 
 In a state of health and in a temperate climate this 
 function usually makes its appearance for the first time 
 somewhere between the thirteenth and sixteenth years of 
 age, a larger number, according to the best observers, oc- 
 
70 
 
 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 curring in the fifteenth year than at any other time. Mr. 
 Robertson, an English observer of no mean acquirements, 
 has carefully noted the time of the first menstrual flux in 
 four hundred and fifty-two women in his own country, and 
 arranged them into a table as follows : 
 
 In the 11th year 10 women 
 
 12th 
 13th 
 14th 
 15th 
 16th 
 17th 
 18th 
 19th 
 20th 
 
 .19 
 .53 
 
 .85 
 .97 
 
 ..57 
 ..26 
 ..23 
 .. 4 
 
 Let it be observed, in this connection, that there are 
 many circumstances, which hasten or retard the menstrual 
 flux. Indolent habits, obscene pictures, lewed and vicious 
 examples, stimulating diet and beverages, and a warm cli- 
 mate, are some of the circumstances which prematurely 
 develop this function, and vice versa. When this function 
 appears at an early age, it will, as a general rule, cease at 
 an early age, and the woman will lose her capability of 
 bearing children, and also feel the approach of old age, at 
 an earlier period than another, whose menstrual show does 
 not make its appearance so early. 
 
 This may he set down as an inexorable law, and it should 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 71 
 
 impress parents with the importance of rearing their off- 
 spring in paths of virtue and honest industry. This 
 thought suggests another, of which every mother should 
 be fully apprised, viz. , when the menses first appear, they 
 are not always fully established ; two or three months or 
 even a whole year may elapse before they appear the 
 second time ; and it may be a number of months or even 
 two or three years before they become permanently and 
 regularly established. In such cases, medication may, or 
 may not, be required. If the girl's health, in any mea- 
 sure, flags, or if any of the usual symptoms of suppres- 
 sion of the menses make their appearance, such as head- 
 ache, and fever, skillful medication is of the utmost im- 
 portance ; for by it the patient may be saved from a 
 broken-down constitution, and various uterine complaints, 
 that would render her life ever after one of misery and regret* 
 We have said that menstruation usually occurs between 
 the thirteenth and sixteenth years of age ; but it is well to 
 remember that it sometimes occurs much earlier, and also 
 much later than this, which the reader will observe by a 
 glance at the foregoing table. And it may occur before 
 the eleventh and after ihe twentieth year. Such extreme 
 cases, have come under the author's observation a number 
 of times. In all such cases, however, we may expect to 
 find some faulty development of the organs of generation, 
 or some abnormal or diseased condition of the uterine 
 system, or some deficiency or disturbance of the vital forces 
 of the system. Such cases, therefore, require a very care- 
 ful scrutiny, and when they come under the care of ttie 
 
72 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 physician, lie should not shrink from their investigation, 
 but should bring to his aid the best lights of the profession, 
 and endeavor to ascertain the real trouble, and, if possible, 
 remove it. Work must be the watchword of the physician, 
 who would become skillful in the practice of his profession. 
 
 But how often does this function occur? As a general 
 statement it is said to occur once a month, meaning every 
 calendar month, or twelve times a year ; hence we have the 
 term monthlies as applied to this function. But this state- 
 ment is far from being accurate. As a general rule they 
 occur once every twenty-eight days, which is nearly a lunar 
 month, making about thirteen times a year. From this 
 coincidence, some of the ancients, especially the Grecian 
 philosophers, supposed that the moon had some mys- 
 terious and wonderful influence over this function. But 
 this must be regarded as the variest superstition, for 
 we find women menstruating all over the world, at every 
 stage of the moon, and we have yet to learn, that there are 
 any more menstruating women on the increase, or the full 
 moon, than are to be found on the decline of that orb, or 
 when she is entirely invisible. 
 
 In some women this function appears with great regu- 
 larity. They can predict the very day, and sometimes the 
 very hour, when it will occur. But in others, and a large 
 majority, perhaps, such regularity is not observed. It may 
 appear, one, two, or even three days earlier than usual ; 
 or be retarded the same length of time, without injury to 
 the system. The flow continues from three to five days, as 
 a general rule, giving the woman an interval from twenty 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 73 
 
 three to twenty-five days. The. quantity of fluid lost, at 
 each menstrual period, in women of health, may be stated 
 as being from three to five ounces. But in all such general 
 calculations, we find many exceptions. Some women will 
 never have their courses more than one or two days at a 
 time, and will lose hardly as many ounces of blood ; while 
 others will go seven or eight days, and lose ten or twelve 
 ounces-. We have also known women to have their monthly 
 <jourses twice every month, and lose the usual amount of 
 blood at every such period. 
 
 The change of life, as it is usually called, when woman 
 ceases to menstruate, and loses her capability of bearing 
 children, takes place about the forty-fifth year of her life. 
 She can then lay aside many troubles and perplexities in- 
 cident to her child-bearing life, cease from her labors, and 
 seek enjoyment from other sources and in other pursuits. 
 The whole menstruating period is, therefore, about thirty 
 years. But this function sometimes ceases before the 
 forty-fifth year, and it is often protracted beyond that age. 
 As an example of the latter, we may mention that Dr. 
 Wallace, the successor of Professor Meigs, in the Jeffer- 
 son Medical College of Philadelphia, was an only child, 
 whose mother brought him into this world at the age of 
 fifty-three ; and there are some cases on record, of females 
 menstruating the second time, and bearing children at 
 seventy or eighty years of age. "lam cognizant, " says 
 one author, "of the case of a lady of Philadelphia, who 
 commenced menstruating at nearly eighty years of age, and 
 conceived. ' ' 
 
74 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 Formerly, there was no little discussion, and difference 
 of opinion, as to the nature of the menstrual discharge ; 
 but, at the present day, physiologists are usually agreed 
 upon this subject. As one of its characteristics, we may 
 refer to its heavy and sickening odor, when it undergoes 
 decomposition. Some females, when menstruating, have 
 a very offensive odor in their breath, which entirely disap- 
 pears when the flux ceases. The cause of this, seems to 
 be, that some portion of the decomposed menstrual fluid is 
 absorbed into the system, and going into the circulation is 
 exhaled from the lungs with the other noxious gases. It 
 is the characteristic odor of women laboring under puer- 
 pural fever, called, in medical works, gravis odor puerperii. 
 It is also the characteristic odor of the lochial discharges 
 of lying-in women. Hence, it was once supposed— very 
 erroneously of course — that this fluid contained some poi- 
 sonous and dangerous principles, and Pliny informs us 
 " that the presence of a menstrual woman turns wine sour, 
 causes trees to shed their fruit, parches up their young 
 shoots, and makes them forever barren, dims the splendor 
 of mirrors, and the polish of ivory, turns the edge of 
 sharpened iron, converts brass into rust, and is the cause 
 of canine rabies. " 
 
 But what is the menstrual fluid? Is it a secretion, or is 
 it blood? What is a secretion? It is the separation, or 
 elaboration from the blood, of ingredients, which constitute 
 another fluid, the specific character of which depends upon 
 the structure and action of the follicles or cells engaged in 
 the work. Every secretion has its peculiar properties, and 
 
PUBERTT AND GENERATION. iO 
 
 is quite different from the blood, or any other fluid. TI13 
 bile, the urine, the semen, the saliva, the mucus, etc. , are 
 examples, all of which differ from each other, and from the 
 blood out of which they are, as it were, manufactured. 
 Now the only essential difference between the blood and 
 the menstrual fluid is in this, that the latter contains much 
 less fibrin than the former. In the blood, we find about 
 five parts in one hundred, while in the menstrual fluid we 
 find only five parts in one thousand, or only one-tenth as 
 much ; and as the fibrin of the blood forms the coagulum 
 or clot, the menstrual fluid, as observation shows, will not 
 coagulate. But how can we account for the absence of 
 this large proportion of fibrin ? as follows : We know that 
 an acid will dissolve fibrin ; we also know that the natural 
 secretions of the vagina have an acid reaction. When, 
 therefore, the menstrual fluid, in its dribbling passage 
 through the vagina, becomes mixed with the vaginal secre- 
 tions, a large portion of the fibrin is dissolved away and 
 destroyed, and there is not a suflicient amount remaining 
 to form a coagulum. The correctness of this explanation 
 is confirmed by the fact, that, if we take this fluid directly 
 from the womb, not allowing it to come in contact with the 
 vagina, it is found to contain the usual amount of fibrin, and 
 to coagulate like blood taken from any other part of the body. 
 Again, if we take a little of the menstrual fluid and put 
 it under a microscope, we shall have another evidence that 
 it is blood and not a secretion ; for we shall discover in it 
 the red corpuscles of the blood, which we know cannot 
 exude through secreting follicles. 
 
76 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 The menstrual discharge takes place from the internal 
 surface of the womb. It is supposed by some physiologists, 
 that the pressure of the blood, at the menstrual nisus, is 
 sufficient to rupture the terminal extremities of the capil- 
 laries, and allow the fluid to trickle away through their 
 minute pores ; but, to use the language of Professor Meigs, 
 u It is most probable, that the discharge takes place from 
 capillaries with open mouths, such arrangement being 
 known to exist in the capillaries of the uterus. ' ' 
 
 It was formerly supposed that the menstrual flux came 
 from the vagina, as well as the womb, but this*doctrine is 
 now exploded. If we examine the womb of a female who 
 dies while menstruating, we shall find the internal surface 
 greatly congested; and if we make slight pressure with the 
 hand, the blood will be seen to ooze out from the little 
 pores in the lining membrane ; but no congestion, nor dis- 
 charge of blood is found below the neck of the womb. We 
 have introduced a speculum into the vagina when the 
 patient was menstruating, through which we have seen the 
 blood trickling from the mouth of the womb, but no con- 
 gestion of the vagina, nor the slightest discharge of blood 
 from that organ, could be discovered. Such observations 
 settle the question, that the menstrual discharge comes 
 from the internal surface of the womb, and not from the 
 vagina. 
 
 But what purpose in the sexual economy does menstrua- 
 tion fulfill ? How is it connected with child-bearing ? We 
 know that such connection exists, still a woman may con- 
 ceive before menstruating. Young women sometimes 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 77 
 
 marry and find themselves in a family way before this 
 function makes its appearance ; and nursing women often 
 become pregnant before their menses return. But ovula- 
 tion, that is, the action of the ovaries in furnishing the ova 
 or female germ-cells, is an indispensable condition of con- ' 
 ception; for there must be an ovum to unite with the 
 spermatozoa to produce a new being. If, therefore, the 
 ovum is furnished, the female may conceive, though she 
 may not, from some cause unknown, first menstruate. 
 But menstruation, as a general rule, is necessary to insure 
 the healthy action of the ovaries in the production of the 
 ova, and in this way, if in no other, it is connected with 
 child-bearing. 
 
 It is well established, at the present day, that the escape 
 of the menstrual fluid is entirely subservient to the action 
 of the ovaries, and controlled and regulated by them. 
 Though all the other organs of generation remain in their 
 entirety, if the ovaries are so diseased, or deficient that 
 their function is destroyed ; or if they have been removed 
 by the knife of the surgeon, menstruation ceases, showing 
 its connection with those organs. Menstruation relieves 
 the congestion of the ovaries. Before the ova ripen, and 
 escape into the fallopian tubes, the ovaries become greatly 
 congested, which is proved by the examination of those 
 organs in a female who dies at that time ; but as the dis- 
 charge continues the congestion entirely subsides. Some- 
 times the discharge is a little delayed, at every menstrual 
 period, and the congestion of the ovaries not being relieved 
 so early as nature intended, a great deal of pain is pro- 
 
78 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 duced, sometimes the most excruciating pain, relieved only 
 when the discharge is well established, and continued the 
 necessary length of time. Now such facts prove that the men- 
 strual discharge depends upon, and subserves the action of 
 ' the ovaries, and that without such discharge to relieve their 
 congestion, their structures and functions must be destroyed. 
 
 Another condition of puberty is the generation of the 
 species, which may well claim a portion of the reader's 
 attention. In man, where we have reason superadded to 
 sexual instinct, it is well to delay the union of the sexes 
 beyond this period, that the sexual organs, and the whole 
 body may become more firmly and fully developed, to insure 
 a healthier and hardier race. But the capability, however 
 feeble, commences at puberty. In the female, as before 
 stated, it consists in ovulation, characterized by the men- 
 strual discharge; in the male, by the evolution of the 
 spermatozoa, not characterized by any such external sign. 
 
 It would, no doubt, be entertaining to many of our 
 readers leisurely to peruse a description of the various kinds 
 of sexual organs, and modes of generation, found in plants 
 and the lower animals ; but such a description would be 
 entirely foreign to our present purpose, and, in itself, 
 would require a volume of no mean dimensions. We must, 
 therefore, be content with a brief outline of these phe- 
 nomena, which will, doubtless, open up to many of our 
 readers some things in nature that might otherwise pass 
 unobserved, and also illustrate, to some extent, the gene- 
 ration of the species in the higher animals at the head of 
 which stands man. 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. »9 
 
 AH vegetable productions are known to have male and 
 female organs of generation. With a very few exceptions, 
 each plant has both sets of organs, which enable it to 
 generate its species where it is planted ; whilst animals have 
 a muscular system to move about, and to search out each 
 other. The flower is the part of the plant which contains 
 the sexual organs — and let it be remembered that every 
 plant flowers or blossoms. Usually, each flower contains 
 both the male and female organs, which give them the 
 name of bisexual ptants or flowers ; but sometimes we find 
 the male organs in one flower, and the female in another, 
 upon the same branch, which may be called the unisexual. 
 
 The flower, which is the most beautiful part of the plant, 
 on account of its form and colors, is usually composed of 
 four principal parts, of which two, the stamen and pistil 
 are essential to generation. These organs are covered and 
 protected by the calyx and corolla. Commencing without, 
 we first have the calyx, which varies in the number of 
 pieces composing it ; next the corolla, which varies in form 
 and color, and consists of one or many pieces ; the third 
 part is the stamen, which is the male sexual organ. It 
 consists of the filet or thread-like body, and the anther at 
 the summit of the filet. The filet, not being indispensable 
 to fecundation, does not exist in all plants ; but the anther 
 always exists, and without it no generation of the plant 
 can take place. It consists of a fine membranous sack 
 containing a very fine powder called the pollen ; this pow- 
 der gives out a peculiar odor when the plant flowers, 
 which is the male sperm or seed. The flowers of some 
 
80 THE SEXUAL SYSTEty. 
 
 plants have but one stamen, others two, and so on, up to 
 a large number, situated at the base of the corolla and 
 surrounding its internal surface. 
 
 The female sexual organ of plants is the pistil, situated 
 in the centre of the flpwer, and composed of three parts, 
 the ovary, the style, and the stigma. The ovary is the in- 
 ferior part of the pistil, and contains very small grains, 
 ovules or eggs, which are the female germ-cells. The 
 stigma, which may bo> regarded as the external genital 
 fissure, is at the summit of the pistil, and the style, which 
 does not exist in all plants, is a thread-like canal, situated 
 between the ovary and the stigma. There are usually 
 more stamens than pistils, making plants polyandrous, 
 that is, many males for one female. 
 
 The union of plants takes place only at the period of 
 > 
 floration, or when the flowers are developed. At this 
 
 period, both the male and female organs acquire a degree 
 of motion, which is visible to the naked eye. They are 
 very sensitive to the touch and exhale an odor, which, in 
 some plants, is most agreeable to the olfactories. And 
 now the sexual organs approach each other; the male 
 organ becomes erected, and it directs its summit or anther 
 towards the stigma, or external fissure of the female or- 
 gan ; the sacks of the anther are ruptured, and the pollen, 
 each grain of >vhich contains a subtle fluid, the fecundating 
 principle, is shed upon the stigma, and imbibed by the 
 ovary — the ovary in plants being analogous to the womb 
 in animals. The corolla is said to contract in some flowers 
 to bring the stamens nearer the pistils, and in aquatic 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 81 
 
 plants the flowers are seen to elevate themselves above the 
 surface of the water, while copulation is effected, and then 
 to return to their former element to develope and bring 
 fqrth their fruit. 
 
 Says Ryan, "The stigmas of flowers like the sexual or- 
 gans of most animals, in the season of amours, are be- 
 dewed with more or less humidity, acquire more heat, 
 and even become odorous. The stigma in the sensitive 
 plant, tulip, etc., becomes congested and contractile, not 
 only after the application of the fecundating powder, but 
 when submitted to any kind of stimulation. The arum 
 of Italy developed so much heat, as to be appreciable by 
 the thermometer. We see the female organ in the crown 
 imperial, the laurel of St. Anthony, etc. , depress itself to- 
 wards the male organ v which it surpasses in length. We 
 even observe tremblings in the Parnassus de Marais. when 
 it receives the exciting impression of the fecundating pol- 
 len. * * * So soon as fecundation is effected, both the 
 male and female sexual organs of flowers, except the ovary, 
 decay and die, as nature has accomplished her object, and 
 left the elements of future generations for development. 
 The ovary swells, and becomes filled with a fluid, which 
 soon acquires consistence, and finally becomes the fruit. 
 This process is termed fructification. The sexual organs 
 can no longer contribute to the perpetual renovation of the 
 species. ' ' 
 
 Says Meret, ' c Reproduction is the end of all the cares 
 of nature, for which she has prepared the most perfect 
 apparatus. The act being finished, all enter into repose, 
 6 
 
S2 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 all fade,, all vanish. Retard fecundation, impede it by any 
 means, and the flower preserves the freshness of its calyx 
 for a long time. ' ' 
 
 The fruit consists of two principal parts, the pericarpe, 
 and the seed or seeds. The pericarpe is that part of the 
 fruit which contains the seed, and it has one cavity or 
 many according to the number of seeds which it contains. 
 We also have the epicarp, or external covering of the 
 fruit, the sarcocarp or pulpy part of the fruit, and the en- 
 docarp or the membrane, which lines the internal cavity 
 of the fruit. By the examination of an apple, this de- 
 scription will be easily understood* In some kinds of fruit 
 there are other parts, known by very hard names, with 
 which we do not think proper to burden the minds of bur 
 readers. 
 
 Now in some of the very lowest animals, as Well as in 
 plants, we find the organs of both sexes united in the 
 same individual, and the ova is fertilized by the spermatic 
 fluid of the same individual. This takes place in many 
 of the zoophytes, and in some of the lowest tribes of mol- 
 lusca. In others we find both sets of organs in the same 
 individual without the power of self-impregnation; two 
 individuals cohabit, and each is impregnated and impreg- 
 nates the other, as may be observed with snails and many 
 of the higher mollusca. But in most of the lower, and in 
 all of the higher orders of animals, the sexual organs are 
 entirely distinct, one individual possessing the male, and 
 another the female organs of generatioti, the union of the 
 two being necessary to the generation of their species. 
 
PUBEKTT AND GENERATION. 83 
 
 But we must dismiss this subject, not having space to 
 dwell upon it in this work. There are some interesting 
 facts in the generation of the human species, to which we 
 invite the reader's attention. 
 
 It is somewhat amusing to contemplate the various 
 theories which have been advocated in various ages of the 
 world, to explain the modus operandi of the reproduction 
 of the human species. The material furnished by the 
 sexual organs and its development into a living being have 
 puzzled the wisest philosophers, and filled their minds 
 with wonder and amazement. Before the illustrious Har- 
 vey demonstrated the function of the ovaries, in furnishing 
 the ova, and established the doctrine omnia ex ovo — all 
 living things from an egg — every theory of generation was 
 confused, doubtful, and erroneous, as modern science 
 plainly shows. Upon Harvey's researches, in the seven- 
 teenth century, have been based all modern investigations. 
 
 A distinguished author of the last century, by a tho- 
 rough ransacking of the writings of his predecessors, col- 
 lects and enumerates no less than two hundred and sixty- 
 two groundless theories of generation. Of course we do 
 not intend to review such a budget of error, but we will 
 invite the attention of our readers to a very few of them, 
 which more or less include all the others. 
 
 1. There was a theory that the generation of the species 
 was constantly maintained, as well as originally established, 
 by an emanation of images and spectres from the Divine 
 Being, which were arranged into perfect order. According 
 to this theory all living beings, both vegetable and animal, 
 
84 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 are renewed and maintained by a perpetual process of 
 miracles. This was the favorite dictrine of the great 
 Plato ; and the agents for the arrangement and develop- 
 ment of these divine emanations consisting, as he stated, 
 of three persons, the man, the woman, and the child, he 
 readily formed his favorite hobby of a Trinity in unity. 
 But it should be remembered that there are but two agents 
 employed, the man and the woman, the child being the 
 result or the product of these agencies. 
 
 2. It has been maintained, that in the first individual of 
 every living thing, there was created, and really existed, 
 all the germs of the succeeding progeny. Mother Eve, 
 according to this doctrine, possessed in her own body all 
 the material germs of every human being who succeeds 
 her, and the same would be true of every living thing, 
 vegetable and animal. This was called the system of evolu- 
 tion — the unfolding of the germs of the original individual 
 of every living species. But the absurdity of this doctrine 
 will appear evident when we consider that these germs, 
 however minute, are material substances and must occupy 
 some space, and that we know of no limit to the multipli- 
 cation of any species, so long as the outward conditions re- 
 main unchanged. A single grain of corn may multiply 
 itself till it covers the whole earth, and to suppose that the 
 original grain possessed all the germs of every succeeding 
 grain, is a mere absurdity. The true doctrine is, that 
 there is developed in every individual the germs for its off- 
 spring. Our first parents did not possess the germs out 
 of which the reader evolved, but they were developed in 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 85 
 
 the parents of the reader, and this capability of develop- 
 ment is the intrinsic character of every living thing. 
 
 3. It has been maintained by other philosophers, that 
 during sexual congress, followed by fecundation, a great 
 number of organic molecules, or minute particles, were 
 separated from every part of the body to meet in the womb ; 
 that those particles separated from the nose, eyes, heart, 
 lungs, etc. , of the male, must meet those coming from the 
 same organs of the female, because, as it was supposed, 
 these particles, however minute, had the form of the organs 
 from which they were derived. Even the great Hippo- 
 crates supposed that the seminal fluid was derived from 
 every part of the body, but especially from the brain and 
 spinal marrow, and that it passed along the spine to the 
 loins and sexual organs. But Hippocrates knew little or 
 nothing about human anatomy, and his ideas upon such 
 subjects must necessarily have been visionary and unsettled. 
 It is now known that there is no possible passage for semi- 
 nal fluid along the spine to the genital organs, and that it 
 is anatomically impossible for organic molecules to pas3 
 from all parts of the body to the sexual organs during the 
 coupling of the sexes. The materials for a new being, it 
 is now known, are furnished from the blood, which passes 
 through the minute structure of glands designed for that 
 purpose, viz. : the ovaries in the female, and the testes in 
 the male. 
 
 4. Before Harvey's discoveries, a large majority of phy- 
 sicians were of the opinion that the female, as well as the 
 male, had an emission of semen in sexual congress ; and 
 
86 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 that these two materials mixed in the womb, and formed a 
 new being. But modern science has refuted this doctrine. 
 Females, it is true, sometimes have an orgasm or acme of 
 sexual pleasure, if such language is proper, similar to that 
 of the male when an emission takes place. We say similar, 
 but that is only inference, as the sensation both in the male 
 and female is indescribable. But the idea we wish to con- 
 vey is this, that it was once quite generally supposed, that 
 at this indescribable moment, the female, as well as the 
 male would have an emission of spermatic fluid, that would 
 contribute to the formation of the embryo. This, to our 
 mind, was the most reasonable theory of generation, pre- 
 vious to the discovery of ovulation, but since that time, it 
 has been entirely exploded, and no man of any pretensions 
 to medical science holds such a notion at the present day. 
 But this opinion has always appeared so rational, that it 
 has been rooted and grounded in the minds of the people, 
 an4 handed down from generation to generation, and is, 
 perhaps, very generally entertained at the present time by 
 unprofessional people. But it is now known that there is 
 no such thing as an emission of spermatic fluid in the 
 female during copulation. There is usually, it is true, an 
 increased secretion of mucus from the vagina and neck of 
 the womb, during the intercourse of the sexes, and at the 
 time when the sexual pleasure runs the highest, this secre- 
 tion may sometimes become quite profuse. It is this which 
 is usually supposed to perform an important part in the 
 generation of the species, but it really has nothing to do 
 with it. Let it be remembered, also, that many females 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 87 
 
 who bear children as readily as others, though they expe- 
 rience some degree of pleasure in the embraces of their 
 husbands, never have an orgasm, and that others, never 
 experience any pleasure whatever, though no disproportion 
 exists between themselves and husbands, still they conceive 
 and bear children. A few such cases have been the subjects 
 of our inquiry, and they have been too well established to 
 admit of doubt. 
 
 5. Another theory was that the female furnished all the 
 material necessary for the generation of the species, and 
 that the office of the male was merely to awaken this dor- 
 mant element into life and motion, and that the subtle 
 influence, which produced such a result, came from the 
 brain of the male during coition. This was the favorite 
 doctrine of Pythagoras, and the doctrine of many other 
 philosophers somewhat modified. But there was another 
 doctrine directly the opposite of this, viz. : that the male 
 alone furnished all the material that was essential for the 
 new being, and that the female organs furnished a fit re- 
 ceptacle for such material, and the nourishment for its 
 development and growth. This was the theory of the 
 celebrated Galen, and after the discovery of spermatozoa, 
 those who had maintained it now held the theory that the 
 spermatozoa were miniature representations of men and 
 women, and called them homuncuti, and that the womb of 
 the female was the place where these homunculi were fur- 
 nished with the materials for their nourishment and growth, 
 till they became independent beings ; that if a male homun- 
 culum took up its residence there, a man would be pro- 
 
88 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 duced ; if a female homunculum, a woman would be the 
 result. 
 
 The language in which these various theories have been 
 expressed is scattered through medical works in such a 
 loose and vague style, that we have preferred not to make 
 any quotations in support of our assertions, but to sum them 
 up, as above, in our own language. We have, perhaps, 
 given the substance of every theory worth naming. 
 
 When describing the spermatozoa, and the offices of the 
 ova, we stated, that the generation of the species was ef- 
 fected by a union of these two elements ; that the little micro- 
 scopic spermatozoa, found in the male spermatic fluid, full 
 of life and motion, and the minute ovum, not larger than 
 the smallest pin's point, furnished by the female ovaries 
 coming in contact and intimately mingling with each other, 
 was the commencement of a new being, and being lodged 
 in the womb, and receiving its proper nourishment from 
 the mother, was developed into a new and independent 
 being. This being the simple statement of the philosophy 
 of generation, as demonstrated by modern science, let us 
 ' now inquire where, and by what force or law, this contact 
 takes place. Some authors suppose it may take place in 
 the womb, or the fallopian tubes; others think it may 
 occur in either of these cavities, or upon the ovaries ; and 
 still others, among whom we may name Dunglison, think 
 it always occurs upon the ovaries. Our own opinion is, 
 that it may occur in the womb or the fallopian tubes, but 
 'seldom if ever upon the ovaries ; and we would be glad to 
 "discuss the question at some length, and give onr reasons 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 89 
 
 for such a view of the subject, *but neither our space, nor 
 the character of this work admits of it. 
 
 But by what force or law does the spermatozoa pass up- , 
 wards to reach the ovum? It is generally supposed by 
 unprofessional persons that they are thrown into the womb 
 by the ejaculatory impulse of the male at the time of 
 sexual intercourse ; but this would be mechanically impos- 
 sible on account of the anatomical arrangement of the 
 parts. The walls of the canal extending through the 
 neck of the womb are nearly, and sometimes quite, in 
 contact; and the womb itself is directed forwards, and 
 forms a right-angle with the vagina. The semen, there- 
 fore, is not ejected in the direction of the cavity of the 
 womb, and can only be thrown into the vaginal pouch sur- 
 rounding the neck of the womb, or upon the mouth of 
 the womb, to be acted upon by other forces. And the ac- 
 tion of the vagina, the womb, the fallopian tubes, and the 
 motions of the spermatozoa, seem to be the forces em- 
 ployed for the accomplishment of this wonderful work. 
 Blundell describes certain peculiar motions of the vagina, 
 which favor the passage of the semen into the lower part 
 of the womb. He made observations upon the rabbit 
 from which he deduced the following: — "This canal, 
 during the heat, is never at rest. It shortens, it lengthens, 
 it changes continually in its circular dimensions, and when 
 irritated, especially, will sometimes contract to one third 
 of its quiescent diameter. .And in addition to this action, 
 it has another, which consists in the falling down, as it 
 were, of that part of the vagina which lies in the vicinity 
 
90 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 of the womb ; so that it every now and then lays itself as 
 flatly over its orifice, as if we should apply the hand over 
 the mouth in an endeavor to stop it. How well adapted 
 the whole of this curious movement is for the introduction 
 of the semen at the opening, it is needless to explain." 
 
 Again : The walls of the canal, of the neck, and of the 
 cavity of the womb, lying very nearly in contact, and the 
 caliber of the fallopian tubes being very small, especially 
 where they open into the womb, may exert a sort of suck- 
 ing force upon the semen. Take two pieces glass, and 
 having placed a few drops of water upon them, hold their 
 wet surfaces very nearly in contact, and the water will be 
 seen to spread, and, perhaps, cover the entire surfaces ; or 
 take a tube no larger than the uterine end of the fallopian 
 tubes, and put one of its ends in water, and the fluid will 
 be seen to rise within the tube above its level upon the 
 outside, showing the attraction exerted upon it by the in- 
 ternal surfaces of the tube being brought nearly in contact. 
 
 But the principal force employed in this work seems tp 
 reside in the spermatozoa themselves. These minute 
 bodies, as we have explained in its proper place, are en- . 
 dowed with the power of motion, and by a vital determi- 
 nation, so to speak, these motions are directed towards 
 the ovum and continue till the spermatozoa reach their 
 destination or die upon the passage. In addition to these 
 forces there may reside in the womb fallopian tubes, and 
 ovaries, some specific vital force, not understood, nor sus- 
 ceptible of explanation upon any mechanical or chemical 
 principles, referable alone to an ultimate vital principle. 
 
PUBERTY AND GENERATION. 91 
 
 The passage of the ovum from the ovary to the womb 
 may be explained by the action of the cilia in the fallopian 
 tubes, and the peristaltic action of those tubes ; but the 
 action itself, as well as that peculiar and remarkable action 
 of the fimbriated extremities of the fallopian tubes, in 
 grasping the ovaries to receive the ova and pass them into ( 
 the tubes, is entirely beyond our conception, and must be 
 referred to an ultimate vital principle. Indeed, all man 
 can do, is to investigate the conditions or laws, which con- 
 trol and change the elements of matter. This is called 
 science. But when matter is organized into living forms, 
 there is a vital principle back of all our science, referable 
 alone to the Divine Mind, and this, though seen in all 
 living forms, is peculiarly exhibited in the generation of 
 the species, every kind retaining its original form through 
 multitudes of generations, and untold changes in outward 
 conditions. 
 
92 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 MATRIMONY OR MAHKIAGE. 
 
 Development of the conjugal feelings — The most proper age for 
 marriages — Interesting examples — Matrimonial scale — Courtship 
 and marriage customs in barbarous and semi-civilized countries 
 — Ancient Britain and Scotland, Italy, Turkey, Africa, etc. — 
 Amusing cases — The hymen as an evidence of virginity — errone- 
 ous opinions — The Mosaic law — Unjust and oppressive laws and 
 customs — The consummation of marriage — Physical disproportions 
 condemned; — Great men of illegitimate birth — Mental impressions 
 transmitted to the offspring — Interesting cases — Napoleon, Queen 
 Mary, etc., etc. — The charm of contrasts — Feminine men and 
 masculine women — Qualifications of young people for the mar- 
 riage relation — Domestic acquirements— The lady loafer — The 
 blessedness of home — The advice of an oriental Brahmin — Mar- 
 riage as a remedy — Unjust laws relating to marriages and di- 
 vorces — When divorces are justifiable — Physical impediments — 
 Caution, treatment, etc. 
 
 " Behold," says the eloquent Virey, "what pomp, what 
 joys, what glory, and what magnificence are prepared by 
 nature, for the marriages of plants and animals ! How 
 the lion prides himself on his strength ! the antelope on 
 its figure ! the peacock and swan on their plumage ! the 
 fish on its silvery coat, and on the splendor of the gold 
 and brilliant appearance of its body 1 How the butterfly 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 93 
 
 expands its diamond -wings ! How the flower displays its 
 charms to the rays of Aurora, enjoys in silence and drinks 
 the pearly drops of the dew! All is the radiance of 
 beauty in nature, the earth, covered with verdure, re- 
 sounds with accents of joy and sighs of pleasure ; all ex- 
 hale love, all search for it, and enjoy it — in a word, it is a 
 common festival of beings. But, in a short time, the 
 flower fades away, and languishes on its stem ; the but- 
 terfly declines and dies ; the lion, as if fatigued by long- 
 contested fights, searches for peace and retreat ; and man 
 himself, overcome with languor, retires in silence, seeing 
 the approach of death, which presses its iron hand on all 
 that breathes." 
 
 In the first part of the preceding chapter, we have de- 
 scribed certain physical changes, in both sexes, as neces- 
 sary constituents of puberty, such as the rapid growth of 
 the genital organs, the development of the general contour 
 and firmness of the body, the voice, etc. ; and menstru- 
 ation and ovulation in the female, and the evolution of 
 spermatozoa in the male. In addition 'to these changes, 
 there are certain moral elements developed, which are in- 
 dispensable in the matrimonial and family relations. The 
 girl of twelve or thirteen years, who is equally familiar 
 and playful with men as with women, in a year or two is 
 entirely changed in her manners and habits. A gentleman 
 can no longer beckon her to his knees, and caress her like a 
 child, for she now possesses an inward passion for the op- 
 posite sex, which gives rise to a sentiment of reserve, or 
 "virgin shame." Until this time she was influenced by 
 
94 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 self-lore, parental affection, or the • friendship of young 
 persons of her own sex ; but now these are insufficient ; 
 she really feels — though the sentiment is vague and con- 
 fused — that her well-being exists in another, that she 
 cannot enjoy existence except in the intimate union of 
 body, mind, and heart with one of the opposite sex, and 
 this passion, as deep and abiding as nature itself, is all ex- 
 pressed in the monosyllable, love ! 
 
 The moral changes in boys are, perhaps, nearly or quite 
 as great. Those of timid and delicate constitutions, whose 
 associations had been chiefly with females, experience an 
 unconquerable bashfulness while in their presence; and 
 the powerful emotions which produce such bashfulness, 
 sometimes lead the unhappy youth to a morose deport- 
 ment towards the gentler sex, and more or less to avoid 
 their society, and this is generally ascribed to the poor 
 fellow having imbibed a dislike for females ; but how con- 
 trary is the real state of things. In boys of more robust 
 constitutions, however, the indications are quite different. 
 Instead of hiding their feelings, or affecting dislike for 
 those towards whom their instincts yearn, they manifest a 
 great desire for their society, and take pleasure in a frank 
 and gallant homage towards them. 
 
 And now commences those innocent amours so delight- 
 ful and pleasing to the parties themselves, and also to the 
 unselfish observer. They meet; their tastes and senti- 
 ments are similar; the strictest Chastity presides at their 
 first interviews ; they know no other motive for their ac- 
 tions than the pure inspiration of nature and the heart ; a 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. G5 
 
 word, a glance, a whisper, and the pressure of a trembling 
 hand, now produces the most thrilling enjoyment. They 
 approach each other with respectful hesitation, and en- 
 deavor to conceal the real nature of the sentiments which 
 influence and agitate their minds ; but at the same time 
 they think unutterable thoughts ; and as their love in- 
 creases their interviews become more frequent and more 
 intimate, and a reciprocal confidence is established between 
 them ; a secret impulse controls their whole being, and, at 
 length the time comes when they resolve to be one body, 
 mind, and heart, and share with each other the joys and 
 sorrows of life, by swearing eternal fidelity before the altar 
 and in the presence of Heaven. 
 
 " Oh happy they, the happiest of their kind ! 
 Whom gentle stars unite, and in one fate 
 Their hearts, their fortunes, and their beings blend. 
 *Tis not alone the tie of human laws 
 That binds their peace — but harmony itself, 
 Attuning all their passions into love ; 
 Thought meeting thought, and will pervading will, 
 With boundless confidence — for nought but love 
 Can answer love and render bliss secure." 
 
 Among other subjects, the proper. age at which marriage 
 should be contracted, has created no little controversy, 
 especially in other countries and in former times ; but it is 
 now generally agreed that the preservation of chastity by 
 both sexes, at least for a few years after puberty com- 
 mences, is physically and morally productive of the best 
 
96 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 results ; for the premature use of organs, which should 
 quietly ripen and mature, is prejudicial to the health and 
 vigor of both parties ; and the offspring, which may reach 
 . maturity, are sickly shrubs, and make small, deformed men 
 and women. To remedy'these evils, legislative acts have 
 been imposed in various countries, and at various epochs 
 of history, against marriages being contracted before the 
 ages of twenty- three, twenty-five, twenty-seven, etc., etc. 
 But all such laws must be partial, unjust, and ineffectual ; 
 for in warm climates, it would be tyrannical and pernicious, 
 to compel young people to wait till an age, which might be 
 timely and advisable in cold climates; and even among 
 persons bora and living in the same country, and the same 
 latitude, the variations of physical and mental development 
 are so great, that it would be impossible to establish any 
 useful custom or law upon this subject. That which might 
 be necessary to the health, the virtue, and even the life of 
 one, might be positively injurious to another, of the same 
 age, but of a different habit of constitution ; the one, at 
 the age of seventeen, might acquire a maturity of develop- 
 ment, which would require three or four years to produce 
 in the other. 
 
 Premature marriages have been advocated on the ground 
 of morals, as being a good preventive of libertinism ; but 
 we question the soundness of such reasoning. Young per- 
 sons who cannot be restrained from licentious conduct, out 
 of the marriage relation, would be quite certain, were they 
 to marry prematurely, to contract those habits, which work 
 the degradation and ruin of so many of our youth. The 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 9T 
 
 mantle of matrimony thrown over licentiousness is, at best, 
 . a sort of smothered abomination, that constantly bursts 
 forth to disturb the peace and harmony of society. Louis 
 XL, of France, before he arrived at the age of fourteen, 
 cohabited with his queen, who was hardly twelve, and it is 
 the opinion of all physiologists, that his effeminate and 
 ferocious character was the consequence of the early ex- 
 haustion of his sexual powers. Matrimony is often a 
 cloak, but a very uncertain remedy for licentiousness. The 
 8tudy of man — for the true study of man is man — and the 
 careful inculcation of the precepts of morality and decorum, 
 are the only safeguards to society. 
 
 Perhaps there is no civilized country, in which so many 
 early marriages are contracted, as we find among the poorer 
 classes of Ireland. The chastity of the women, and the 
 rarity of prostitution, seduction, and adultery, and the de- 
 nunciation of the clergy against such practices, are sup- 
 posed to be the chief causes of these premature marriages. 
 But there must be other causes in addition to these, which 
 have a powerful influence upon the poorer classes; for 
 among the better classes of Ireland, and in the rural dis- 
 tricts of our own America, where young men seldom 
 know women till their marriage, and, therefore, are not 
 prevented from marrying by their associations with un- 
 chaste females, we find very few premature matrimonial 
 alliances. 
 
 The Irish are proverbial for the attention and support 
 they afford their parents in their old age. This is expected, 
 and it is, in a measure, enjoined by the church, and hencs 
 7 
 
93 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 parents will speak of their children as their means of sup- 
 port, and the young stock think they had better marry 
 early that their children may be grown up to support them 
 when they are old and beyond work, which unfortunately 
 comes early in that land of destitution. 
 
 We find another reason for early marriages, expressed 
 in the old adage, ' * That misery loves company. ' ' Make a 
 person miserable, and he most intensely craves the com- 
 panionship of one prepared to share his sorrows, even if 
 there are no joys to be dispensed ; and in this he is but ful- 
 filling a law of his nature as strong and abiding as life it- 
 self. And who is so well prepared to enter such partner- 
 fehip, with misery and destitution for the capital, as the 
 wife who never knew anything better. They know they 
 can be no worse off, and when their potatoe crop is con- 
 sumed, and they can procure no employment, their wives 
 and children can go out begging, which the men could not 
 do so well, on account of the "small luck" that would 
 attend them. 
 
 In the county of Cork, the Rev. Mr. Barry observes, 
 that early marriages are very common. "I have," says 
 he, u married boys of sixteen and girls of fourteen, and 
 many from sixteen to eighteen. When a servant-boy is 
 with a farmer, he says to himself, I have no one to wash, 
 make, or mend, or do anything else for me, and I may as 
 well have a wife ; we will be able to make out life in some 
 way, and I do no more now. John Baskum, a servant- 
 boy of sixteen, married a girl of seventeen. He had hardly 
 f as much as would cover his skin ; they had scarcely bed- 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 93 
 
 clothes to cover them ; he is badly off now, but can be no 
 worse. Daly, aged seventeen, married a girl of fifteen; 
 they were both servants, and not a sixpence above beg- 
 gars ; but they could be no worse off. James Helan, six- 
 teen, married a girl seventeen, though he was hardly able 
 to cover himself. Fitzgerald, a poor servant-boy of seven- 
 teen, married a girl of the same age ; they are as poor now 
 and cannot be worse off. I endeavored to dissuade some 
 of these persons from marrying, but they would not listen 
 to me, saying, we cannot be worse off than we are. A 
 girl in the poorest family is always ready to marry; it 
 takes her out of other people's mouths, that is, removes 
 scandal. She has also another motive — she wishes to have 
 children to support her in her old age. A woman had an 
 illegitimate child with a view, as she stated herself, of 
 having some one to look after her when she should be too 
 old to take care of herself. ' \ 
 
 In the county of Sligo, the Rev. Mr. Gibson observes, 
 i l The poor consider that when they have brought up a 
 family, they have made a provision for their old age. In 
 many places poor single women, widows without children, 
 and even crippled beggars, were found to seek and bring 
 up orphan and deserted children, without any remunera- 
 tion, and merely with the view of having some one to 
 assist them in their old age. Want of employment is also 
 thought to assist in bringing about early marriages, as 
 young men, who have no work, lounge about and become 
 acquainted with females at fairs, markets, and funerals. ' ' 
 In Tipperary a laborer said, " If we marry and God give 
 
100 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 us children, they will support us when we are beyond work ; 
 but if we did not marry soon we should be broken down 
 before our children would be grown enough to take care 
 of us ; and we can be no worse off than we are now. " The 
 girls are as anxious as the boys ; the lad sees that he can 
 get no good by waking, so he marries without any fear of 
 being worse off than before ; for when he has no work, if 
 he is ashamed to beg himself, the wife and children will 
 beg and support him ; or if he wishes to take a fling to 
 some other part of Ireland, or to the English harvest, they 
 will support themselves by begging till he comes back. ' ' 
 
 While upon this subject, we will remark, to the amuse- 
 ment of some, perhaps, that many philosophers are of the 
 opinion that considerable disparity in the ages of persons 
 contracting matrimony is productive of devotion, affection, 
 and happiness, and consequently more in accordance with 
 nature's unerring dictates ; that young ladies are more apt 
 to become enamored with men, than with boys of their own 
 age ; and sometimes with men old enough to be stigmatized 
 by an ingenuous world as old bachelors ; and that young 
 gents are more likely to be smitten with old maids, and 
 widows, than with those younger than themselves, or about 
 their own age. 
 
 Now, if this opinion be correct, which we shall not stop 
 to controvert, it would be an easy matter to construct a 
 matrimonial scale, that, in one respect, at least, would be 
 quite in accordance with nature: — Let a man forty-five, 
 more or less, take unto himself a young lady of fifteen or 
 sixteen years, and when she attains to the age of thirty- 
 
MATRIMONY Oil MARRIAGE. 101 
 
 five, let her shove one side the jolly companion of her 
 youth, who by this time must be a mere incumbrance to 
 the matrimonial sisterhood, and let her unite her future 
 destiny with a young gent of seventeen or eighteen sum- 
 mers. Now, when the latter attains to the age of forty- 
 five, the genial, affectionate, and sprightly old maid, or 
 widow, who became the sunshine and joy of his youth, 
 must stand one side, a superannuated old woman, and an 
 idle spectator to the union of her youthful companion with 
 a lass of fifteen, who, in due time, would have her turn ; 
 and so on ad infinitum. So far as the old adage applies 
 here, viz. : "Variety is the spice of life," this marriage 
 programme would be more in keeping with nature's dictates, 
 than the one usually followed. 
 
 Some remarks upon courtship and marriage customs, in 
 various barbarous and semi-civilized countries, may not be 
 without interest to our readers. Our statements are de- 
 rived from a very authentic history of Marriage Customs 
 of all Nations, published in 1830, and they must be re- 
 garded as perfectly reliable. It should be remembered, 
 however, that since that time the advancement of civiliza- 
 tion and Christianity in various parts of the world, have 
 somewhat modified, or entirely changed the more unreason- 
 able and amusing of these customs. 
 
 " Among the ancient Britons, in very remote times, it 
 was customary to have the women of ten or twelve families 
 who dwelt under the same roof, in common, and it is said 
 that Julia, wife of the Emperor Severus, reproaching a 
 Briton with this custom, received for an answer, that the 
 
102 THK SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 Romans ought not to reproach the British ladies on this 
 account, as what the latter did publicly with men of merit, 
 the former were known to practice in private with the 
 worst, and sometimes with their slaves. 
 
 "There was formerly a custom in Scotland that savors 
 so much of brutality, tyranny and disgust, that it seems 
 almost incomprehensible, in the present polished state of 
 society, that it should have ever obtained the sanction of a 
 law ; but we have it from the undoubted authority of his- 
 tory, that Evenus III., sixteenth king of Scotland, made a 
 law that the king should have the first night after marriage 
 with all noblemen's daughters, and that noblemen and 
 heritors of lands have the same freedom with the daughters 
 of their tenants and vassals, and that both wives and 
 daughters of every subject should be common to the king 
 and his nobles. The law giving the first night after mar- 
 riage to the landlord, was in being till the time of Malcolm 
 III., whose queen, St. Margaret, procured the abolition 
 of so wicked a law. 
 
 " There is a custom in Italy, known as the Cecisbeat, 
 which is carried to a very extravagant extent in Genoa. 
 With the day of the nuptials ceases every public intercourse 
 between the husband and the wife. They must not be 
 seen together, neither walking, nor at the play-house, nor 
 in company; in short, nowhere but at home. In other 
 cities many husbands put themselves above that foolish 
 usage, out of love to their wives, and have nothing else to 
 fear than to be looked upon as unfashionable husbands ; 
 but here the most united couple must not think of such a 
 
S1AT&1M0NY UR MAKRIAGE. 103 
 
 thing. To be forsaken by all friends, derided by enemies 
 and insnlted by the mob, are unavoidable consequences, if 
 they are ever seen together in public. In Spain, the cortejos, 
 as it is called, amounts to nearly the same thing, and no 
 one has any legal right to complain. 
 
 [ ' The number of women in the Turkish harem depends 
 on the taste of the reigning Sultan. Selim had two thou- 
 sand ; Achmet had but three hundred. The Grand Seig- 
 nior is not permitted to take a virgin to his bed except 
 during solemn festivals, and on receiving good news ; upon 
 which occasion the ceremony is described as follows : — 
 
 ■ ' As soon as the Grand Seignior has chosen the girl that 
 he has destined to be his companion for the night, all the 
 others follow her to the bath, washing and perfuming her ; 
 she is then dressed superbly, and conducted to the sultan's 
 chamber, with singing, dancing, and rejoicing, who is gene- 
 rally on such an occasion already in bed. Scarcely has the 
 newly elected favorite reached the chamber of her lord, in- 
 troduced by the grand eunuch, who is upon guard, than 
 she kneels down, and when the sultan calls, she creeps into 
 bed to him at the foot of the bed, unless the sultan orders 
 her, by special grace, to approach by the side. After a 
 certain time, upon a signal being given, the governess of 
 the girls with all her suite, enters the apartment, and con- 
 ducts her back, with the same ceremony as before, to the 
 women's department. Should she prove pregnant and be 
 delivered of a boy she is called Asaki-Sultaness, which 
 means Sultaness-mother. For the first son, she has the 
 honor of being crowned, and has the liberty of forming 
 
104 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 *a court. She has also a particular guard of eunuchs for 
 her particular service. * * * * * 
 
 "In nearly all parts of Abyssinia, there is no form of 
 marriage except the agreement of the parties to live to- 
 gether as long as they like each other. They cohabit to- 
 gether when they please, and annul or renew the contract 
 in the same manner. Thus a woman or man of the first 
 quality may be in company with a dozen who have been 
 their bridegroom or bride, though perhaps none of them 
 may be so at present. Upon separation they divide the 
 children. The eldest son falls to the mother's first choice, 
 and the eldest daughter to the father ; if there is but one 
 daughter, and all the rest sons, she is assigned to the 
 father ; if but one son, and all the rest are daughters, he is 
 assigned to the mother ; should the number be unequal, 
 after the first election, the rest are divided by lot. There 
 is no distinction from the prince to the beggar, of illegiti- 
 mate or legitimate children. 
 
 1 c Hottentot marriages are made by the parents or near- 
 est relations ; and if the female disapprove of the match, it 
 is said that she is nevertheless compelled to pass the night 
 with the man whom her friends have chosen. If the mar- 
 riage be consummated she is constrained to become his wife, 
 but on the contrary if she preserve herself uncontaminated, 
 she is ever after free from him. 
 
 "The portion they give a son on his marriage is usually 
 two cows and two sheep ; to a daughter, one of each, which 
 are to be returned to the father if the bride die without 
 having any children ; but if she ever bore any children to 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 105 
 
 her husband even though they are defunct, the portion 
 becomes his. A man who has been divorced may marry 
 again, but a woman may not, while her former husband is 
 living. Adultery is punished with death. * * 
 
 " In some parts of Africa, marriages take place between 
 white men and blacks or mulattoes, but they are not in- 
 dissoluble ; they last during the pleasure of the parties, 
 nor does a separation reflect any discredit. A black wo- 
 man in general thinks herself honored in partaking of the 
 touch of a white man, and is true, submissive and grate- 
 ful, to the utmost ; in short, she uses every art to merit his 
 kindness and love. If the husband embark to cross the 
 sea, the disconsolate wife accompanies him to the shore, 
 and sometimes follows him by swimming a considerable 
 way after the vessel, till her strength is exhausted ; when 
 obliged to return, she gathers up the sand on which are 
 the last impressions of his footsteps, which she ties up in 
 a piece of cotton and lays under her pillow. * * 
 
 The Chevalier Marchais, who was present at an execu- 
 tion for adultery, gives the following account of it: — 
 
 u A grandee complained to the king that a private per- 
 son had debauched his wife ; his majesty, upon hearing the 
 witnesses, sentenced the adulterer to be beaten to death 
 wherever he could be found, and the body left there until 
 it was devoured or rotten. The officers belonging to the 
 governor of Sabi found the culprit just entering his own 
 door : they soon despatched him with their clubs, and left 
 the body as the king had ordered. The neighbors went 
 to acquaint the captain of the seraglio that the body would 
 
106 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 infect all that quarter of the town where it lay before it was 
 consumed, and entreated he would obtain the king's orders 
 for its removal. The officer represented their complaint to 
 the king, who replied, ' If I did not punish adultery with 
 severity, no person in my country could be safe. The 
 body shall lay there till it be devoured or rotten. The 
 people shall see it, and learn at the expense of this wretch 
 how they invade their neighbor's bed. All I grant is, 
 that they may in the day-time throw a mat over the body, 
 leaving the face uncovered, that all persons may see the 
 countenance of him who has denied his neighbor's wife, 
 and detest him. ' Not content with this, the king gave all 
 the effects of the offender to the injured man." — Moore's 
 Marriage Customs'. 
 
 But we must pass on to consider other matters of im- 
 portance connected witli matrimony. In every part of the 
 world, both savage and civilized, female virtue has always 
 been held in the highest esteem. And the usual sign of 
 virginity, the existence of which is always uncertain, is 
 still required by many classes as the only satisfactory evi- 
 dence of chastity. We allude to the hymen, a description 
 of which will be found in our chapter on the Female Geni- 
 tal Organs. Many unsuspecting and innocent females 
 have been disgraced, and, according to the Mosaic law, 
 stoned to death, for not possessing this proof of virginity at 
 the time of marriage ; and the Turks, Persians, Arabians, 
 Egyptians, etc., as well as the Jews, insist upon it at the 
 present day. According to the Mosaic law, when a man 
 married a wife, and made a complaint that she was not a 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 107 
 
 virgin, if her parents produced her napkin before the 
 elders with blood upon it, the false accuser was fined for 
 bringing slander upon the damsd, and he was not allowed 
 to put her away ; but if that token of her virginity could 
 not be produced, she was brought out of her father's 
 house and stoned to death by the men of the city. This 
 law is contained in Deut. xxii. 13-21. We will quote the 
 language : — 
 
 " If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate 
 her, 
 
 ■ ; And give occasion of speech against her, and bring up 
 an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and 
 when I came to her I found her not a maid ; 
 
 4 ' Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, 
 take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity 
 unto the elders of the city in the gate : 
 
 "And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, I 
 gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her, 
 
 "And lo, he hath given occasion of speech against her, 
 saying, I found not thy daughter a maid ; and yet these 
 are the tokens of my daughter's virginity. And they shall 
 spread the cloth before the elders of the city. 
 
 "And the elder3 of that city shall take that man and 
 chastise him. 
 
 1 ' And they shall amerce him in a hundred shekels of 
 silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, be- 
 cause he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of 
 Israel ; and she shall be his wife, he may not put her away 
 all her days. 
 
108 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 " But if this thing be true, and the tokens be not found 
 for the damsel ; 
 
 u Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of 
 her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her 
 xcith stones till she die, because she hath wrought folly in 
 Israel, to play the whore in her father's house ; so shalt 
 thou put evil away from among you." 
 
 How many virtuous females have been stoned to death, 
 or suffered disgrace in various ways, for not possessing the 
 hymen at the time of marriage, Heaven only knows ! It 
 is, therefore, the duty of medical men to disabuse the 
 public mind upon this subject. Justice and humanity to 
 females require this. Facts in science are infallible, and 
 to these all mere speculative notions must give way. Now 
 what are some of the facts upon this subject? 
 
 1. The hymen' does not always exist. All medical men 
 who have investigated this subject coincide with this 
 opinion. Wilson, whose text-book tipon special anatomy 
 is one of the most popular extant, says, "The hymen must 
 not be considered a necessary accompaniment of virginity, 
 for its existence is very uncertain" 
 
 2. It is now agreed that the disease known as leucorrhoea, 
 or the whites, to which young women o'f feeble constitu- 
 tions are liable, will sometimes destroy the hymen. When 
 this membrane is very thin and delicate, and the discharge 
 from the vagina is very acrid, it will corrode, or wear it 
 away, leaving the maid without the hymeneal evidence of 
 virginity, which she before possessed. 
 
 3. It may be ruptured by accidents of various kinds, 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 109 
 
 such as falling upon sharp, projecting objects; by the 
 fancy dance, when the limbs are extremely and unnaturally 
 distended, and the body contorted ; by masturbation, and 
 even by curiosity. 
 
 It must, therefore, be admitted that the absence of the 
 hymen, and consequently the want of any effusion of blood 
 at the consummation of the marriage-rite, is no proof 
 that the woman is not a virgin. The existence of a well- 
 formed hymen is, of course, proof of virginity, but its 
 absence, we repeat, is no proof of a want of virginity. 
 
 Moreover, the hymen is sometimes so slightly formed, 
 that it is a mere ring or border of membrane, upon the 
 lateral and inferior portion of the orifice of the vagina, 
 allowing sexual connection to take place without its rup- 
 ture. Such hymens have been found entire at the time 
 of parturition; and, of course, could be no evidence of 
 virginity at the time of marriage, as connection could take 
 place before, as well as after marriage, without their rup- 
 ture. 
 
 But whatever value may be placed upon the hymen, it is 
 a poor criterion of character, for a woman may possess one 
 as strong and tough as a sow's ear, and be the very em- 
 bodiment of Satan, so far as her disposition and moral 
 principles are concerned. There are other ways open to 
 both sexes by which parties contracting marriage must 
 judge of character. A suitable acquaintance, and the ex- 
 ercise of common judgment and common sense, as to the 
 reputation, deportment, and moral sentiments of each 
 other are the only safeguards ; and these are usually suffi- 
 
110 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 cient, if the parties will keep their eyes open and not 
 allow themselves to become voluntarily blinded. Mar- 
 riages are frequently like lotteries, but they ought not to 
 be so. The parties are blinded to the most serious defects 
 of character till after marriage, when a mole-hill very soon 
 becomes a mountain, and, instead of the placebo, kind 
 words, and a forgiving disposition, we find jealousies and 
 jargons, cats and dogs, fire and tqngs, et cetera. 
 
 The consummation of marriage should be effected with 
 gentleness. If effected with the impetuosity and coarse- 
 ness of brutes, and the female be young and of slender 
 proportions, more or less laceration and pain, followed by 
 inflammation and swelling of the parts, may be produced, 
 even if there should be no hymen. Some formidable cases 
 of the kind have come under our treatment, and we have 
 always looked upon them as no better than rapes com- 
 mitted under the cloak of matrimony. Be gentle, then, 
 and wait awhile till the proper familiarity is induced, and 
 the promptings of nature make the act desirable. 
 
 There ought not, in our opinion, to be any great physical 
 disproportion in parties contracting matrimony. A deli- 
 cate, slightly formed female, with a small pelvis, ought to 
 hesitate long before marrying a large, stoutly built man ; 
 for they would not be adapted to each other, and the off- 
 spring would be so large as to produce very great suffering 
 in parturition, and endanger the life, both of the mother 
 and the child. This is the fate of many girls of small 
 stature. They purchase the pleasures of matrimony at a 
 very dear rate. Besides, there is something very ludi- 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE* 111 
 
 crous, to our mind, in seeing a man of monstrous dimen- 
 sions with a wife of huge littleness. A man standing six 
 feet in his boots, and weighing two hundred avoirdupois, 
 with a woman of slender proportions, weighing eighty or 
 ninety pounds, may be an entertaining farce, but it often 
 ends in tragedy. 
 
 It would be well for the world if the same good sense 
 could be exercised in the improvement of the genus homo 
 that is constantly exhibited in raising cattle for the sham- 
 bles; but in the former case man's sexual passions are 
 concerned, which, in matrimonial contracts, seem to out- 
 weigh every other consideration. Man is imperfect be- 
 cause he is man ; were he perfect he would be an angel of 
 light, or, at least, occupy a sphere not intended for. the 
 human race. Metaphysicians may speculate and have 
 their fine-spun theories, some of them quite plausible, and 
 others very coarsely spun and quite ridiculous ; but here is 
 man, whose nature is always the same and unchangeable ; 
 he possesses the same faculties and instincts now that 
 were a part of his being when he came from the hand of 
 his Creator. This is beautifully illustrated in the Mosaio 
 account of the origin and conduct of the first pair in the 
 garden of Eden. We can improve all the faculties of 
 human nature, but we cannot entirely change or subvert 
 them. 
 
 By importing horses and cattle from other countries and 
 crossing the breed, we can greatly improve stock ; and the 
 same law applies to the human species. This law is, per- 
 haps, better illustrated in Persia than in any other country. 
 
112 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 It is said that in that country the custom has existed for a 
 long time among the nobles of purchasing beautiful Circas- 
 sian female captives, and forming matrimonial alliances 
 with them ; and we have seen it stated by travelers, that 
 the Persian nobles are more gifted in natural qualities, 
 both physical and mental, than any other class of that 
 people. The violation of this law is very strikingly illus- 
 trated in England, France, Spain, and Portugal. In those 
 countries, the nobility generally marry within very narrow 
 limits, and the degeneracy, and even idiocy, of many of 
 them is the result. 
 
 Sexual excesses, producing debility of the generative 
 organs; and a feeble effort at sexual commerce, " 'tween 
 sleep and wake/' is, no doubt, another cause of feeble off- 
 spring. Hence it has long been observed that men of 
 genius were more likely to be the first-born, or to be bas- 
 tards, because the first love is generally the most ardent. 
 Such was a great number of the heroes of antiquity, who, 
 being bastards, were said to have descended from the gods, 
 and to have been born of virgins. Hercules, Esculapius, 
 and Romulus were among the number. The greatest 
 legislators that Asia ever had, came into the world after 
 the same fashion, and hence Zoroaster, Confucius, Ma- 
 homet, Zaccai, etc. , were said to be born of virgins. Such, 
 also was Homer, Gallileo, Erasmus, etc. The most dis- 
 tinguished poets have entertained the same opinion and 
 Shakspeare very beautifully expresses the same sentiment 
 when he makes Edmund say — 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 113 
 
 " Why brand they us 
 With base ? with baseness ? bastardy ? base ? base ? 
 Who, in the lusty stealth of nature, 
 Take more composition and fierce quality 
 Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed, 
 Go to the creating a whole tribe of fops, 
 Got 'tween sleep and wake." 
 
 Dr. Ryan says, " The canon law of Muscovy forbids con- 
 jugal intercourse on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays." 
 The object of such an edict is evident ; it is to prevent, as 
 far as possible, the bad consequences of sexual excesses 
 and abuses. But should all the churches in this Yankee 
 land issue such bulls, we fear it would be difficult to en- 
 force submission to their mandates, however wise and be- 
 neficent, as the cry would be raised from one end of the 
 land to the other, that they were opposed to the constitu- 
 tion and the union. 
 
 The state of mind, both of the father and mother, at 
 the time of sexual intercourse, resulting in pregnancy, and 
 the state of mind of the mother during pregnancy, may 
 have some influence upon the offspring. There can be little 
 doubt that this influence is sometimes very marked. Of 
 this there have been many noted examples, a very few of 
 which we will very briefly notice : — 
 
 Charles Buonaparte, the father of Napoleon Buonaparte, 
 was in the midst of civil discords, fights, and skirmishes 
 when he married Letitia Ramolini, a beautiful young 
 woman possessed of great firmness of character. During 
 the years of civil war she partook of the dangers of her 
 8 
 
114 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 husband, and accompanied him on horseback on some 
 military expeditions, and hasty flights, shortly before she 
 was delivered of the future emperor. Mary, Queen of 
 Scotland, shortly before the birth of her son, which was 
 afterwards James the First of England, was greatly alarmed 
 by the murder of David Rizzio, which was perpetrated in 
 her presence with many circumstances of violence and 
 cruelty ; and it is stated in history that sudden emotions 
 of fear were a prominent characteristic of this monarch, 
 and that he always started involuntarily at the sight of a 
 drawn sword. Queen Mary was not deficient in courage, 
 and the Stuarts, both before and after James the First, 
 were distinguished for their chivalry, so that this quality 
 of his mind was an exception to the family trait. Na- 
 poleon and James form striking contrasts, and the expla- 
 nation is not difficult. Napoleon's mother, it appears, 
 was not alarmed at her condition, but her mind rose to 
 the circumstances in which she was placed and she was 
 fully prepared to meet their dangers ; while the circum- 
 stances in which Queen Mary was placed were calculated 
 to inspire her with fear alone. 
 
 A celebrated French writer mentions the circumstance, 
 that many children, whose existence dated from the period 
 when the horrors of the French revolution were at their 
 height, turned out to be irritable, nervous people, ex- 
 tremely susceptible of impressions, and liable, by any ex- 
 traordinary excitement to be thrown into insanity. 
 
 An English surgeon mentions the following case: — "A 
 man had a fall from a horse by which a portion of his skull 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 115 
 
 was fractured, and pressed inwards upon the brain. Pre- 
 vious to this injury he had a son that was of sound mind, 
 but after the injury, and while the bone remained pressed 
 in upon the brain, he became the father of two children, 
 both of whom were idiots. After this he had the operation 
 performed called trepanning, and the bone removed from 
 the brain, and had other children that turned out to be of 
 sound mind." A lady of position wrote as follows: — 
 ;i From the age of two, I foresaw that my eldest son's 
 restlessness would ruin him; and it has been even so. 
 Yet he was kind, brave and affectionate. I read the Iliad 
 for six months before he saw the light, and have often 
 wondered if that could have any influence on him. He 
 was actually an Achilles. ' ' Similar cases might be multi- 
 plied to almost any extent, but the above must suffice. 
 What admonition to tipplers and drunkards ! Even Plu- 
 tarch laid it down as an axiom, "That no man keep com- 
 pany with his wife for issue-sake, but when he is sober, as 
 not having before drunk any wine, or, at least, such a 
 quantity as to distemper him ; for they usually prove wine- 
 bibbers and drunkards, whose parents beget them when 
 they were drunk ; wherefore Diogenes said to a stripling, 
 somewhat crack-brained and half-witted, " Surely, young 
 man, thy father begot thee when he was drunk. ' ' 
 
 One of the greatest charms in matrimonial alliances is 
 contrasts. A masculine woman disgusts a man, and a 
 feminine man is looked upon with contempt by women. 
 A man should endeavor to cultivate all those qualities 
 which belong to his masculine nature ; and a woman should 
 
116 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 strive to improve herself in all those duties and graces 
 which belong to her sex ; and any attempt on the part of 
 either sex to ape the other, is always in bad taste. The 
 man who wears long curly hair, parted in the middle, and 
 has small feet pinched up with smaller boots, is an object 
 of disgust to both sexes ; and even a lady dressed in boy's 
 clothes upon the stage, always excites a certain undefinable 
 feeling of loathing. 
 
 It will usually be found that the gentler sex fix their 
 • affections upon men most distinguished for those qualities 
 which do not belong to the female character, and the con- 
 verse is true of man. This is a great law of nature, which 
 cannot be evaded. Admiration of any kind, is more in- 
 tensely directed toward those qualities which we do not, 
 than towards those which we do possess. Man looks for 
 chastity, modesty and gentleness in his mate ; while woman 
 looks more for integrity, honor, strength and firmness. 
 The most incongruous relation in this world, consists of a 
 feminine man and a masculine woman yoked together in 
 matrimony ; the woman wearing the breeches and the man 
 the petticoats. Such marriages should never be contracted, 
 for they are a sin against nature, and a disgrace to society, 
 and always render the parties miserable. This law of con- 
 trasts is beautifully illustrated by the classic statue of Hector 
 and Andromache. The trustful mother clings about the 
 manly form of her lord armed for the fight, as she fondly 
 exclaims, 
 
 u Too daring chief ! ah, whither dost thou run ! 
 Ah ! too forgetful of thy wife and son." 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE, 117 
 
 But the most important question connected with matri- 
 mony, relates to the qualifications of the parties to meet 
 the responsibilities, and provide for the necessaries and 
 comforts of life. Without such qualifications, love is a 
 dangerous passion, producing naught but misery, and in- 
 fusing the elements of discord into society. Parties con- 
 tracting matrimony should, therefore, look well at such 
 matters, and not undervalue the prospects of a respectable 
 and comfortable position in life. These responsibilities, are 
 mutual. It is the duty of every young man, to seek the 
 highest degree of perfection in the occupation he selects 
 for life, as it is the means of his future position and sup- 
 port; and it is no less the duty of the young woman, to 
 seek those qualifications which enable her to act well her 
 part as the wife and mother ; and the success of -life de- 
 pends quite as much upon the one as the other. Young 
 women should be educated to do every kind of housework, 
 for it is impossible to tell what her future position will be ; 
 if one of moderate circumstances, such qualifications will 
 be indispensable to the respectability and comfort of the 
 family ; if one of wealth and ease, she will know how to 
 superintend the affairs of her own household much better 
 than she otherwise would, and will always be wiser and 
 better for the possession of such accomplishments. House- 
 hold work should be made a study, and should be learned 
 as a trade, and when the young woman fails in any par- 
 ticular branch, she should renew her efforts till she over- 
 comes the difficulties, and perfects herself in the art. But 
 how often do we find the young man. toiling from morn 
 
118 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 till eve, while we find the young lady who is to become his 
 future companion, lounging in the parlor, reading silly, 
 sickening, sentimental tales of love, jealousy, and murder ; 
 dressing and painting for the streets, etc. , etc. , seeming to 
 have no object to live for except to get married and be a 
 burden and bill of expense to her husband. This is all 
 wrong, and parents, who allow their daughters to grow up 
 to womanhood in such indolence, are very likely, sooner or 
 later^ to witness the sad consequences of their neglect and 
 folly. 
 
 Reader! are you aware of the difference between the 
 young lady of to-day, and the one of half, or even a quarter 
 of a century ago ? Then, a lady could sing in plain musical 
 English ; she <30uld wash and starch ; bake and cook all 
 kinds of food; milk a cow, and make butter and cheese, if 
 necessary ; and always look neat enough, in her calico or 
 home-spun worsted, to be seen by a neighbor without 
 stopping to dregs and paint. If she didn't like to work 
 she was called lazy, but now we have no lazy girls, they are 
 all delicate; a strange compound of dress and nerves, which 
 causes her to shudder at the sight of a wash-tub, and to 
 run and scream at the switching of a cow's tail. She sings 
 11 divinely," and plays the piano "exquisitely," but neither 
 of these is half so intelligible as the jabbering of our North 
 American Indians. She lounges about in the morning, 
 embroiders a little, then dresses herself up and promenades 
 for the benefit of some " genteel exquisite ;" and thus she 
 passes her days, a mere loafer, for such is the meaning of 
 the term. Let me warn gentlemen to beware of such 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 119 
 
 young ladies. Never marry the girl who sits in the parlor 
 while the mother stands in the kitchen. 
 
 We do not mean that women should submit themselves 
 to protracted labor, and exhausting drudgery, who are able 
 to live in easier circumstances ; but there is a universal 
 law of nature, which requires that all our faculties, physi- 
 cal and mental, shall be duly exercised, and no exercise 
 can take the place of useful work. The woman, there- 
 fore, who has no useful employment, bears upon her head 
 the curse of Heaven ; this curse works in her failing health, 
 in her fretful temper, in her fading beauty, and in her days 
 devoured by ennui. 
 
 A woman's proper sphere is home, and when she is 
 educated to meet its duties and responsibilities, her influ- 
 ence is supreme, whether as mother, wife, sister, or friend. 
 It is here that her virtues can be properly estimated ; for 
 the family is a divinely ordained institution, whence eman- 
 ate all the strong and holy influences of a mother's love ; 
 all the sacred ties of parental affection and esteem, and all 
 the fraternal and filial relations and duties of life, upon 
 which the well-being, and very existence of society depend. 
 How supremely glorious then is woman's mission! Who 
 will deny that she possesses rights equal with man ? Who 
 would desecrate those rights, and make woman the mere 
 servant of despotic men ? 
 
 The following words, addressed to men and women by 
 an Oriental Brahmin, which are translated from an Indian 
 Manuscript, entitled the "Economy of Human Life," are 
 replete with admonition and lessons of wisdom. 
 
120 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 MAID— WIFE— MOTHER, 
 
 " Give ear fair daughter of love ! to the instructions of 
 prudence, and let the precepts of truth sink deep in thy 
 heart : so shall the charm of thy mind add elegance to thy 
 form; and thy beauty, like the rose.it resembleth, shall 
 retain its sweetness when its bloom is withered. 
 
 "In the spring of thy youth, in the morning of thy 
 days, when the eyes of men gaze on thee with delight, and 
 nature whispereth to thine ear the meaning of their looks : 
 Ah ! hear with caution their seducing words, guard well 
 thy heart, nor listen to their soft persuasions. 
 
 " Remember thou art made man's reasonable companion, 
 not the slave of his passion ; the end of thy being is not 
 merely to gratify his loose desire, but to assist him in the 
 toils of life, to soothe him with thy tenderness, and recom- 
 pense his care with soft endearments. 
 
 "Who is she that winneth the heart of a man, that 
 subdueth him to love, and reigneth in his breast ? 
 
 "Lo! yonder she walketh in maiden sweetness, with 
 innocence in her mind, and modesty upon her cheeks. 
 
 "Her hand seeketh employment, her foot delighteth 
 not in gadding abroad. 
 
 ' ' She is clothed with neatness, she is fed with tem- 
 perance ; humility and meekness are as a crown of glory 
 circling her head. 
 
 c iOn her tongue dwelleth music, the sweetness of honey 
 fioweth from her lips. 
 
ilATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 121 
 
 "Decency is in all her words, in her answers are mild- 
 ness and truth. 
 
 11 Submission and obedience are the lessons of her life, , 
 and peace and happiness are her reward. 
 
 " Before her steps walketh prudence, and virtue at- 
 tendeth at her right hand. 
 
 "Her eye speaketh softness and love; but discretion 
 with a scepter sitteth on her brow. 
 
 1 ; The tongue of the licentious is dumb in her presence, 
 the awe of her virtue keepeth him silent. 
 
 ? ; When scandal is busy, and the fame of her neighbor is 
 tossed from tongue to tongue ; if charity and good-nature 
 open not her mouth, the finger of silence resteth on her lip. 
 
 "Her breast is the mansion of goodness, and therefore 
 she suspecteth no evil in others. 
 
 * c Happy is the man that shall make her his wife ; happy 
 is the child that shall call her mother. 
 
 "She presideth in the house, and there is peace; she 
 commandeth with judgment, and is obeyed. 
 
 4 ' She ariseth in the morning, she considereth her affairs, 
 and appointeth to every one their proper business. 
 
 I ' The care of her family is her whole delight ; to that 
 alone she applieth her study, and elegance with frugality 
 is seen in her mansion. 
 
 "The prudence of her management is an honor to her 
 husband, and he heareth her praise with a secret delight. 
 
 " She informeth the minds of her children with wisdom, 
 she fashioneth their manners from the example of her own 
 goodness. 
 
122 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 "The word of her mouth is the law of their youth, the 
 motion of her eye commandeth their obedience. 
 
 " She speaketh, and her servants fiy; she pointeth, and 
 the thing is done. 
 
 * ' For the law of love is in their hearts, and her kindness 
 addeth wings to their feet. 
 
 "In prosperity she is not puffed up ; in adversity she 
 healeth the wounds of fortune with patience. 
 
 "The troubles of her husband are alleviated by her 
 counsels, and sweetened by her endearments ; he putteth 
 his heart in her bosom, and receiveth comfort. 
 
 "Happy the man that has made her his wife; happy 
 the child that calleth her mother.' * 
 
 HUSBAND. 
 
 "Take unto thyself a wife, and obey the ordinance of 
 God. Take unto thyself a wife, and become a faithful 
 member of society. 
 
 ' ' But examine with care, and»fix not suddenly. On thy 
 present choice, depends thy future happiness. If much 
 of her time is destroyed in dress and adornments ; if she is 
 enamored of her own beauty, and delighted with her own 
 praise ; if she laugheth much, and talketh loud ; if her foot 
 abideth not in her* 1 father's house, and her eyes with bold- 
 ness rove on the fapes of men ; though her beauty were as 
 the sun in the firmament of Heaven, turn thy eyes from 
 her charms, turn thy feet from her paths, and suffer not 
 thy soul to be ensnared by the allurements of imagination. 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 123 
 
 " But when thou findest sensibility of heart, joined with 
 softness of manners ; an accomplished mind, with a form 
 agreeable to thy fancy ; take her to thine house ; she is 
 worthy to be thy friend, thy companion in life, the wife of 
 thy bosom. 
 
 1 ' Oh cherish her as a blessing sent thee from Heaven. 
 Let the kindness of thy behavior endear thee to her heart. 
 
 1 ' She is the mistress of thy house ; treat her therefore 
 with respect, that thy servants may obey her. 
 
 1 ; Oppose not her inclination without cause ; she is the 
 partner of thy cares, make her also the companion of thy 
 pleasures. 
 
 "Reprove her faults with gentleness, exact not her 
 obedience with rigor. 
 
 1 ' Trust thy secrets in her breast ; her counsels are 
 sincere, thou shalt not be deceived. 
 
 '' ' Be faithful to her bed ; for she is the mother of thy 
 children. 
 
 y ' When pain and sickness assault her, let thy tenderness 
 soothe her afflictions ; a look from thee, of pity and love, 
 shall alleviate her grief, or mitigate her pain, and be of 
 more avail than many physicians. 
 
 ' c Consider the tenderness of her sex, the delicacy of her 
 frame ; and be not severe to her weakness, but remember 
 thine own imperfections. " 
 
 But marriage may be regarded as a remedy. When 
 contracted with due regard to morality and affection, it is 
 good for the body, and the mind, and single-blessedness is 
 
124 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 not very blessed after all that can be said in its favor. 
 Next to unhappy marriages, celibacy is probably one of 
 the most miserable conditions of life, and we would warn 
 persons of both sexes against it. Every man is made for 
 a woman, and every woman is made for a man, unless 
 they were spoilt in making. But we said marriage might 
 be regarded as a remedy. With the male sex, marriage, 
 properly used and not abused, corrects many morbid affec- 
 tions, makes the muscles firmer, the step more elastic, and 
 the voice more masculine, and increases the energy and 
 vigor of the system. Every manly attribute becomes more 
 boldly developed, and a new dignity and lustre is added to 
 the mind. 
 
 As to young women, especially those of a warm and af- 
 fectionate disposition, there can be no doubt that the na- 
 tural exercise of the organs of reproduction, has the hap- 
 piest effects upon the system. It not unfrequently acts a3 
 a most potent and effectual remedy. Such female dis- 
 orders as painful menstruation, leucorrhoea, hysteria, 
 irregularities, etc. , usually disappear soon after marriage, 
 unless long habit, or some new disturbing cause prolong 
 them ; and, therefore, when the young marriageable maid 
 exhibits symptoms of the approach of such disorders, she 
 should be united to the object of her affections, if con- 
 sistent with prudence and morality. On this subject the 
 advice of Hippocrates, though more than two thousand 
 years old, is still applicable, for he prescribes marriage as 
 the natural remedy for many wasting female diseases. 
 
 When we commenced this chapter, we expected to de- 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 125 
 
 vote a portion of it to the consideration of the civil laws 
 relating to matrimony, divorces, the disposition of pro- 
 perty among married persons, etc. , but we find we have no 
 space for the discussion* of such questions. We will, 
 however, remark that we regard the statute laws, in most 
 of our States, touching these matters, as immoral, unjust, 
 and oppressive. They afford no safe-guards against hasty 
 and immoral marriages. Young people meet for the first 
 time, and in twenty-four or forty-eight hours afterwards, 
 hasten off to the magistrate or minister to be united in 
 matrimony ; clandestine marriages are made through the 
 newspapers, and young persons run away from their 
 parents, and in a few hours are united in marriage, no no- 
 tification or publishing of the intentions of the bands of 
 matrimony being required by our laws as they stand at the 
 present time. But the marriage having taken place, the 
 laws are so framed as to perpetuate its existence, though 
 accompanied by the most hideous depravity, crime and 
 misery. In New York, if one of the parties is convicted 
 of felony, or deserts the other for the period of five years, 
 nothing being heard from the absconder during the time, 
 the innocent party is free to marry again ; but a divorce 
 can be obtained for no causes except adultery, which, from 
 the very nature of the case, is always a difficult thing to 
 prove. One of the parties may become the very embodi- 
 ment of his Satanic majesty, still there can be no divorce 
 without^ evidence to establish the crime of adultery, and 
 the laws are not much better in Pennsylvania and many 
 other States. 
 
126 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 But there is one State, at least, where a more just, 
 liberal, and magnanimous sentiment prevails upon this 
 subject. In that State, any defects of character, which 
 prevent marrie/l persons living tbgether in peace, are suffi- 
 cient causes for the dissolution of the bands of matrimony ; 
 and it is fortunate that there is such a State as a sort of 
 outlet for the smothered abominations, eruptions of crime, 
 and disturbances of society, which result from such forced 
 alliances. 
 
 When, therefore, married persons cannot live together, 
 except in misery, arising from jealousy, want of fidelity 
 and respect for each other, the sooner an eternal separa- 
 tion takes place the better for the parties themselves and 
 for society ; for an unhappy marriage is a hell upon earth, 
 and to perpetuate it is a crime in the sight of Heaven. 
 We do not, of course, speak of temporary and trivial 
 faults, which should always be settled by the parties them- 
 selves, without the interference or even knowledge of third 
 parties ; but we speak of those radical defects of character 
 which must always continue to render the marriage relation 
 one of dishonor, disgrace, and misery. In such cases 
 break the vinculo matrimonii and be guided by lessons 
 of wisdom in the future. 
 
 A few words respecting the physical causes of unhappy 
 marriages must close this chapter. 
 
 There are certain affections which often destroy conjugal 
 happiness, and inflict the bitterness of despair and hu- 
 miliation upon thousands. When matrimony is contracted 
 under the most promising auspices ; when all seems fair 
 
MATRIMONY OR MARRIAGE. 127 
 
 as a summer landscape ; how often there comes a blight 
 that crushes hope, and sows the seeds of discord among 
 families. We all know this is a common occurrence, but 
 the causes are usually hid behind the curtains of false 
 pride and modesty. Sometimes these causes date from 
 the bridal-day itself, at other times they seem to arise 
 suddenly from certain remote causes, which the sufferer, 
 without competent medical advice, cannot even conjecture. 
 Much misery is frequently produced by a fear that the 
 impediments which disappoint expectation, and baffle en- 
 joyment, are incurable, when the state of things is by no 
 means so deplorable, but perfectly under the control of 
 the medical man skilled in this department of medical 
 science. We would, therefore, admonish such persons 
 not to decide too hastily against themselves or the partners 
 of their beds, but to ascertain if the impediments, whatever 
 they may be, cannot be removed. Young man! young 
 woman ! be guided by the dictates of sound reason ; let 
 your best judgment prompt you to act sensibly in matters 
 of such importance. Be careful not to place your happi- 
 ness in the hands of a pjiysician who gives no evidence of 
 investigation and skill in this branch of practice, and then 
 brood over your sorrows the rest of your life, and de- 
 nounce the medical art as insufficient to afford you relief ! 
 For there is no department of medicine which requires so 
 much investigation, skill, caution, and delicacy, on the 
 part of the physician, as that which deals with the relations 
 between the sexes and those physical causes which pro- 
 duce wedded happiness or the reverse. 
 
128 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 
 
 Extra-uterine pregnancy — False pregnancy — The non-gravid womb 
 — The changes and enlargement of the womb during pregnancy — 
 The origin, development, and uses of the membranes, placenta, 
 umbilical cord and bay of waters — The appearance and size of 
 the foetus at different periods of its development — The nutrition 
 of the foetus — How the blood is purified in the placenta, and the 
 blood pabulum transmitted from the mother to the foetus — Prac- 
 tical inferences — Diseases of the man communicated to the wo- 
 man through the placenta — The likeness and peculiarities of the 
 first husband communicated to the children of the second hus- 
 band, etc. — The duration of pregnancy — Great variations — The 
 Gardner peerage case — Duration of pregnancy in a crazy woman 
 — Variations in the lower animals — Dr. Reid's table — The signs 
 of pregnancy — Cessation of the menses — Morning sickness — 
 Changes in the breasts — Quickening — Form of the abdomen — 
 Changes in the mouth and neck of the womb — Rebound of tho 
 foetus — Sounds of the foetal heart, etc. 
 
 When describing the male and female genital organs, we 
 gave special attention to the functions of the ovaries and 
 testicles ; the former furnishing the ova or female germ- 
 cells, and the latter the spermatozoa or vital element of the 
 male spermatic fluid. We have shown that the union of 
 these two elements is indispensable in the production of a 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATffcN. 129 
 
 new being and the perpetuation of the species. Now the 
 contact of these elements constitutes fecundation, and the 
 reception and fixedness of the fecundated ovum within the 
 cavity of the uterus are properly denominated conception, 
 and the development and growth of the ovum, till it is 
 fully prepared for an independent existence, are known as 
 pregnancy or gestation. 
 
 . Previous to quickening, the fecundated ovum is usually 
 called the embryo ; after that period it is more properly 
 called the foetus ; but when it is born into the world it is no 
 longer a foetus, but the babe, the infant, the child. 
 
 By some freak of nature, or more properly, some inter- 
 ference with the legitimate processes of nature's laws, the 
 fecundated ovum is not always lodged in rfie womb, and 
 pregnancy goes on, for a time, outside of the cavity of that 
 organ. It is sometimes found in the substance of the 
 ovary, and is called ovarian pregnancy ; it is also found in 
 the fallopian tubes, and is called fallopian pregnancy ; at 
 other times it is found in the peritoneal cavity of the ab- 
 domen, and is called abdominal pregnancy ; and it has been 
 found in the muscular tissue of the womb itself, and has 
 been called interstitial pregnancy. The general term extra- 
 uterine pregnancy is applied to any or all of these abnor- 
 mal conditions. Such cases are rare, and when they occur 
 the growth is usually arrested at an early period ; and the 
 ovum is decomposed and disappears by absorption, or re- 
 mains encysted in the body of the mother. 
 
 We sometimes find fleshy growths of various kinds 
 within the cavity of the womb, more or less simulating 
 9 
 
130 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 pregnancy, and hence denominated false pregnancy. These 
 are called moles. They are without form or comeliness, 
 attain various sizes, remain in the womb for variable 
 periods, and have many peculiarities, which we cannot find 
 space to describe in this work. Let us, therefore, pass at 
 once to consider the more profitable and interesting theme 
 of natural pregnancy. Connected with this theme there 
 are many phenomena, which we shall point out vith as 
 much brevity as may be consistent with clearness and a 
 general knowledge of the subject. 
 
 With the exception of the period of menstruation, the 
 healthy non-gravid womb is perfectly quiescent, and has 
 little influence in the animal economy ; but when fecunda- 
 tion takes place, even before the vitalized ovum is lodged 
 in the cavity of the womb — if fecundation takes place in 
 the fallopian tube — a new action commences. It no longer 
 remains in a state of rest, but has important duties to per- 
 form ; and its vital force and nutritive elements are greatly 
 increased ; and the results of such increased action, are the 
 growth of the organ itself, and the nutrition and develop- 
 ment of the foetus and the other contents of the womb 
 subservient to its intra-uterine existence. 
 
 In its unimpregnated state, the cavity of the womb is 
 little larger than a split almond * but at full term it has 
 so enormously increased, that it contains a foetus weighing 
 eight or nine pounds, the after-birth, weighing two or 
 three pounds, and one or two quarts of the liquor amnii. 
 At the fourth month the womb rises out of the pelvis, and 
 the female begins to realize that she is becoming larger ; 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 131 
 
 about the sixth month it rises above the umbilicus, which 
 no longer remains sunken, but like the nipple, now becomes 
 prominent ; about the eighth month it rises into the epi- 
 gastric region, and by pressing the stomach and a portion 
 of the large intestines upwards against the diaphragm, in- 
 terferes, more or less, with respiration. But two or three 
 weeks before labor commences, it sinks down into the 
 pelvis, relieving the difficult breathing, and causing the 
 upper portion of the tumor to become flatter. As this 
 growth and change of position takes place, the intestines 
 are crowded behind the organ. 
 
 This enlargement of the uterus commences in its fundus ; 
 next, its body begins to enlarge; and about the sixth 
 month the neck begins to shorten, and at the full term, has 
 entirely disappeared in the lateral expansion of the organ. 
 
 The older physicians taught the doctrine — and those not 
 iead in medicine have a vague idea of the kind at the pre- 
 sent day — that the enlargement of the uterine cavity de- 
 pends upon the pressure of the foetus, after-birth, and 
 bay of waters upon the internal surface of the uterine 
 walls ; in short, that it was a mechanical process, the parts 
 being stretched out by pressure* as you would stretch out 
 an india-rubber bag. But if this view were correct, the 
 walls of the uterus would become attenuated as the cavity 
 enlarged, and at full term they could not be thicker than 
 the membrane which lines them, which is very far from 
 being the fact; indeed, they become thicker during the 
 4irst six months of gestation. After this time it has been 
 proved that they diminish somewhat in thickness, but at 
 
132 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 full term, though not of uniform thickness, the average 
 thickness is about the same as the unimpregnated uterus. 
 These facts prove that the organ actually grows in tissue 
 and bulk as really as the foetus itself grows. The actual 
 bulk of the womb is, therefore, about twenty-four times 
 as large at the end of pregnancy as it is before pregnancy 
 takes place. But the medical man should bear in mind 
 that the enlargement of the uterus is not the only change 
 it undergoes ; its parietes become soft and pulpy, so that 
 when the hand is introduced into the womb for obstetrical 
 purposes, if the finger should be projected against the 
 walls during a pain, it might be thrust through them. 
 This softening seems to depend, in a great measure, upon 
 the great enlargement, which takes place in the caliber of 
 the blood-vessels ; for these vessels, which before were no 
 larger than a fine needle, are now as large as a crow's quill. 
 Indeed, every tissue of the organ is enlarged, the mus- 
 cular structure, the blood-vessels, the nerves, the mucous 
 membrane lining the cavity, and the serous membrane or 
 peritoneum lining it upon the outside; but its actual 
 growth consists, in a great measure, in the increased 
 amount of muscular fibre? furnished the organ during the 
 progress of gestation. The appendages of the uterus, 
 such as the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the ligaments, 
 and the vagina are also enlarged, though not in the same 
 proportion as the uterus. And the vagina, and external 
 organs of generation, undergo great softening towards 
 the latter part of gestation, to prepare the way for the 
 safe passage of the child into the world. 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 133 
 
 Let us now notice the appendages of the fetus. These 
 consist of the membranes, the liquor amnii, the placenta, 
 and the umbilical cord. There are three original mem- 
 branes, viz., the membrana decidua, the chorion, and the 
 amnion; the first belonging to the womb, and the last 
 two to the ovum. Very soon after fecundation the surface 
 of the membrane lining the cavity of the uterus becomes 
 thickened, soft, and pulpy, and in due time is separated 
 from the uterus, and at birth expelled with the other ap- 
 pendages; hence the name decidua, to throw off. This 
 membrane, is studded with minute tubes, which become 
 thickened and pour out a fluid into the cavity of tho 
 womb, and subsequently form a part of the placenta. Into 
 this rough, pulpy surface, the ovum becomes entangled, or 
 is fixed, whence its development commences, and another 
 membrane, supposed to be derived or reflected from the 
 first, grows up around the ovum and continues its growth 
 till it forms a complete covering for it. This is called the 
 decidua reflexa, the first being called the decidua vera, 
 and as the ovum increases in development they approach 
 nearer each other, and about the end of the third month 
 they are entirely blended together, forming two layers of 
 one membrane. 
 
 The chorion is a very thin, transparent membrane, form- 
 ing one of the constituents of the ovum very soon after it 
 is fecundated. When lodged in the womb there is pre*- 
 duced upon its outer surface very minute prolongations, 
 down-like in their appearance, called villi or tufts. These 
 villi absorb the nutrient elements of the fluid poured out 
 
154 TUB SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 by the membrane first described, which is the source of 
 nutrition for the embryo iill the placenta is formed. 
 
 The amnion is the very delicate internal membrane of 
 the ovum, slightly adhering to the chorion by means of 
 some mucous filaments upon its outer surface. The in- 
 ternal surface is separated from the embryo by means of 
 the liquor amnii. Now all these membranes during the 
 progress of gestation adhere to each other, form so 
 many layers of one membrane, called the membranous 
 sack, and a complete investment for the foetus. This 
 sack, together with the liquor amnii furnished by the am- 
 niotic membrane is commonly spoken of in the lying-in 
 chamber as the bay of waters. The quantity of this fluid 
 at the time of child-birth, is subject to great variations. 
 Sometimes the rupture of the sack during labor gives rise 
 to a very slight discharge of fluid, and for that reason the 
 labor is sometimes spoken of as a dry labor. At other 
 times, there will pass from the uterus two or three quarts 
 of fluid, causing needless alarm for the safety of the 
 patient. 
 
 The uses of the liquor amnii are obvious and important. 
 The foetus not lying in contact with the walls of the uterus, 
 but actually floating in the fluid, is unaffected by the slight 
 concussions of the womb, arising from exercise and such 
 slight accidents as the female is constantly exposed to. 
 If the foetus lay in contact with the womb, the slightest 
 concussions would be sufficient to produce its death and 
 expulsion. Another use of the liquor amnii, seems to be 
 to prevent the adhesion of parts of the foetus, which are 
 
PREGNANCY OK GESTATION. 135 
 
 designed by nature to remain separate after birth. In 
 uterine life, the thighs are flexed upon the abdomen, the 
 legs upon the thighs, the chin upon the breast, and the 
 arms are folded across the body ; without a lubricating 
 fluid, therefore, interposed between those parts till birth, 
 they would certainly adhere, or grow together. It also 
 prevents the cord from pressure, allows the natural move- 
 ments of the foetus in the womb, and greatly facilitates 
 labor by aiding in the dilatation of the parts through which 
 the child must pass. In short, it is indispensable to the 
 development and existence of the foetus. 
 
 The placenta and umbilical cord — the only mode of com- 
 munication between the mother and the foetus— now claims 
 our attention. The word placenta signifies a cake, and it 
 has the resemblance of a flat, spongy cake. It varies 
 greatly in size, but on an average is about six inches in 
 diameter, and one inch thick at the centre, gradually 
 diminishing in thickness towards the circumference. Its 
 general form is round and flat. Now let us consider how 
 it is developed. When describing the membranes, we 
 stated that the membrana decidua was tubular, and that 
 these tubes poured out a fluid into the cavity of the uterus 
 for the nutrition of the ovum till the formation of the pla- 
 centa, and that upon the outside of the chorion there were 
 formed very small projections called villi or tufts, which 
 acted as absorbents in taking up the fluid. There are, 
 therefore, two distinct portions of the placenta ; the one 
 formed from the decidua, called the maternal, and the 
 other from the chorion, called the foetal portion. As the 
 
136 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 development goes on, the blood-vessels of the maternal 
 portion are enlarged, and form sinuses or canals, which 
 communicate with the arteries of the uterus. The villous 
 tufts of the foetal portion of the placenta are at the same 
 time furnished with blood-vessels, but very different from 
 the others. They consist of capillary loops having no 
 open mouths, and, therefore, no direct communication with 
 the blood-vessels on the maternal side. These little loops 
 are made to dip down, as it were, into the sinuses of the 
 maternal part of the placenta, and the delicate membrane 
 forming the walls of the sinuses extends over them, and 
 around and between them, thus entangling them in their 
 meshes, and holding these two portions of the placenta in 
 close contact. Thus the placenta is formed, about the 
 end of the second month. And the umbilical cord is the 
 direct channel of communication between it and the foetus. 
 One of its extremities is attached to the placenta, usually 
 near its centre, and the other at the navel of the child. It 
 has two arteries and one vein, and a membranous covering 
 derived from the amnion and chorion. As a general rule, 
 it is nearly as large as the little finger, and its average 
 length is fifteen or twenty inches, subject, however, to 
 great variations, being sometimes only six or eight inches, 
 and at other times three or four feet long. 
 
 Let us now notice the appearance of the ovum at different 
 stages of its embryonic and foetal development, and then 
 inquire how its nourishment is derived from the mother 
 through the medium of the placenta. 
 
 If we lay open the uterus of a female who has died 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 137 
 
 about fourteen days after fecundation, we shall find a 
 vesicle about as large as a pea, containing a thick fluid, in 
 the midst of which will be seen a small opaque spot. This 
 is the ovum surrounded by the chorion and amnion. But 
 if we make the examination at about twenty-one days, we 
 shall no longer find the embryo in the form of a vesicle, but 
 it will be elongated, and in its general outline, will resemble 
 a large ant. It is now about one-third of an inch long and 
 weighs three or four grains. At this period, cartilage, 
 which subsequently becomes bone, is said to commence 
 forming. 
 
 At the end of a month, the embryo is about one inch 
 long and resembles a worm bent into three-quarters of 
 a circle. The head is much larger than the body, and 
 a fitint outline of organs can be discovered. At one month 
 ajid a half, the eyes, mouth, and nose are strongly marked, 
 and the fingers and toes begin to form ; and at two months 
 the nose becomes prominent, the external ear begins to 
 form, the heart and brain are seen to be partially devel- 
 oped, and the sexual organs may be discovered. At this 
 period it is about two inches and a half long. 
 
 At three months the general outline of the embryo is 
 well defined. The heart is formed, and beats with con- 
 siderable force, and red blood courses its way through the 
 fetal vessels. The sexual organs are now prominent, and 
 the embryo is about four inches long and weighs two or 
 three ounces. 
 
 At the expiration of the fourth month, an important 
 Aange takes place in the foetus. The muscular system ia 
 
138 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM, 
 
 now sufficiently developed to enable it to execute some 
 slight movements in the womb. This is called quickening ; 
 the mother feels the motions of the child, which give the 
 sensation of fluttering in the womb. They are sometimes 
 felt a little earlier, and at other times later than four 
 months, but they usually become so strong during the fifth 
 month that they can no longer be doubted by the mother. 
 During the fourth and fifth months, the head and liver, 
 which had become enormously developed, as compared with 
 other parts of the body, are held in check somewhat, to 
 allow other parts to receive greater proportional develop- 
 ment. At the end of the fifth month the length of the 
 foetus is eight or ten inches, and its weight is one pound or 
 a little more. 
 
 During the sixth and seventh months, the hair appe%rs 
 upon the head, the nails are formed, the testicles descend 
 into the scrotum, the bones are well formed, and the fea- 
 tures are well developed ; and if born at the commence- 
 ment of the seventh month it can breathe, and cry, and 
 nurse, and by proper attendance may survive and become 
 a sprightly child. At this time it is twelve or fourteen 
 inches long, and weighs two and a half or three pounds. 
 
 During the next two months the foetus grows in strength 
 and volume ; the form of every part is more fully per- 
 fected ; the motions of the child become lively and brisk ; 
 the heart pulsates with greater force and circulates the 
 blood, which has now become rich and abundant ; the in- 
 testines contract slightly upon the meconium causing a 
 portion of it to escape into the bay of waters ; and at thfe 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 139 
 
 end of nine months, or, more accurately, forty weeks — the 
 natural term of gestation — it is, on an average, about 
 eighteen or twenty inches long and weighs from seven and 
 a half to eight and a half pounds. The child is now 
 sensitive to pain, and it cries from cold and hunger, or a 
 crammed and overdistended stomach, and from the painful 
 thrusts of those sharp-pointed instruments so commonly 
 employed to fasten its dress. But, though sensitive to 
 pain, its intellectual faculties are greatly in abeyance, and 
 are to be developed gradually, but slowly, as it advances 
 towards adult life. When the child is born into the world 
 it appears more like some strange abnormal vegetable pro* 
 duction than a human being, destined to possess all the 
 reason, affection, and capabilities of a grown-up man or 
 woman. At that time, and for some time afterwards, it has 
 far less intellectual activity than almost any quadruped when 
 born into the world, and consequently it is more dependent 
 upon others for its sustenance and continued existence. 
 
 This running description of the appearance of the foetus 
 at different stages, of its development must suffice. Let us 
 now inquire how the foetus is nourished, for every growing 
 thing, and, indeed, every living thing, must receive nu- 
 trient materials from some source. "We have already 
 more than intimated that the growing foetus derives its 
 nourishment from the mother, through the medium of the 
 placenta, but when describing the formation of the pla- 
 centa, we stated that there was no continuity between the 
 blood-vessels on the foetal side and those upon the ma- 
 ternal side. We stated that the capillary vessels upon the 
 
140 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 foetal side passed around the villous tufts in the form of 
 loops, and that those loops dipped down into the blood- 
 vessels, called sinuses or canals, upon the other side, and it 
 has been proved, almost times without number, both by 
 microscopic examinations and injections, that this is the 
 true arrangement. If we take a placenta and macerate it 
 in water for a sufficient time, all its spungy portion will be 
 separated from its vessels. We shall then discover a con- 
 geries of innumerable vessels, one portion of which commu- 
 nicates with the vessels of the umbilical cord, and the 
 other portion with the vessels of the womb ; and we can 
 clearly demonstrate that these two forms of vessels have 
 no communication with each other. Again, we can inject 
 a fluid info* the umbilical cord, and completely fill the 
 vessels belonging to the foetal portion of the placenta, but 
 not one drop of the injection will pass over into the ves- 
 sels belonging to the maternal portion. We can also fill 
 the blood-vessels in the maternal portion of the placenta 
 by injecting the arterial system of the mother, who dies 
 towards the end of gestation, but not one. particle will pass 
 into the blood-vessels on the foetal side. How then can 
 the foetus receive its nourishment from the mother through 
 the medium of the placenta? The following is the ex- 
 planation : — 
 
 1. The placenta is the foetal lungs ; in other words, the 
 blood is purified in the placenta, as it is purified in the 
 lungs of breathing animals. The lungs of tHe foetus before 
 birth have no function to perform, and* no blood passes to 
 them, except the slight amount necessary for their growth 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 141 
 
 and development. But when the child becomes a breath- 
 ing animal, all the blood goes to the lungs to be purified. 
 In its round of circulation, it gives, up its nutrient mate- 
 rials for tjie growth and repair of the system, and takes up 
 the disintegrated, or waste material of the system, which 
 it parts with in the lungs in the form of carbonic add gas, 
 and at the same time receives its necessary supply of 
 oxygen. But the blood does not come in contact with the 
 air, there being a delicate membrane interposed, through 
 which this important process is constantly taking place. 
 If we take a fresh animal membrane, and place it between 
 two fluids of unequal density, or of different properties, 
 there will be an interchange of the fluids through the mem- 
 brane till they become thoroughly mixed. This process is 
 constantly going on in the animal system, and is designated 
 by the terms endosmose and eccosmose, the former meaning 
 the passage of fluids from without inwards, and the latter, 
 from within outwards. The same process is at work in the 
 placenta. The capillary loops of the villous tufts being pro- 
 jected and bound into the sinuses of the placenta, as we 
 have explained, they ate constantly bathed in the blood of 
 the mother. The blood of the foetus being deprived of its 
 oxygen in the foetal system, and charged with carbon, 
 courses through the arteries of the umbilical cord and is 
 spread over the whole extent of the foetal portion of the 
 placenta, and passes through all the capillary loops, giving 
 up its carbonic acid gas and receiving oxygen from the 
 blood of the mother, through the delicate membrane form- 
 ing the walls of these capillary vessels, and it is then re- 
 
142 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 turned through the umbilical vein to the foetus for its 
 nutrition and growth. By this process the reader will 
 perceive that the blood of the mother in the maternal 
 portion of the placenta becomes impure; but this passes on 
 to mingle with impure blood from every other part of the 
 mother's system, and goes to her lungs to be renovated, 
 while its place is being supplied with the rich, fresh pabulum. 
 But in breathing animals, we have the digestive system ; 
 food is provided in abundance, the nutritive elements of 
 which are converted into blood, thus keeping up the neces- 
 sary supply of the blood pabulum. So the foetus must be 
 supplied with blood material from some source. What is 
 this material, and how is it furnished ? It was once sup- 
 posed that it was furnished by the liquor amnii ; and as 
 this fluid contains albumen and salts, which are nutritive 
 elements, it is quite probable that some portion of the 
 blood material is derived from that source of absorption. 
 But the principal, if not the entire supply, is derived from 
 the mother through the placenta. This substance is not 
 albumen, as was once supposed, for it has been proved 
 that albumen cannot pass through animal membranes ; but 
 there is a nutritive substance found in the blooiof preg- 
 nant women, which does have the power of percolating 
 membranous tissues. This is called aTbuminose, and it is 
 this which passes from the mother to the foetus, through 
 the only medium of communication, the placenta. Here 
 then we have an abundant supply of blood pabulum for 
 the foetus. The reader will, therefore, perceive that the 
 placenta has a double office to perform, that of the foetal 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 143 
 
 iungs, and that of furnishing the foetus with blood material, 
 the albuminose. 
 
 Connected with this explanation, there is a practical 
 suggestion, which it would be improper to withhold from 
 our readers. The transmission of various constitutional 
 diseases from the parent to the offspring, is one of the 
 most uniform and common occurrences in nature. If the 
 father or the mother, is tainted with such diseases as 
 scrofula, phthisis, syphilis, etc., they will exist in the 
 spermatozoa or ovum, which are a part of their own bodies, 
 and they will be developed in the foetus and in the future 
 child, sometimes held in check, it is true, by various coun- 
 ter-acting circumstances. This everybody understands. 
 But our knowledge of the functions of the placenta carries 
 us one step further. It teaches us that the diseases of the 
 father in the spermatozoa, may be transmitted to the mo- 
 ther through the medium of the placenta, and that the 
 mother may afterwards transmit the same disease to the 
 offspring of a second husband. And this accords with the 
 most diligent inquiry, and the most careful observations of 
 the best medical authorities. Every physician, of large 
 practice, will be called upon to treat cases of syphilitic 
 eontaniination*that can be traced to no other source. There 
 is nothing unreasonable in this doctrine ; for if the excre- 
 mentitious and waste material of the foetus passes through 
 the placenta into the system of the mother, any diseased 
 element existing in the foetus, however subtle and unde- 
 finable, may be transmitted to the mother through the 
 same medium, and impress itself upon her system. 
 
144 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 But there are other things in nature, still more subtle 
 and mysterious, that are, perhaps, explicable upon the 
 same theory. When a woman has had two husbands, and 
 children by both, the second children are very apt to re- 
 semble, more or less, the first husband. His features and 
 even peculiarities of disposition, are sometimes entailed 
 upon the second children. Now, the explanation is this : 
 The characteristics of the first husband were impressed 
 upon the mother's system through the foetus in utero, and 
 transmitted from the mother to the children by her second 
 husband. As an illustration of this doctrine, we may men- 
 tion the well known fact, as given us by horse breeders, 
 that if a mare is covered by a' jack, and has a mule, and 
 afterwards has colts by a stallion, the latter will always be 
 a little mulish in their disposition. Now all such cases 
 have heretofore been attributed to the imagination, but 
 we think the doctrine of transmission more in accordance 
 with reason, though imagination will sometimes accom- 
 plish wonderful things. 
 
 The duration of pregnancy is a question of no trifling 
 import, often involving the honor and happiness of fami- 
 lies and individuals. The popular notion seems to be, that 
 a woman carries her child nine calendar months ; and this 
 has been indorsed by the profession as a sort of general 
 calculation. But it is not intended to be accurate. In- 
 deed, it expresses no definite length of time, as some 
 months are shorter than others. If you include February 
 in your calculations, whether you begin with that month 
 or end with it. you will have three months of thirty days 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. . 145 
 
 each, one of twenty-eight days, and the other five thirty- 
 one days each, making two hundred and seventy-three 
 days in the nine calendar months. But if you commence 
 with March, you will have four months of thirty days each, 
 and nine months will contain two hundred and seventy-five 
 days. But if you commence so as to have but three short 
 months, leaving out February, you will have two hundred 
 and seventy-six days, which is the greatest number of days 
 you can get in nine calendar months. 
 
 This reckoning is not only indefinite, but by a general 
 agreement of the most distinguished accoucheurs in this 
 and other countries, it is a little too short. The time "has, 
 therefore, been more accurately fixed at forty weeks, or 
 two hundred and eighty days. This is ten lunar months, 
 each embracing a period of about twenty-eight days. When 
 discussing the question of menstruation, we stated that the 
 menstrual period did not appear every calendar month, 
 but every lunar month, or about once every twenty- eight 
 days. Labor, therefore, commences at the time when 
 menstruation would take place were the woman not preg- 
 nant, which general law we have always advocated. 
 
 But- is forty weeks, or two hundred and eighty days, a 
 universal and unchanging law, or does it admit of excep- 
 tions? May a fully developed foetus be born into the 
 world before that period, or may the birth be protracted 
 beyond it, and if so, how long ? If a woman give birth to 
 a child two or three weeks before the expiration of forty 
 weeks since her marriage, does it make the offspring ille- 
 gitimate? or if a man be absent from his wife and she 
 10 
 
146 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 should have a child two hundred and ninety, or three hun- 
 dred days, from the time she was first with her husband, 
 is that positive proof that she is an adulteress, and her 
 child a bastard ? The reader will perceive that these are 
 grave questions. They often find their way into our courts 
 of justice, and in their legal and moral aspects, they are 
 the proper subjects of investigation by the lawyers ; but 
 the medical question must be. decided by the doctors ; and, 
 for this purpose, their testimony is always required. 
 
 Upon this question the profession was once divided in 
 opinion, some distinguished accoucheurs maintaining that 
 the term of gestation is a fixed law, not liable to any mate- 
 rial variations ; while others, equally distinguished, took 
 the other side of the question. In Taylor's Medical Juris- 
 prudence, we find an account of a celebrated case called the 
 Gardner Peerage Case, which came before the House of 
 Lords, in 1825. Allen Legge Gardner, claimed the peer- 
 age on the ground of being the son of Lord Gardner, by 
 his second wife. But the peerage was also claimed by 
 another person, Henry Fenton Jadis, who alleged that 
 he was the son of Lord Gardner by his first wife. Now, 
 Lord Gardner was separated from his first wife, and in 
 another country, and it was clearly shown that if this 
 Henry Fenton Jadis was his son, he must have been be- 
 gotten three hundred and eleven days before his birth. 
 Distinguished accoucheurs were summoned to testify, as to 
 the time that a woman might cany her child, and the fol- 
 lowing was the opinion of the illustrious Sir Charles-Clarke : 
 "I have never seen a single instance in which the laws of 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 147 
 
 nature have been changed, believing the law of nature to 
 be, that parturition should take place forty weeks after 
 conception." The testimony of Dr. Gooch, and three 
 others, was to the same effect. But on the other side of 
 the question we find eleven physicians, equally eminent, 
 testifying to the variableness of the term of gestation in 
 language of no doubtful import. The decision of the House 
 was against this Henry Fenton Jadis, but chiefly upon 
 moral grounds, as it was shown, that during the absence 
 of Lord Gardner, Lady Gardner was living in open adultery 
 with a man by the name of Jadis, who was doubtless the 
 real rather of this claimant of the peerage. 
 
 The following case, which occurred in the practice of 
 Desonneaux, of Paris, may be of interest to our readers. 
 
 * ' A lady, the mother of three children, became deranged 
 after a severe fever. Her physician was of opinion that 
 pregnancy might have a beneficial effect on the mental 
 disease, and permitted her husband to visit her ; but with 
 the restriction that there should be an interval of three 
 months between each visit, in order that, if conception 
 took place, the risk of abortion, from further intercourse, 
 might be avoided. The physician and attendants made an 
 exact note of the time of the husband's visits. As soon 
 as evidences of pregnancy began to exhibit themselves, the 
 visits were discontinued. The lady was closely watched 
 during the whole period by her female attendants. She 
 was delivered at the end of nine calendar months and a 
 fortnight, and Desonneaux attended her. If the nine 
 calendar months were those of the smallest number of 
 
148 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 days they would have equalled 273, in addition to which 
 must be taken into the account the days of the fortnight, 
 which will make 287 days ; but if the calendar months 
 were of the longest period, there would be 276, to which 
 are to be added 14, giving an aggregate of 290 days." 
 
 That the duration of pregnancy in the human female 
 admits of considerable variation is confirmed by observa- 
 tions upon the lower animals. The usual term of gesta- 
 tion in the cow, is from forty to forty-one weeks. Out of 
 1059 cases carefully noted by one investigator, the ex- 
 tremes were thirty-eight and fifty-one weeks, 12 having 
 calved on the thirty-eighth, and 1 on the fifty-first week, 
 the greatest number being on the fortieth and forty-first 
 weeks. The usual term of gestation in the mare is from 
 the forty-ninth to the fiftieth week ; and in 447 cases, care- 
 fully noted, it was found that about the same variations 
 exist as have been observed in the cow. The same varia- 
 tions are observed in sheep, rabbits, dogs, cats, and other 
 animals. The same thing is observed in birds, some of 
 the eggs hatching a day or two before others. 
 
 Without going into this subject more in detail, for the 
 want of space, we will here state that our own observation, 
 and all the information we have been able to gather upon 
 this interesting subject long since led us to the conclusion 
 that the period of gestation might vary a lunar month 
 either way from the usual time. But it should be re- 
 membered that such extremes are exceedingly rare, ar>.d 
 not to be looked for as common occurrences. It is well- 
 known, however, that first children very often anticipate 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 
 
 149 
 
 the usual time one or two weeks, and sometimes much 
 longer. 
 
 Dr. James Reid has carefully noted forty-three cases, 
 which, after he had exhausted every available means of 
 investigation, he believed to result, in each case, from a sin- 
 gle coition, and he makes the variations from the general 
 time, twenty days either way. The following is his table : — 
 
 260 days after single coition delivery occurred in I 
 
 263 " 
 
 U U U j 
 
 264 " « " 
 
 ii ii ii 2 
 
 265 " u " 
 
 " " " 1 
 
 266 " " " 
 
 ii ii ci 2 
 
 270 " 
 
 ii u ii j 
 
 271 " " " 
 
 u ■ y u "2 
 
 272 " " 
 
 u ii ' 3 
 
 273 " u " 
 
 " m M 1 
 
 274 " " 
 
 7 
 
 275 " " M 
 
 M Ii H 2 
 
 276 u M " 
 
 M | t .« 5 
 
 278 u " * 
 
 II u ti 2 
 
 280 " u " 
 
 11 ii W V 3 
 
 283 " " 
 
 u m 4^ 2 
 
 284 " u " 
 
 * 1 
 
 286 m " M 
 
 ii ic ii j 
 
 287 " • u 
 
 •i cc ic 2 
 
 291 4< " cl 
 
 " M 1 
 
 293 " " " 
 
 ii « ii 2 
 
 296 u M " 
 
 « u ii j 
 
 300 " 
 
 ii ii j 
 
150 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 We will now pass to consider another part of our subject, 
 viz : the signs or evidences of pregnancy. Does pregnancy 
 exist ? This is often a question of great practical impor- 
 tance. The patient and her friends are usually able to 
 decide this question for themselves, with more or less 
 certainty, as the signs appear during the' progress of gesta- 
 tion ; but every now and then cases will arise, especially 
 during the first months of pregnancy, the decision of which 
 is exceedingly difficult, owing to the absence or obscurity 
 of some of the usual signs, or an attempt to practice de- 
 ception as to the true condition of the female. In such 
 cases the best medical skill will be necessary to decide the 
 question correctly. Some of these cases may involve in- 
 terests of no trifling moment, and the opinion of the medi- 
 cal man may be required by the patient herself, by her 
 friends, or by a court of justice, and upon his decision may 
 depend virtue, honor, the reputation and happiness of 
 families, and the disposition of property. 
 
 Without attempting to notice all the changes which take 
 place in the condition of the female during gestation, we 
 invite attention to the most prominent as signs or evi- 
 dences of that condition ; and first in order we will notice 
 
 The Cessation of the Menses. — As a general rule, 
 when a woman conceives, she ceases to menstruate, and if 
 she is living with her husband, and is not a* the time 
 nursing, and she passes ever her menstrual period without 
 the loss of blood, she at once infers that she is in a family- 
 way, or thinks she has been caught, and makes her calcu- 
 lations accordingly. But the physician places less reliance 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 151 
 
 tipon this symptom, as it is subject to great variations. 
 Young women, before menstruating, have been known to 
 conceive ; nursing women often conceive before their menses 
 return ; and a woman may possibly conceive late in life, 
 after her menstrual function has entirely disappeared. 
 Cases of the latter kind are very rare, it is true, but it is 
 well enough to know that they exist. Now the above cases 
 can have no connection with the menstrual function as a 
 sign of pregnancy. 
 
 It should also be remembefeU, that, in the newly married 
 woman, the menses will occasionally be arrested, for one or 
 two months, when conception has not taken place, as the 
 result of the new relation of the female. 
 . There is a general opinion that, as a rule, woman does 
 not become pregnant while she nurses her child ; but this 
 rule is subject to so many exceptions that it can hardly be 
 called a rule, for it is a very common thing for nursing 
 women to conceive before their menses return, and hence 
 the menstrual function can be no sign of pregnancy in such 
 cases. 
 
 Occasionally a woman will be found, who menstruates 
 after conception has taken place ; it may go on for three or 
 four months and then cease, or it may continue till full 
 term of pregnancy. To some, this will seem impossible, 
 and the question will arise as to the source and character 
 of the discharge. Is it true menstruation ? This question 
 we cannot discuss here. It is sufficient to state that it so 
 closely resembles menstruation in its periodical returns, its 
 duration, quantity, and appearance, that not only the 
 
152 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 patient, but her medical adviser, is completely baffled in 
 attempting to find a difference. 
 
 But the principal reason why the cessation of menstrua- 
 tion is an uncertain sign of pregnancy, is the f^ct, that the 
 suppression of this function often depends upon other 
 causes. Almost every woman knows, that exposure to 
 cold, and wet, just before the menstrual period, or while 
 her menses are upon her, is one of the most frequent causes 
 of suppression. Various diseases, hardships, and fatigue ; 
 also strong mental emotions, will produce the same result. 
 In short, one of the most common complaints among 
 females is the suppression of the menses depending upon 
 some of these causes. 
 
 What, then, is the value of this sign? It is of some 
 value in two ways: 1. If a woman is living with her hus- 
 band, and in a condition to become pregnant, and is usually 
 regular in her monthly turns ; if these conditions exist, and 
 she pass over her monthly period without having her 
 courses, and without being able to attribute the cessation 
 to any other cause she will most probably find herself preg- 
 nant. 2. It is of value in connection with other evidences 
 of pregnancy, when we are called upon to form an opinion 
 in doubtful and obscure cases. 
 
 Morning Sickness.— This symptom usually appears in 
 two or three weeks after conception, but it may appear 
 almost immediately, and at other times it may be post- 
 poned till the last months of pregnancy ; and it is some- 
 times absent altogether. It is different, in some respects, 
 from sick stomach arising from ordinary causes. When the 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 153 
 
 female awakes in the morning, she may feel as well as 
 usual, but on rising from her bed she experiences a qualm- 
 ish sensation, and soon retching commences. This sick 
 stomach is not necessarily connected with any other condi- 
 tion of poor health, but in all other respects, the patient 
 may enjoy perfect health ; she may take her meals with as 
 much relish as before, but shortly after eject the whole 
 contents of her stomach, and then brighten up, and appear 
 as lively and well as ever. 
 
 In such cases, there is no positive disease of the stomach, 
 but a little irritability arising from the sympathy which 
 exists between that organ and the womb, and we should 
 not forget to mention, that any organic disease of the 
 womb and suppression of the menses from any causes 
 whatsoever, may be followed by irritability of the stomach, 
 though different in some respects from that of pregnancy. 
 
 This morning sickness cannot, therefore, be looked upon 
 as a positive sign of pregnancy, as it is sometimes ab- 
 sent altogether, and at other times may be simulated by 
 other causes; but when it exists, it is a most valuable 
 sign in connection with others. If a woman has been in a 
 condition to become pregnant, and her menses have been 
 suspended, which she is unable to account for in any other 
 way, and she has the morning sickness, which is persistent, 
 she may make up her mind that she is in a family-way, 
 and the chances are, as one hundred to bne, that she will 
 not be disappointed. 
 
 Changes in the Breasts.— About the end of the 
 second month of pregnancy, changes usually commence in 
 
154 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 the breasts, which, in connection with other evidences of 
 gestation, are of great value. A sensation of throbbing, 
 and tingling, and undue fullness of the parts, is experienced 
 by the female. The parts feel as though they were put 
 upon the stretch, and they gradually become fuller and 
 firmer ; the nipple becomes more prominent, and the veins 
 coursing along the breasts become distended, and as the 
 pregnancy proceeds, the mammary glands assume their 
 function as secreters of milk. But this last sign does not 
 usually appear till the last months of gestation, though it 
 may appear much earlier, and cases are on record of milk 
 being found in the breasts of virgins, the action of the 
 mammary being excited by the application of a child to 
 the nipple ; and, strange as it may appear, a few cases are 
 recorded of men giving suck from the same cause. But 
 the period of these changes are subject to great variations, 
 sometimes appearing very early, at other times at a much 
 later period ; and in women of very delicate constitutions 
 we sometimes find no perceptible enlargement of the 
 breasts and ■ no secretion of milk up to the full time of 
 pregnancy. It should also be remembered, that causes en- 
 tirely independent of pregnancy will sometimes produce 
 the changes we have named. It is quite common for 
 women to suffer from tension of the breasts, at the time 
 of the monthly turns, and also as the result of the sup- 
 pression of the menses, and various diseases of the womb. 
 But the change which takes place in the condition of 
 the areola is a more valuable sign of pregnancy. By the 
 areola we mean that circle, which immediately surroundi 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 155 
 
 the nipple, and which is of a different color from any other 
 part of the breast. It is about an inch in diameter, and 
 it is extended, somewhat, as pregnancy advances, till it is 
 about an inch and a half in diameter. In the healthy 
 virgin the color of this circle resembles the hue of the 
 rose, but begins to change towards the last .part of the 
 second month, and gradually assumes a darker shade till it 
 is a sort of yellowish brown color, varying greatly accord- 
 ing to the complexion of the individual. But the change in 
 color is not the most essential thing about the areola. 
 About the same time the glandular follicles become more 
 prominent. There are from twelve to twenty of these 
 little spots around the nipple, and they become elevated 
 from one-sixteenth to o*ie-eighth of an inch, rendering the 
 surface of the areola quite uneven. The nipple also par- 
 takes in this change, and becomes puffy and more promi- 
 nent. These changes in the areola and nipple usually 
 begin, as we have said, towards the end of the second 
 month, but sometimes much earlier, and are completed in 
 three or four months. 
 
 Now these changes in the areola may not always be well 
 marked, for women of feeble constitutions have been 
 known to pass through the whole period of gestation with- 
 out any enlargement or noteworthy changes in the breasts ; 
 but this must be regarded as a rare exception, and when 
 we discover the puffy and prominent condition of the 
 nipple, and the enlargement and prominent condition of 
 the little follicles around the nipple, even though we can- 
 not so clearly make out the change of color in the parts, it 
 
156 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 must be regarded as a positive sign of pregnancy. The 
 very best observers are agreed that this condition can be 
 produced by no other cause. 
 
 Quickening is a term which designates that period of 
 gestation when the mother becomes sensible, from the 
 movements of the foetus, that she carries a living being in 
 her own body. The ancients held very absurd views upon 
 this subject. They supposed that at the moment of quick- 
 ening, the soul was imparted to the fcetus, and that it be- 
 came a living soul, whereas, before that moment it must 
 have been an animate mass without a soul. As late as the 
 first part of the present century, laws were founded upon 
 this distinction. In England a law was enacted in 1803, 
 making it felony to destroy the foetus before, but death to 
 destroy it, after quickening. But all such notions are now 
 abandoned, and the profession is settled in the opinion 
 that quickening is simply the movements of the foetus in 
 the womb. These movements take place when the foetus 
 is sufficiently developed to produce them. 
 
 The first time the motion of the child is felt, the sensa- 
 tion is peculiar, having been compared to the fluttering of 
 a bird within the body of the mother ; and it comes so sud- 
 denly, that she frequently faints, and sometimes goes off 
 into hysterical convulsions. A day or two may pass before 
 another motion occurs. As pregnancy advances they be- 
 come more frequent, and increase in strength, till they are 
 fully established, and fully recognized as the movements 
 of the foetus. 
 
 Quickening usually takes place about the end of the 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 157 
 
 fourth month of gestation, but it may occur as early as the 
 third, and may be postponed as late as the sixth month ; 
 and the mother may possibly pass the whole period of 
 gestation without once being sensible of the movements of 
 the child. The last, however, is almost too rare to be men- 
 tioned, but few such cases being on record. 
 
 It should also be borne in mind that women have labored 
 under the fantasm of imagining that they felt the motions 
 of the child when no child was in the womb. In such 
 cases there is apt to be some enlargement of the abdomen 
 from abnormal growths, dropsical effusions, or flatulence. 
 They really think they feel the movements of the child in 
 the womb, and they are sometimes so confirmed in the 
 opinion, that they cannot be convinced to the contrary till 
 time reveals the fantasia. This unreal sensation is usually 
 coupled with a strong desire for children. Queen Mary, of 
 England, is a striking example. So confident was she that 
 she felt the movements of the foetus in utero, that a public 
 proclamation was made of the anticipated heir apparent, 
 and her people rejoiced, and oblations were offered in cele- 
 bration of the coming event ; but it all turned out to be 
 wind and water ! 
 
 What, then, is the value of quickening as a sign of preg- 
 nancy ? We regard it as one of the most positive signs, for 
 it settles all doubt as to the condition of the female, when 
 distinctly recognized. For instance, when a woman of 
 sound mind, who has borne children before, and is familiar 
 with the sensation of quickening, first feels the motion of 
 the child in her womb, all doubts, if any before existed, as 
 
158 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 to her true condition, are now removed, and she is certain 
 that she is with child. When, however, a woman is preg- 
 nant for the first time, she may not be fully satisfied as to 
 the character of her first sensations ; but if they become 
 stronger and stronger, till they are fully and distinctly 
 recognized, she will know, if she be a sensible woman, that 
 she has within her womb a living foetus. Again : if the 
 physician places his hand upon the abdomen of his patient, 
 and provokes the action of the child, he is no longer in 
 doubt as to the existence of pregnancy ; for such sensationg 
 as the motions of the child communicate to the hand can 
 be produced by no other condition. Quickening is, there- 
 fore, a most valuable sign of pregnancy. 
 
 All the evidences of pregnancy now considered, come 
 within the scope of the consciousness and observation of 
 the female herself, and are usually sufficient to enable her 
 to decide the question of pregnancy for herself. But cases 
 of a very obscure and doubtful character will now and then 
 occur, especially in the primiparae, or first cases, causing 
 the female and her friends great anxiety, and requiring the 
 aid of medical art to decide them with any degree of cer- 
 tainty. In such cases the physician must have recourse to 
 other evidences, which for the most part are hidden from 
 the patient . herself, and, for that reason, maybe denomi- 
 nated, 
 
 Hidden Signs of Pregnancy.— When a medical man 
 is consulted in behalf of such a patient, he should first 
 make a careful inquiry as to the usual, and conscious signs, 
 such as we have already noticed, and endeavor to learn as 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 159 
 
 much as possible from them. He should next make an 
 external examination of the abdomen, to ascertain if there 
 is any enlargement, and if so, upon what that enlargement 
 depends. Does it depend upon tumors growing within the 
 womb, or within the abdomen upon the outside of thewomb, 
 or enlargement of one of the ovaries, or dropsy of the abdo- 
 men, or suppression of the menses, or any other abnormal 
 and diseased condition of the parts ? or is the enlargement 
 the result of pregnancy? In making this discrimination, 
 the general health of the patient is a matter of the first 
 importance. For in all enlargements depending upon 
 some diseased condition, the general health suffers in a 
 greater or less degree. The form and growth of the en- 
 largement depending upon any diseased causes, differ very 
 materially from that of pregnancy. By having the patient 
 lay upon her back, with her knees drawn up, and her head 
 and shoulders elevated, the general outline of the enlarge- 
 ment can be distinctly felt by the hands, and its form will 
 enable the accoucheur to decide whether it be the result 
 of pregnancy, or other cause. 
 
 Again ; an Enlargement produced by a fibrous tumor or 
 polypus within the womb, will give rise to bleeding, which 
 will be more or less periodical, occurring the most profusely 
 at the menstrual period. If depending upon hydatids, in 
 addition to the discharge of blood there will usually be a 
 periodical discharge of water, and in both cases there will 
 be more or less bearing-down pain. Cancer of the womb 
 has its peculiar characteristics, enabling the medical man 
 to form a correct diagnosis. Ovarian tumors or dropsy 
 
160 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 begin on one side of the abdomen where the ovary is situ- 
 ated. Growths upon the outside of the womb can usually 
 be moved about under the hand, as they are attached to 
 the organ by a mere pedicle. Now all such tumors are 
 slow and irregular in their growth, but the enlargement 
 of the abdomen from pregnancy is rapid and uniform, 
 having but nine months to complete the whole work. 
 
 Ascites, or dropsy of the abdomen, has been mistaken 
 for pregnancy, but a physician cannot well make such a 
 blunder at the present day. He will find that there has 
 been some previous derangement of the health of the 
 patient, as the cause of the dropsical effusion. And fluc- 
 tuation is an infallible symptom of dropsy of the abdomen. 
 The physician lays the palm of his hand upon some part 
 of the abdomen, and by tapping upon any other part with 
 the fingers of the other hand, he will distinctly feel the 
 fluctuations of the water against the abdominal walls, 
 which settles the question as to the dropsy. Ascites may 
 also be distinguished from ovarian dropsy, or other en- 
 largements, by the general diffusion of the water over the 
 abdominal cavity, and by its change of place upon changing 
 the posture of the patient. 
 
 Retention of the menses has been mistaken for preg- 
 nancy. By retention, we do not mean suppression. In the 
 former case the menstrual fluid is discharged from the 
 mucous lining of the womb, but, instead of escaping ex- 
 ternally, it is retained within the organ, which distends it 
 so as to resemble pregnancy. This is the result of some 
 obstruction in the neck of the womb, or an imperforate 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 161 
 
 hymen entirely closing the external opening of the vagina. 
 In the former case the skillful accoucheur introduces a 
 probang into the womb and overcomes the obstruction; 
 and in the latter case, a slight operation upon the hymen 
 will allow the menstrual fluid to escape, curing the female 
 of her supposed pregnancy. 
 
 The accumulation of flatus, and foecal matter, in the in- 
 testines, have led females to suspect themselves pregnant. 
 But this cannot occur except in the most ignorant, stupid, 
 filthy persons, and the only remedies are carminatives and 
 brisk purges repeated twice or thrice if necessary. Cases 
 are also on record of suspected pregnancy from the en- 
 largement of the abdomen produced by the accumulation 
 of flatus in the uterus itself, but such cases are so rare 
 that they hardly deserve notice in a work of this descrip- 
 tion. 
 
 By an examination per vaginum, with the index finger, 
 the physician learns much that is valuable. He notices 
 the changes which the os and cervix of the womb undergo 
 during pregnancy. At first the lips of the os uteri soften, 
 and appear to elongate, and as pregnancy advances the 
 neck begins to shorten and enlarge, and at full term it is 
 entirely lost in the surrounding expansion of the womb. 
 The shortening, however, does not commence till the fifth 
 or sixth month. 
 
 Again ; by placing the index finger against the anterior 
 and lower part of the womb, with the female in the stand- 
 ing posture, and making a sudden push against it, the 
 foetus will receSe from that part of the womb and in a mo- 
 ll 
 
1C2 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 merit or two fall back, communicating to the finger the re- 
 bound sensation, which can be produced by no other con- 
 dition of the uterus. This is an important sign of preg- 
 nancy, called by the French halhtment, and by the English 
 repercussion. It can usually be felt by the experienced 
 accoucheur, as early as the fourth month. The reader 
 will have no difficulty in understanding how this rebound 
 takes place, if he bear in mind what we have already ex- 
 plained, viz. , that the foetus is always surrounded by water 
 in the cavity of the womb. 
 
 The pulsations of the foetal heart are another unmis- 
 takable sign of pregnancy. They can usually be heard 
 from the fourth to the fifth month, sometimes much 
 earlier ; and they increase in force as the pregnancy ad- 
 vances. The accoucheur ascertains, as near as possible, 
 how the foetus is situated in the womb, and then places his 
 ear upon the abdomen of the female near the foetal heart, 
 and listerias to its rapid, but faint, pulsations, and when he 
 hears them, which he is usually able to do sooner or later, 
 he knows there is a foetus in the womb ; he also knows 
 that the foetus is alive ; and if there are twins he can 
 usually determine the fact by listening for the pulsations 
 of the two hearts. 
 
 There are a few other insignificant signs of pregnancy, 
 such as the 'placental souffle^ or uterine murmur ; the dis- 
 coloration of the mucous membrane of the vagina ; the 
 kiesteine sometimes found in the urine of pregnant 
 women, etc., which we do not think of sufficient conse- 
 quence to receive further notice in this work. 
 
PREGNANCY OR GESTATION. 163 
 
 Now such examinations are often of the utmost import- 
 ance ; for they reveal the true condition of the female ; and 
 if it be found that pregnancy really exists, her mind will 
 be relieved of such suspense and harassing doubt as might 
 be injurious both to herself and her child. On the other 
 hand, if the enlargement depends upon some abnormal or 
 diseased condition, which merely simulates pregnancy, the 
 timely revelation of the disease, and the skillful applica- 
 tion of the medical and surgical art, will often effect a cure 
 and save the patient from prolonged suffering and an un- 
 timely death. Another fact should always be borne in 
 mind by those seeking advice upon such subjects, viz. : — 
 Very few physicians are capable of conducting these ex- 
 aminations and founding an opinion upon the infallible de- 
 ductions of science. However eminent in the profession, 
 no physician is competent for such a work unless he has 
 given special attention to this department of medical 
 science. Our n1§iical brethren may not thank us for such 
 a revelation, but they know we speak the words of truth ; 
 neither do we speak them to their disparagement, for every 
 medical man, and almost every intelligent person, is fully 
 aware that no one man can be skillful in every department 
 of medicine. 
 
164 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 BARTUIRITION OJt ZABOX. 
 
 Vague thoughts of young married women concerning labor — A de* 
 •cription of the female pelvis and the child's head— The move- 
 ments of the head in passing through the pelvis — How to deter- 
 mine when labor will commence — How to tell when conception 
 takes place — At what periods may a woman conceive? — Signs 
 of approaching labor — Sensations of the female — Subsidence of 
 the womb — How to tell spurious from true labor pains — The 
 show — How the first examination should be made, and its objects — 
 Attention to the bowels, bladder, etc. — Labor divided into three 
 stages — Character of the pains — Rigid os uteri — Rupture of the 
 bag of waters — The descent of the head — The support of the 
 perineum — Cord around the neck — The caul — The separation of 
 the child — Horrible mistakes — Delivery of the after-birth — Band- 
 aging the mother — After pains, lochial discharge, etc. — Proper 
 diet for the mother — Treatment of the child — When should it be 
 put to the breast ? — Substitutes for the mother's milk — The bottle, 
 the goat, and the wet-nurse. 
 
 When the newly married female finds herself in a deli- 
 cate situation for the first time, she is the victim of many 
 vague and harassing thoughts concerning her safety and 
 disagreeable condition. Her secret impressions, as we call 
 them, are by no means concealed within her own breast, 
 but are almost constantly vented in the presence of female 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 165 
 
 friends, adding greatly to the sociabilities and jollities of 
 refined society. Her greatest anxiety has reference to the 
 passage of the child from her body into the world. Though 
 fully assured that thousands of babies are born every day, 
 she cannot understand how a fully grown, lusty, squalling 
 child can find a passage through her delicate organs, the dis- 
 proportion between them and the size of the child being 
 go great, in her judgment, as to render the thing quite 
 unreasonable. With many fears, therefore, she is obliged 
 to trust nature and the doctors for a safe delivery, and a 
 triumphant lodgment of the baby into her fostering arms. 
 
 A young woman, during her first pregnancy, got the idea 
 into her head, that the pubic bones, forming the front 
 part of the pelvis, separated widely to give exit to the 
 child;, and, to prepare them for a more- ready and easy 
 separation, she was in the habit of daily rubbing olive oil 
 and other oleaginous substances into the parts. Not long 
 since, we stood at the bed-side of a girl whose labor was 
 difficult and protracted. In her moaning she exclaimed 
 with some force of defiance, that she didn't know before, 
 that was the way women had children. And when asked 
 how she supposed they had them, she fixed her eyes upon 
 us, and with apparent sincerity, said she always supposed 
 the doctors cut them open and took the babies out. 
 
 These cases may serve as good illustrations of the general 
 ignorance of newly married females, concerning the anatomy 
 and capabilities of their sexual systems. And such igno- 
 rance is unavoidable ; for the means of instruction is not 
 placed within their reach — the books published upon such 
 
166 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM 
 
 subjects being designed for the physician's library, and far 
 above the comprehension of the general reader ; or such 
 insignificant catch-penny works as abound in errors, con- 
 fuse and perplex the reader, and render distasteful all such 
 studies. A chapter, therefore, upon natural labor finds 
 an appropriate place in this work. 
 
 In this chapter we cannot give a minute description of 
 all the diameters of the pelvis and the child's head, and all 
 the unnatural presentations and positions of the child, pre- 
 ternatural, difficult and prolonged labors, etc. ; for such 
 description would require a volume as large as the present, 
 and would be of little use to the general reader. But we 
 shall take a case of natural labor and carry it through to 
 its termination, noticing such conditions and processes as 
 maybe necessary to a general knowledge of the subject. 
 By the perusal of this chapter it is to be hoped the reader 
 will be made better as well as wiser, for in the natural 
 birth of his creatures the wisdom and design of the Divine 
 Being is mysteriously and wonderfully displayed. 
 
 The pelvis, which signifies a basin, so called because it 
 bears a slight resemblance to that vessel, is an irregular 
 bony cavity, containing the urinary and genital organs, and 
 a part of the intestines. It is deeper and stronger in the 
 male than in the female, but broader and more delicate in 
 the female than in the male, being adapted to the passage 
 of the foetus. The first question, therefore, which naturally 
 arises in the mind of the inquirer, is, how can a full grown 
 foetus pass through such an irregular bony cavity. Take a 
 person, who is totally uninformed upon this subject, and 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. , 167 
 
 let hini look at the dried skeleton, and he would, at once, 
 infer that such a thing would be impossible. But it is one 
 of the most simple mechanical contrivances ; and with the 
 pelvis in one hand and the head of a child in the other, we 
 can make this whole matter so plain, that any person of 
 ordinary capacity can fully comprehend it. 
 
 The pelvis has two openings, like an old-fashioned basin 
 with the bottom knocked out ; not, however, shaped ex- 
 actly the same. Both apertures are somewhat oval, but 
 not in the same direction ; the longest diameter of the supe- 
 rior aperture being from side to side, while the inferior 
 aperture measures the most from before backwards. Now, 
 if you measure a full-sized female pelvis you will find the 
 transverse diameter of the superior aperture about five 
 inches, and the diameter from before backwards, about 
 four inches. The diameters of the inferior apertures are 
 also five and four inches, but the diameter from before 
 backwards, is five inches, the same as the transverse 
 diameter of the superior aperture, and the transverse 
 diameter of the inferior aperture is four inches, the same 
 as the diameter of the superior aperture from before back- 
 wards. But the coccyx, which forms the tip end of the 
 posterior part of the pelvis, curves inwards about one inch, 
 making the antero-posterior diameter only four inches, the 
 same as the antero-posterior diameter of the superior aper- 
 ture ; but in labor, this bone is pushed backwards about 
 one inch, making the antero-posterior diameter five inches, 
 as we said before. 
 
 The depth of the pelvis in front, is about one inch and a 
 
168 THK SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 half, being formed merely by the pubic bone ; but behind, 
 it is about six inches deep, and is formed by the sacrum 
 and coccyx. At the sides it is about four inches deep. 
 The axis of the superior aperture, is downwards and back- 
 wards, but the axis of the inferior aperture is directed 
 downwards and forwards. The reader will, therefore, per- 
 ceive, that the passage through the pelvis is not straight, 
 but crooked. In what manner, therefore, can the child 
 pass through such an irregular canal? 
 
 In a natural labor the head is the part of the foetus which 
 presents at the superior aperture, and, of course, is first 
 born into the world. All other presentations are unnatural 
 and rare exceptions to the general rule, none of them 
 occurring more than once in fifty labors. Now if the head 
 can pass through the pelvis, the body is usually expelled 
 without difficulty ; for the head of the foetus, compared 
 with the other portions of the body, is very large ; and the 
 shoulders and hips, which alone could offer any obstruction, 
 are so soft and compressible that they are readily shaped 
 to the passage through which they are made to pass. It 
 will, therefore, be sufficient for our present purpose, to ex- 
 plain how the head can pass through the pelvis. 
 
 The head is somewhat oval, corresponding with the 
 Bhape of the apertures of the pelvis. It has a number of 
 diameters, as it is measured in different directions ; but a 
 knowledge of two only will be sufficient for our present de- 
 scription. The long diameter, called the occipitofrontal 
 diameter, extends from the forehead to the occiput or back 
 part of the head, and measures about four inches and a 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 169 
 
 quarter. The transverse diameter is from side to side, at 
 the widest portion of the head, and measures about three 
 inches and a half. 
 
 The reader will, therefore, perceive that the diameters 
 of the bony pelvis are a little greater than the diameters of 
 the foetal head ; but the muscles and other soft structures 
 within the pelvis, which, during parturition are pressed 
 against the bony walls, considerably reduce the diameters, 
 making the long diameter of the pelvis a little less than the 
 long diameter of the head. It is, therefore, evident, that 
 in passing through the pelvis, the head must undergo cer- 
 tain changes of position, placing its shorter diameters in 
 relation with the longer diameters of the pelvis. 
 
 In a natural labor the occiput is most commonly at the 
 left side of the pelvis, a little in front of the line describing 
 the transverse diameter, and the face on the right side 
 directed a little backwards, the longest part of the head not 
 being exactly transverse, but a little oblique. Now as 
 labor progresses, the following movements of the head take 
 place. First, the occiput is pushed down lower than the 
 face, and the chin is made to rest upon the breast.- In this 
 position the head has sufficient space to descend into the 
 cavity of the pelvis. This movement is called flexion. In 
 the second place, as the head advances, the occiput slides 
 forwards under the pubes, and the face slides backwards 
 in the hollow of the sacrum, which is called rotation. As 
 the head is born, the occiput emerges from under the 
 pubes; next the face slides over the perineum pressing 
 the child's neck against the pubic bone ; and the head, 
 
170 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 which before was flexed, is now pushed backwards, which 
 movement is called extension. And when the head is com- 
 pletely born, the face turns towards the right thigh of the 
 mother to straighten the neck, which before was twisted 
 about a quarter of a circle. This is called restitution or 
 external rotation. The causes of all these movements we 
 have no space to explain ; but their object is to place the 
 head in the most favorable position as the labor advances, 
 to pass through the pelvis. So much for the mechanism 
 of natural labor. 
 
 Before describing labor itself, let us inquire how we can 
 ascertain in any particular case, when labor will commence, 
 and also notice the usual signs of its approach. You will 
 tell me, perhaps, that it will commence in forty weeks or 
 two hundred and eighty days from the time of conception, 
 which we have shown to be the usual duration of preg- 
 nancy. But how can we tell when conception is effected ? 
 Can a woman tell by her own sensations when she con- 
 ceives ? Some of the ancients thought so ; even the great 
 Hippocrates advanced such an idea; but it is now well 
 known that there is no special sensation superadded to 
 that of sexual congress by which a woman can determine, 
 at the time, when conception results from copulation. 
 Besides, some women are as cold and inanimate as a block 
 of marble ; still they Conceive, and do their part to multiply 
 and replenish the earth. 
 
 If quickening were a fixed and invariable period, it 
 would be an easy matter to fix the time of the approach- 
 ing confinement by adding weeks enough to that period to 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 171 
 
 make up the forty weeks. If women always quickened at 
 twenty weeks of their pregnancy, we could add twenty 
 weeks more, which would make forty weeks, the time when 
 labor would commence. But the period of quickening is very 
 variable. Some women feel the fluttering of the foetus at 
 four months, others earlier, and others not till the fifth 
 month ; and there are still other women who pass their 
 full term of pregnancy without once feeling the motions 
 of the child. 
 
 But what connection is there between menstruation and 
 conception ? It has been shown by the very best observers 
 — and the same doctrine is supported by the theory of 
 ovulation — that women are most likely to conceive very 
 soon after menstruation ; for at that time an ovum has 
 been expelled from the ovary, and is ripe and ready to be 
 fecundated. If, therefore, a woman and her husband are 
 living together, and you commence your calculations a day 
 or two after the last menstruation, you will usually be able 
 to tell pretty nearly when the woman will be confined. 
 But according to the best observations a woman is liable to 
 conceive at any time for two weeks, or thereabouts, after 
 the menstrual flow ceases, and also just before the men- 
 strual period, because in the former case an ovum belong- 
 ing to the last menstrual period may not be lost till that 
 time ; and in the latter case there may be a premature 
 ovum belonging to the next menstruation fit for fecunda- 
 tion. If, therefore, a man is away from his wife, and re- 
 turns just before her menstrual period, and she passes 
 that period without menstruating, you are, of course, to 
 
i72 THE SEXUAL SYSTKM. 
 
 make your calculations from that time. If he return a 
 few days only after she menstruates, she will, most likely, 
 conceive at the first connection ; but if the period be later 
 and not beyond two weeks, she may conceive at the first 
 connection or not till just before the next period ; and it 
 is possible that a woman may conceive at any time between 
 her menstrual periods. In such a case there would, of 
 course, be more or less doubt as to the time that labor 
 would commence. In all extreme cases, or those which 
 vary more or less from the usual duration of pregnancy, 
 there is no means of telling, with any degree of certainty, 
 when labor will commence, except by the signs which im- 
 mediately precede it. 
 
 In all ordinary cases, therefore, where the parties live 
 together constantly, and the woman is menstruating and 
 in a condition to conceive and bear children, you will be 
 able to tell when she will be confined, by taking the last 
 menstrual period as your starting point. In other cases, 
 including nursing women who conceive before the menses 
 return, you will be more or less befogged and in doubt as 
 to the time of parturition, and your judgment must be 
 formed from the symptoms and signs of pregnancy as they 
 appear at different stages of the gestation. 
 
 Again, there are certain signs of approaching labor, 
 which patients, as well as physicians, should know some- 
 thing about. For a number of days, and sometimes for 
 two or three weeks before labor actually commences, the 
 patient will occasionally complain of uneasy sensations 
 about the region of the womb, and if it be her first preg- 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 173 
 
 nancy she may think she is going into labor, and send for 
 the doctor ; or she may regard these sensations as evidences 
 of approaching danger, and desire to consult her physician, 
 who, if qualified for the responsibilities of his profession, 
 will be prepared to remove such apprehensions, and to ad- 
 minister to the mind such comfort as the nature of the 
 case admits. These sensations are really useful in prepar- 
 ing the womb for the more arduous task it has to perform ; 
 and it is supposed by some that the more active these pre- 
 liminary sensations the easier and safer will be the ap- 
 proaching labor. They arise from the gentle contractions 
 of the womb, which prepare the os uteri to undergo the 
 necessary dilatation for the passage of the foetus into the 
 world. 
 
 Some days, or a week or two, before the commencement 
 of labor a remarkable change takes place in the position 
 of the womb. It consists in the subsidence of the gravid 
 womb into the abdomen, so that its fundus, or top, is no 
 higher up than at the eighth month. The os uteri, of 
 course, sinks lower in the pelvis ; the abdomen is less pro- 
 minent*than before, and the patient feels lighter, breathes 
 easier, and is more cheerful. This change is sometimes 
 gradual, at other times quite sudden. It may take place 
 in the night, and when the female awakes in the morning 
 she is greatly astonished to find that her stomach, in a 
 measure, has disappeared, and that her sensations have 
 undergone a very agreeable change. This is sometimes 
 called the righting of the womb, as it is placed in a better 
 position for the efforts of labor. But there are temporary 
 
174 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 inconveniences attending this change which are quite pro- 
 minent signs of approaching labor. 
 
 The lower part of the womb thus falling down, makes 
 more or less pressure upon the viscera within the pelvis. 
 The bladder is most liable to pressure from this cause 
 and irritation of that organ, and a frequent or constant de- 
 sire to pass water is the result. This desire will sometimes 
 be so constant and urgent that it will amount to absolute 
 suffering ; and sometimes the pressure upon the neck of 
 the bladder will prevent micturition, and the doctor will 
 be obliged to draw off the water. The rectum or lower 
 bowel may be unduly pressed upon, and there may be a 
 distressing tenesmus,. a tormenting desire to evacuate the 
 bowels though they are empty, such as exists in dysentery ; 
 and the physician may be sent for, who should explain the 
 cause of the trouble to his patient, and assure her that, in 
 due time, all will be right. It is well also to give a little 
 anodyne medicine to allay these distressing sensations. 
 But if the case is mistaken for dysentery, and the patient 
 is subjected to heroic treatment for that disease, much 
 useless trouble, if not positive injury, will be the conse- 
 quence. 
 
 There are some other premonitory symptoms of labor, 
 caused by the pressure of the womb upon the nerves and 
 other structures within the pelvis, which, in passing, we 
 will just mention. Hemorrhoidal tumors or piles, may now 
 become very distressing ; the dropsy of the lower limbs 
 may be considerably increased at this particular time; 
 various neuralgic pains, especially about the hips and loins, 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 175 
 
 may now remind the patient that this world is not a place of 
 unalloyed happiness ; numbness in the lower limbs, amount-, 
 ing in some cases to complete paralysis, will greatly alarm 
 the patient and call loudly for the aid and comfort of the 
 physician. 
 
 Among other signs of approaching labor, we may men- 
 tion the relaxed and soft condition of the vagina, and all 
 ihe external organs, with an increased moisture of the 
 parts, and a discharge of thick mucus from the vagina. 
 The os uteri is also softer, and though the labor pains have 
 not yet commenced, it will be found a little dilated, espe- 
 cially in women who have borne children. 
 
 Now let us suppose the physician is summoned to attend 
 a lady in her confinement. When he receives such a sum- 
 mons, he takes it for granted that labor has actually com- 
 menced, and repairs to the residence of his patient with 
 the least possible delay. In a majority of cases he will 
 find his patient in labor ; but in other cases labor will not 
 have commenced, and if he is not fully awake to his busi- 
 ness he will lounge around for a considerable time before 
 he finds out the mistake ; and when he goes away to wait 
 a few days longer, perhaps, for labor to commence, he will 
 not be likely to carry with him the confidence of the patient 
 and her friends. They will think he ought to have known, 
 at once, that the woman was not in labor, and not hang 
 around so long, and make fools of everybody. The physi- 
 cian should, therefore, proceed without any unnecessary 
 delay, to find out the true condition of his patient. 
 
 There are certain pains, entirely independent of the 
 
176 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 uterus and uterine contractions, which sometimes simulate 
 labor pains, and deceive both the patient and the doctor. 
 These pains are called by authors spurious or false labor 
 pains, to distinguish them from the true p^ins. They do 
 not result from the contractions of the womb, like the pre- 
 liminary or preparatory sensations already described. Now 
 when the physician is called to attend a labor, it is import- 
 ant that he should be able to distinguish between these 
 spurious and true labor pains. The spurious differ from 
 the true pains, both in their character and location. 
 
 1. The spurious pains are very irregular in their return 
 and duration. Sometimes they are almost continuous, 
 and very distressing ; they ane continually shifting from the 
 back to the sides and some part of the abdomen. But 
 true labor pains, at the commencement, are very weak, of 
 short duration, and long intervals ; and they come and go 
 with regularity, and increase in frequency and strength as 
 the labor progresses ; and they commence in the lower part 
 of the loins and extend to the abdomen and thighs. If the 
 female is sitting in her chair with her work in her hands, 
 and is taken with one of these gentle labor pains, she 
 quietly lays down her work, takes hold of the chair with 
 her hands, turns her head a little one side, screws her 
 mouth a little out of shape, and with a suppressed moan, 
 not always audible, comes out of it, and resumes her work, 
 as if nothing had happened. No such regularity is observed 
 in those jumping, shooting, irregular spurious pains. 
 
 2. We have no trouble in telling the character of the 
 pains if we make a proper examination of the womb. Lat 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 177 
 
 the physician place his hand snugly upon the abdomen of 
 the patient during a pain, and if it be a true labor pain, he 
 will feel the womb tightening and hardening under his 
 hand ; and when the pain passes off the hardened uterus 
 will become relaxed. But all doubt may be removed by 
 an examination per vaginam. If the os uteri is found 
 somewhat dilated, and the membranes slightly protruded 
 during a pain, presenting to the finger a slight resistance, 
 but receding somewhat and becoming flaccid when the pain 
 passes off, the woman is in labor. 
 
 As another sign of commencing labor the female will 
 sometimes be taken with rigors, or shivering fits, and, per- 
 haps, vomiting, depending upon the contractions of the 
 womb and the dilatation of the os uteri. These symp- 
 toms may alarm the patient, but they are usually quite 
 harmless ; indeed, they are looked upon by some medical 
 men as highly favorable, insuring a more ready dilatation 
 of the os uteri, and a more safe and speedy birth of the 
 child. 
 
 Again ; When labor commences, or a short time before, 
 as we have already intimated, there will be a discharge 
 from the vagina of a thick, glairy mucous substance, 
 usually streaked with blood. This is derived from the 
 follicles of the vagina and neck of the womb. It is often 
 very profuse, and it is furnished by nature to lubricate the 
 parts, thereby facilitating their distension. This discharge 
 is known among women as the show. But there will oc- 
 casionally be an absence of it, and the labor is then called 
 a dry labor. 
 12 
 
178 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 Let us now suppose our patient is in labor, and the 
 doctor is present to render his services, and receive his fee. 
 His duties, even in a case of natural labor are many, and r 
 if skillfully performed, will greatly contribute to the com- 
 fort and safety of his patient, insuring her a good getting 
 up, and subsequent freedom from various female disorders 
 which so often wither and blast the fairest of Eve's 
 daughters. The first duty of the medical attendant, after 
 a little chat with the nurse and patient about the weather 
 or anything else that may be uppermost, is to make ar- 
 rangements for an examination per vaginam. We have 
 already spoken of such an examination to ascertain the 
 character of the pains, and decide the question whether 
 the woman be really in labor ; but there are many other 
 things to be learned by this first examination, which the 
 intelligent physician is not likely to overlook. It is better 
 for the doctor to speak to the nurse or the mother, and 
 tell her that it is necessary to make an examination to see 
 if everything is right. Because this examination is made 
 when a pain is upon the patient, it is sometimes called 
 taking a pain, and the nurse may tell the patient that the 
 doctor wants to take a pain. For this and all subsequent 
 examinations per- vaginam, the patient should be placed 
 upon her left side with her thighs drawn up, or upon her 
 back, according to the choice of the accouaheur. Our 
 own choice is the back posture, as being the easiest for the 
 patient, and the least liable to suggestions of vulgarity. 
 Nothing appears to us more vulgar than the side posture 
 with the nates directed towards the doctor. Having de- 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR, 179 
 
 cided upon the posture, the doctor should prepare his 
 index finger for such an examination ; the nail should be 
 cut short and scraped smooth, and if the finger should be 
 adorned with a large, rough ring, it should be removed ; 
 for a sharp nail, and a large diamond ring, might alike be 
 objectionable to the patient's vagina. The finger should 
 be lubricated with a little lard, or olive oil, and introduced 
 during a pain. Place the end of the finger within the 
 mouth of the womb, and keep it there till the pain passes 
 off, in order to make a full and careful examination of the 
 condition of the parts. The mouth of the womb will 
 sometimes be directed much further backwards than the 
 young practitioner would expect, and he might first touch 
 the anterior and lower part of the organ. Let him then 
 slide his finger backwards till he places it within the os. 
 The thumb and all the fingers, except the one to be used 
 for the examination, must be snugly closed, and consider- 
 able pressure must be made upon the perineum to extend 
 the finger far enough up to make a good survey of the 
 parts. Some practitioners prefer the middle finger, and 
 others use both the index and middle fingers. If, in any 
 case, the doctor should be unable to reach the womb with 
 his patient in the recumbent posture, she should stand up 
 for the examination, as gravitation will bring the womb a 
 little lower down in the pelvis. With the legs somewhat 
 distended, and the patient slightly stooping, she may be 
 requested, if necessary, to bear down, which will bring the 
 womb still lower in the pelvis. But there will seldom be 
 occasion for such a posture. We don't think a case can be 
 
.180 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 found that we could not fully explore in the recumbent 
 posfrure ; but we are blessed with a finger not at all con- 
 tracted in length. 
 
 There are several things which the physician should en- 
 deavor to learn by this first examination. He finds, we 
 will suppose, that the patient is actually in labor ; and now 
 he wishes to know the condition of the pelvis, and soft 
 parts, through which the child must pass. Is the pelvis 
 natural? or is it deformed? Is it of the usual capacity ? 
 or is it small, and contracted in its dimensions ? If de- 
 formed or small, is it sufficiently so to interfere seriously 
 with the safety of the mother and the birth of the child, 
 or merely to render the labor tedious and protracted ? Is 
 the womb in its natural position ? Are the mouth of the 
 womb, the vagina, and the external parts, soft, dilatable, 
 and well lubricated with the natural secretions, or are they 
 rigid and dry ? At this examination the physician should 
 also ascertain, if possible, what part of the child presents ; 
 and if he finds the head at the superior aperture he should 
 endeavor to ascertain its exact position to the pelvis. All 
 these things will enable him to form a judgment as to the 
 character of the labor, and if there should be anything 
 unnatural, or any obstruction to a good delivery he will be 
 placed fully upon his guard, and enabled, at the most 
 suitable time, to render the necessary assistance. 
 
 Having made this examination, the physician should 
 next inquire into the condition of the bladder and bowels. 
 Perhaps he found the bladder distended with urine, and 
 the lower bowel with foecal matter, when he made,the ex^ 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 181 
 
 amination ; if so, the patient should be requested to pass 
 her water ; and if she is unable to do so, it must be drawn 
 off with the catheter. An enema should also be given to re- 
 lieve the bowels ; or, if the patient has not had a passage 
 for a day or more, and the labor is not far advanced, a 
 prompt cathartic may be administered. Some attention 
 should be paid to the room, and the bed of the parturient 
 woman. The room should be kept quiet, clean and airy, 
 and it is entirely out of place for a large number of persons 
 to be present, especially those who wear melancholy visages, 
 and are accustomed to telling frightful stories of horrible 
 cases of labor that they have witnessed ; for though their 
 intentions may be good, and their presence may be endured, 
 they are a great annoyance to the patient. Everything 
 should be cheerful, but not boisterous and noisy. Of course, 
 the contents of the chamber are not allowed to remain in 
 the room except by the most vulgar and filthy people. If 
 the patient can have some kind of cot or bed, to be de- 
 livered upon, and another clean and fresh, to be laid upon 
 after the labor is completed, it will contribute to her clean- 
 liness and comfort. But if that be inconvenient, an oil- 
 cloth should be placed upon the mattress, and a quilt spread 
 over it ; or a folded quilt should be placed under her hips 
 to prevent the discharges from wetting and soiling the bed 
 that she must afterwards lay upon. 
 
 And now let me admonish you not to fall into the error 
 of supposing that the patient must not eat anything till the 
 labor is completed. If she is hungry, let her eat ; but her 
 diet should be bland, and liquid for the most part, not 
 
182 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 solid and stimulating, for there is so much going on in the 
 womb, that there might not be sufficient action in the 
 stomach to digest solid substances, and they might remain 
 to act as irritants, and produce the worst consequences. 
 No spirituous liquors should be given unless specially indi- 
 cated and ordered by the physician. We have known the 
 worst consequences to follow the use of such articles during 
 labor. The patient may take tea, gruel, light broth, 
 cracker toast, etc. , and these articles should be nicely pre- 
 pared, palatable and refreshing. Too much attention can- 
 not be given to these things. A great burden is laid upon 
 woman, and too much cannot be done, in this her time of 
 trial, to assuage her sorrows, and comfort and cheer her 
 heart. 
 
 For the purpose of simplifying as much as possible, the 
 description of natural labor, we will divide the whole pro- 
 cess into three stages, viz. ; the first stage which ends 
 when the bag of waters rupture and the os uteri is suffi- 
 ciently dilated to allow the passage of the child's head; 
 the second stage includes the descent and expulsion of the 
 child into the world ; and the third stage consists in the 
 delivery of the after-birth. 
 
 During the first stage, it is entirely unnecessary for the 
 patient to keep her bed unless she feels so inclined. It is 
 better that she be up a part of the time, and lounge upon 
 the sofa, sit in an easy chair, walk about the room or busy 
 herself in any way she pleases. But when the bag of 
 waters rupture and the os uteri is sufficiently dilated to 
 allow the descent of the child, she should take her bed, 
 
*ARTTTRITTON OR LABOR. 183 
 
 and keep it till she is delivered. She need not, however, 
 be confined to one posture ; she can lay upon her side, or 
 back, or change from one posture to another, as may con- 
 tribute to her comfort. The back is usually the easiest 
 posture as it affords support to the spine. We always 
 prefer to deliver a woman upon her back. 
 
 The number of examinations necessary during the first 
 stage will depend altogether upon the character of the 
 labor ; usually two or three will be sufficient. If the parts 
 were found well lubricated with the natural secretions at 
 the first examination, it will be entirely unnecessary to 
 have recourse to the lard pot or oil bottle afterwards. One 
 rule every physician should observe, viz. ; never make any 
 unnecessary, examinations, as they are always annoying to 
 the patient. When, however, the waters escape, an ex- 
 amination should always be made to ascertain the progress 
 of the labor, and the exact position of the head. 
 
 The character of the pains undergo great changes during 
 the progress of the labor. At first they are slight, short 
 and infrequent ; but as the labor progresses they are more 
 severe, more frequent, and of longer duration. At first we 
 have the grinding or cutting pains as they are called. If 
 the patient takes hold of your hand, she squeezes or twists 
 it, but does not pull forcibly upon it ; she turns her head 
 ane side, and twists her mouth out of shape, and gives 
 vent to a slight moaning or grumbling noise. But when 
 the os uteri is sufficiently dilated to allow the head to make 
 a decided pressure upon it, these pains assume a different 
 character. The patient now bears down. When these 
 
1S4 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 latter pains are fully developed, she grasps any thing within 
 her reach, endeavors to fix her feet against some resisting 
 object, holds her breath and pulls with all her might. 
 Her moaning is very slight, as she is obliged to hold her 
 breath, but it passes off when she takes another breath, 
 with a sort of explosive grunt. These are the forcing 
 pains, which continue and increase in frequency and length, 
 till the child is brought into the world. Now this differ- 
 ence in the pains very often enables the physician to judge 
 of the progress of the labor, as soon as he steps across the 
 threshold of the lying-in chamber,, and it inculcates a lesson, 
 which should never be disregarded. It is this : while the 
 pains are grinding, the patient should never be urged to 
 bear down, as it could produce no good, but might do 
 much mischief by exhausting her strength. On the con- 
 trary,' if she seem to think she ought to bear down, she 
 should be cautioned against doing so, till the pains assume 
 the forcing character, when she will bear down whether 
 you urge her to or not. At this stage of the labor it is 
 good practice to twist up a sheet and tie one end to the 
 foot-post, and a loop in the other end for the patient to 
 take in her hands ; and also to bring her down in the bed 
 and let her feet rest against the foot-board, or afford some 
 other support for the feet. Thus fixed, she has an ex- 
 cellent opportunity to expend all her bearing-down efforts 
 to the best advantage. 
 
 Let me here admonish the physician in his examinations 
 during the first stage of labor, not to rupture the mem- 
 branous sack. These membranes are sometimes very thin, 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 185 
 
 and non-resisting, and any scratching with the finger-nail, 
 or rough pressure of the finger, might cause their rupture 
 and the premature escape of the waters. This is always 
 an unfortunate circumstance, as it renders the labor more 
 protracted and tedious. As the bag of waters come down 
 into the os, it keeps up an equitable and uniform pressure 
 which aids essentially in the dilatation of the parts ; hence 
 their usefulness. There are cases, however, where these 
 membranes are so tough that they do not rupture spon- 
 taneously when they can be of no further service. In such 
 a case the physician should do the work that nature fails 
 to do. 
 
 Sometimes the parts will be very dry, the os uteri rigid, 
 and its dilatation slow and irksome, rendering the labor 
 painful and protracted. This calls for the skillful assist- 
 ance of the medical attendant, and various means may be 
 employed to overcome the rigidity. If the parts are dry 
 they should be well lubricated with fresh lard or olive oil. 
 The ointment of Belladonna may be occasionally rubbed 
 upon the mouth of the womb. Very great advantage 
 may be derived from the steam of hot water. Place a 
 broad vessel of hot water under a chair with an open bot- 
 tom, on which the patient must be seated. Let the water 
 be as hot as it can be comfortably borne ; and it will often 
 act like magic. Advantage may be derived from the use 
 of various remedies, which have a relaxing influence upon 
 the system. The wine of Ipecac, or tartar emetic, carried 
 to the extent of producing a little nausea, but not vomit- 
 ing, will often act like a charm. Sulphuric ether, when 
 
180 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 not contra-indicated by disease of the respiratory organs, 
 is a most efficient remedy. It should be poured upon a 
 sponge or napkin, and held to the patient's mouth till it 
 produces a gently soothing and lulling effect ; but it should 
 not be carried to the extent of producing absolute insensi- 
 bility. If the patient be plethoric, and has a rigid muscle, 
 the most suitable and efficient remedy is the lancet. It 
 should not be used heedlessly, but when plainly indicated, 
 if the physician refuses to employ it he does his patient 
 great injustice, and endangers her health or even life. It 
 * 13 marvellous how the os uteri will soften and dilate under 
 the influence of blood-letting. 
 
 During the second stage of labor the patient will often 
 complain bitterly of a pain in the back. She may tell the 
 doctor that her poor back will break, and confidingly look 
 to him for relief. To this complaint the doctor should not 
 turn a deaf ear, he should show his sympathy by assuring 
 her that, in due time, all will be right ; and by doing all in 
 his power for her comfort. Let him place his hand under 
 her back and during a pain make some degree of pressure, 
 or let him place a napkin under her back, and have an as- 
 sistant at each end, and during a pain make pressure by 
 raising the ends of the napkin. In this way, or in any 
 other that may suggest itself, the doctor will show his 
 sympathy and administer to the comfort and relief of his 
 patient. 
 
 As the head of the child advances it makes pressure 
 upon the rectum, and not unfrequently produces a strong 
 tenesmic sensation, as if the bowels needed evacuating; 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 187 
 
 and the patient may insist upon getting up for that pur- ' 
 pose ; but in no case should she be allowed to do so, as 
 the child might be suddenly delivered at that unfortunate 
 moment. If the patient is made to understand the cause 
 of this distressing sensation, and assured that her bowels 
 are all right, she will summon patience, and endure the 
 distress with comparative ease. 
 
 As the head continues to descend, it makes pressure 
 upon the perineum, forcing it out into a rounded tumor as 
 large as a man's two hands spread out with the fingers 
 interlocked. Were it not for the perineum, the head 
 would continue to descend downwards and backwards in 
 close contact with the coccyx ; and from the force of this 
 direction there is always more or less danger of lacerating 
 the perineum. It should, therefore, be supported by the 
 hand of the physician, and never trusted to the nurse, or 
 an assistant. Let him take a napkin* in the palm of his 
 hand, and placing it upon the perineum below the inferior 
 commissure of the orifice of the vagina, make moderate 
 pressure forwards during a pain. When the pain is off, 
 •the head recedes somewhat and no support is necessary ; 
 but when the pain returns it should again be firmly sup- 
 ported, for it is by a succession of pains that the head is 
 usually forced through the external parts. By such sup- 
 port, we assist the perineum in pushing the head forwards, 
 at the time that the contractions of the uterus are forcing 
 it downwards ; and if ths pressure be properly applied, the 
 liability of its laceration is greatly diminished. The radial 
 or upper part of the hand, should be placed across the thin 
 
188 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 edge of the perineum, as that is the part most liable to 
 lacerate first. But at length when the pain comes which 
 pushes the head into the world, the greatest support is re- 
 quired ; and as the head slides over the thin edge of the 
 perineum, the female gives utterence to a short, sharp 
 shriek, which alarms no one but novices. The pressure 
 of the head upon the perineum when it is greatly distended, 
 and its passage over the perineum, are the most painful 
 part of the labor ; and if the physician be apt and clever, 
 he can greatly console his patient by kind and positive 
 assurances that her suffering's will soon be over. 
 
 The head of the child is now born into the world, and 
 the cord will sometimes be found drawn around the neck. 
 We have seen three turns of it so closely drawn around the 
 neck that the child must have died from suffocation, had it 
 not been promptly removed. This, therefore, is the very 
 first thing that should engage the attention of the physi- 
 cian when the head emerges from the mother's parts. 
 Let him at once, examine the neck, and if he find the cord 
 around it, draw it down a little, and, passing his finger 
 beneath, slip it over the back part of the head. This can 
 usually be done with the greatest ease ; if, however, a case 
 should occur where the cord is so tight that this cannot be 
 done, it should be cut with the scissors and the delivery 
 effected with the least possible delay. 
 
 Sometimes a piece of membrane torn from the mass of 
 membranes by the descent of the head through the os 
 uteri and vagina, will be found upon the face or head of the 
 child. This is called the caul. Anciently, it was supposed 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 189 
 
 that a person born with a caul, or one who carried a piece 
 of it about his person, would be preserved from violent 
 death by fire, water, etc. ; and would have presentiments 
 of important events in the future, such as the death of 
 friends, marriages of particular persons, important changes 
 in State, etc. Hence it was considered of great value, and 
 was carefully preserved and dried, and sold at a great price. 
 The same superstition exists among some people at the 
 present time. 
 
 The head being born, a thoughtless and uneducated mid- 
 wife, having something to pull upon, would naturally pro- 
 ceed to extract the child as soon as possible. But this is 
 not good practice. Unless something should indicate the 
 necessity for interference, the termination of the labor 
 should be left to nature. Let the medical attendant ex- 
 amine the neck as we have stated ; let him see that there 
 are no pieces of membranes, or thick mucus about the 
 mouth or nose, to obstruct the passage of the air to the 
 lungs — for the child will usually gasp for breath, and show 
 signs of life as soon as the head is born — and in a few mo- 
 ments the uterus will again contract, and the shoulders, 
 and the hips, and the entire child will be pushed into the 
 world, and complete what we have denominated the second 
 stage of the labor. And now commences another series 
 of duties. 
 
 Let the child be placed with its back towards the mother, 
 to prevent any discharges from getting into its mouth, and 
 immediately place the hand upon the mother's abdomen 
 to sec if there is twins. If so, the belly remains hard and 
 
190 THfc SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 nearly as large as before the birth of the first child ; if not, 
 there will be a great sinking down and flatness of the belly, 
 and the uterus will be felt to contract under the hand. To 
 favor contraction of the womb and thereby prevent flooding, 
 gentle pressure should be continued for some time. The 
 nurse may be directed to continue the pressure, when the 
 physician's attention is given to the child. If the womb 
 contracts well, it will be felt just above the pubes, as hard 
 and about as large as the child's head. 
 
 The next thing to be attended to is the separation of the 
 child from the mother. As soon as it breathes well, and cries 
 lustily, and the pulsation in the cord ceases, its inde- 
 pendent circulation is fully established. Both, or either, 
 of these signs, indicate clearly that the circulation no 
 longer goes on from the heart to the placenta, but from 
 the heart to the lungs ; and the child may now be cut loose 
 as follows : — Take a piece of narrow tape, or a string made 
 of nine or ten strands of thread, and tie the cord with a 
 firm square knot about two inches from the navel, and cut 
 it off with a pair of scissors, a quarter of an inch from the 
 knot. It is the common practice to place two ligatures 
 upon the cord, and cut between them, but this is entirely 
 unnecessary, as the blood which passes from the cord, does 
 not come from the mother but merely from the placenta ; 
 and, indeed, it is good practice to allow the placenta to 
 empty itself, as its bulk is somewhat reduced thereby, and 
 its abstraction more easily effected. In case of twins, how- 
 ever, two ligatures should always be employed, as the two 
 placentae might inosculate, or be connected in such a man- 
 
PARTURITION' OR LABOR, 191 
 
 ner, that the bleeding from the cord of the first child, 
 might deprive the second of its life. In doing this little 
 job the physician should see what he is about, and this he 
 can do without any exposure of the mother. It has been 
 the custom to tie and cut the cord under the cover of the 
 clothes, and many accidents have resulted from such blind 
 practice. The cord has been frequently cut off between the 
 child and the ligature, close up to the navel, not leaving 
 enough to tie again, subjecting the doctor to great mortifi- 
 cation and censure, and the child to the annoyance and 
 danger of hemorrhage. Thex*e is more than one case on 
 record where a finger has been mistaken for the cord, and 
 clipped off with the scissors ; and just think of the horror 
 upon horrors if the doctor, instead of clipping off the cord, 
 should get hold of the penis and clip off that. ( Even such 
 cases are on record. Never, therefore, do this work in the 
 dark. 
 
 The child being separated from the mother the doctor 
 must be careful that the dirty little thing does not slip out 
 of his hands and go bang upon the floor, as such an ac- 
 cident would never be overlooked by the patient nor her 
 friends. He should at once place it in a warm flannel or 
 blanket, made ready for the purpose, and then hand it to 
 the nurse, or lay it away in some safe place till she is ready 
 to perform the ablution and dressing. Don't place the 
 child in a chair convenient for people to sit upon as they 
 come into the room, for some venerable matron of corpu- 
 lent figure and broad proportions might seat herself in the 
 same chair, not noticing the priority claim of the little 
 
192 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 stranger, and give it a most pressing reception, not at all 
 consistent with its age and development. Such accidents 
 have happened, and it is the duty of the accoucheur to 
 guard against their liability. 
 
 Sometimes the child shows no signs of life when it is 
 born into the world, and it may be difficult to ascertain 
 whether it be really dead or not. The hand should be 
 placed over the region of the heart, and if that organ is 
 found to beat, however faintly ; or, if no action is observed 
 except a sort of tremulous sensation communicated to the 
 hand, there is hope of saving the child, and there should 
 be no delay in the use of the most vigorous means for that 
 purpose. Sometimes the breath of life will be brought 
 into it by a few slaps upon the buttocks, or by plunging it 
 into a warm bath, or by frictions upon the surface, or by 
 sprinkling cold water upon it. But if all such means fail, 
 artificial respiration must be resorted to. This may be 
 done thus : compress the nostrils between the thumb and 
 finger, then place your mouth upon that of the child, or 
 place a tube of some sort in the child's mouth, or, what is 
 better, a small pair of bellows, and blow some air into the 
 lungs, and immediately compress the chest to force it out. 
 Let these efforts be made in quick succession, and if the 
 child be not entirely dead they will usually succeed in its 
 resuscitation. A small pair of bellows is to be preferred, 
 if at hand, as you force the pure air into the lungs of the 
 child instead of the air which has been breathed. By 
 placing the hands upon the chest, and imitating the natural 
 movements of respiration, its capacity will be successively 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 193 
 
 enlarged and contracted, and a small amount of air will be 
 drawn into the lungs and expelled from them without the 
 disagreeable and troublesome business of blowing into the 
 child's mouth. This means will often succeed in its resus- 
 citation. In our own hands it has been most successful. 
 
 Now let us return to the mother, and consider the third 
 stage of labor, or the delivery of the after-birth. After 
 the birth of the child she will have a little rest, and feel 
 composed and happy, in view of her safe delivery ; and if it 
 should be her first confinement she may suppose the labor is 
 all over, and her troubles and dangers at an end. But in 
 fifteen or twenty minutes she is aroused by another pain, 
 and supposes, perhaps, that there is another child in her 
 womb. But this is an effort of the womb to detach and 
 expel the placenta. Usually a few pains are sufficient for 
 this purpose. As the womb contracts and diminishes its 
 bulk the attachment of the after-birth is peeled off; and 
 it may be forced out at once or require your assistance for 
 its removal. The finger may now be introduced along the 
 cord to the placenta, which may be entirely detached from 
 the womb and laying over its mouth. Now hook the 
 finger over its edge and draw it down, thus unbuttoning 
 the placenta, as Professor Meigs would say. In bringing 
 away the placenta it should always be rotated a number of 
 times upon itself, thus twisting the membranes into a sort 
 of cord, which greatly increases their strength, diminishes 
 their volume, and enables you to bring them away without 
 tearing them or leaving any portion of them behind, a re- 
 sult always to be avoided if possible. In all cases where 
 18 
 
194 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 the placenta is not entirely detached from the womb no 
 great traction should be made upon the cord, as it might 
 produce inversion of the fundus of the womb. Cases are 
 on record where the womb has been completely inverted, 
 and brought down out of the body by such barbarous 
 practice. But when the detachment of the placenta is de- 
 layed, owing to the feeble contractions of the womb, much 
 can be done to excite the action of that organ. Frictions 
 over the region of the womb ; cold water dashed upon the 
 abdomen, a piece of ice applied to the sacrum ; rubbing the 
 neck of the womb with the finger, etc. , are some of the 
 ordinary means usually resorted to with success. But 
 cases will now and then arise where all such means will 
 prove unavailing. For the morbid adhesions of the pla- 
 centa are sometimes so strong that the contractions of the 
 womb are insufficient to break them up ; and sometimes 
 after the detachment from the surface has been effected, it 
 will be retained in the womb in consequence of the spas- 
 modic contraction of its neck or such irregular action of 
 the organ, as forms what is denominated the hour-glass 
 contraction. In such cases the physician must proceed to 
 remove it, by a careful, persevering, energetic use of the 
 means pointed out in our full text works upon obstetrics. 
 In all cases of flooding, the placenta should be delivered 
 as speedily as possible, and the most energetic means em- 
 ployed to insure the contractions of the womb ; and the 
 doctor must not leave his patient for two or three hours 
 afterwards, as the womb might suddenly relax, and the 
 flooding reappear and endanger the life of the patient 
 
PARTURITION OK LABOR, 195 
 
 As soon as the after-birth is delivered, the bandage 
 should be applied. And here let us inquire what benefits 
 are to be secured by the bandage. As it is usually made 
 and applied it can produce no good effects except, perhaps, 
 to afford the patient a sense of support. Bedford says, 
 1 ' The object of applying the bandage at all, is simply to 
 afford gentle and equitable support to the abdominal 
 parietes, which have been in a state of great distension ; 
 and now that the child has left the uterus they are, on the 
 contrary, in a remarkably relaxed condition. ' ' This is the 
 only advantage of the bandage according to that great 
 bombast, and most of our text-books are equally at fault, 
 and the result of such teaching is, that most physicians 
 are exceedingly careless about the bandage, and some of 
 them omit it altogether. But our own experience and our 
 knowledge of the success of those physicians who give 
 proper attention to this matter satisfy us that in addition 
 to the sense of support which it gives the patient, the 
 following advantages may be secured where it is properly 
 made and applied : 
 
 1. By securing the efficient contractions of the abdomi- 
 nal parietes the patient has a more symmetrical form after 
 she gets up than she otherwise would have. The bulging 
 and ill-formed belly so often seen in parturient women is 
 usually prevented by proper bandaging after delivery. 
 
 2. By securing the efficient contractions of the uierus, 
 the patient is less likely to be troubled with various 
 uterine disorders, such as falling of the womb, flooding, 
 leucorrhoea, etc. 
 
196 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 3. Statistics show that patients who receive such atten- 
 tion are less liable to that terrible disease known as puer- 
 peral or child-bed fever, or puerperal peritonitis. 
 
 The straight bandage should never be used, as it is apt 
 to slip from its place, and cannot be equably applied. 
 The physician should inquire in season about the bandage, 
 and if he does hot find a suitable one already prepared he 
 should call for a piece of linen or muslin about fifteen 
 inches wide, and long enough to lap well around the body. 
 On one side he should cut into it some six or eight inches 
 in two places about a foot and a half apart, and have 
 triangular pieces sewed into the rent to enlarge it for the 
 hips. On the other side he should cut out two pieces and 
 have the rent sewed up, to make it smaller for the body 
 above the hips. The whole of this would not occupy more 
 than ten or fifteen minutes ; and it should be done with 
 courtesy, and not with an air of reproach because a suit- 
 able bandage is not already prepared. This simple con- 
 trivance, so quickly done, will answer all practical pur- 
 poses; but when the patient understands how to make it 
 she will usually have a much, nicer one prepared before- 
 hand. In applying the bandage, the patient should make 
 no effort to assist herself, and should be disturbed as little 
 as possible. Her head and shoulders should be raised for 
 no purpose whatever ; but the bandage should be slipped 
 undes the back, and smoothly adjusted to the form ; then 
 a compress, consisting of one or two folded towels, 
 should be placed over the region of the contracted womb, 
 and the ends of the bandage smoothly, but firmly, lapped 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 197 
 
 over it, and secured with pins. Two or three pins are not 
 sufficient, but some half-dozen should be used, and as the 
 parts become contracted and smaller it should from time to 
 time be drawn more closely. Of course, there is such a 
 thing as applying too much force, but the physician must 
 exercise his own judgment in the matter. 
 
 The bandage being applied, place a napkin under the 
 vulva to receive the discharges ; and now if the patient be 
 much exhausted let her remain an hour or two before 
 changing, or in any way disturbing her. During this time 
 she may go to sleep, and get refreshed, and then if she is 
 to lay upon another bed she should be removed by two 
 persons, being instructed not to make the least effort her- 
 self, and being kept in the horizontal posture every mo- 
 ment of her time. Her head and shoulders, should not be 
 raised for any purpose whatever. These directions are 
 especially indicated, if the labor had been protracted, or 
 there had been much loss of blood, or the patient had be- 
 come exhausted. If she is to l&y upon the same bed, 
 everything that is soiled or damp should be removed, clean 
 sheets should be placed upon the bed, and everything 
 about the bed and the patient should be fresh and clean, 
 and everything that could viciate the air should be removed 
 from the room. The room should be well ventilated, 
 great caution being used not to allow a cold draught of air 
 to come upon the patient. It should also be a little 
 darkened, and kept perfectly quiet, all company being 
 avoided till the patient gets some rest. 
 
 But now let us go back and attend to the baby. The 
 
198 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 first attention it needs is a thorough washing. For this 
 purpose the, nurse should provide herself with a vessel of 
 warm water, a little nice soap, a little olive oil, and a soft, 
 fine sponge. In order to remove the unctuous material 
 covering the surface of the child, every part should be 
 lubricated with the oil before using the soap and water. 
 It should be well rubbed upon the surface with the palm 
 of the hand, and then the soap and water should be freely 
 applied by means of the sponge, great care being used not 
 to get the soap into the child's eyes, as such an accident 
 might produce a most disgusting, and troublesome disease, 
 called purulent ophthalmia. Infants very often have sore 
 eyes from this cause. The ablution being thoroughly per- 
 formed, the child should be dried, not by rubbing, but 
 with a warm, spft flannel, gently pressed upon every part 
 of its body. 
 
 In the next place the navel should be dressed. This is 
 a very small job. Take a piece of muslin or linen about 
 four inches square ; fold it both ways, making four thick- 
 nesses, then clip off the folded corner ; and when unfolded 
 there will be a hole in. the middle, through which the cord 
 must be passed and turned upwards. Now turn the lower 
 part of the linen upwards over the cord, thus placing it 
 between the folds of linen. Then the belly-band must be 
 applied, which will keep the dressing in its place. This 
 should always be sewed on, as pins are liable to get loose, 
 and prick, and torment the little stranger, who, as yet, has 
 done nothing to merit such severe treatment. The prick- 
 ing may also bring on convulsions, and fatal consequences 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR. 199 
 
 might ensue. Exposing these little innocents to such tor- 
 ments is a most barbarous practice, deserving the severest 
 censure. Consider your own feelings. If the point of a 
 pin merely rubs against your flesh, how anxious are you to 
 have it removed ! The child is now to be dressed, and if 
 the mother is awake it should be placed by her side, at 
 once, as it will be a comfort and inspiration to her heart to 
 gaze upon the innocent object of her suffering. 
 
 Soon after the delivery of the placenta, the patient will 
 usually complain of more or less pain, somewhat resembling 
 labor pains. These pains are known as the after-pains. 
 They are produced by an effort of the womb to return to 
 its normal condition, and to expel its fluid contents, and 
 should not be looked upon as a diseased condition of the 
 organ. When these pains become severe, however, a little 
 gentle anodyne medicine may be employed to break their 
 intensity. A little of the syrup of poppies with a few drops 
 of the solution of morphia, a few drops of laudanum in a 
 little camphor water and simple syrup, Dover's powder, 
 elixir paregoric, and Hoffman's anodyne liquor, are among 
 the simple remedies which may be employed for this pur- 
 pose. They should be given in small doses. If there be 
 any irritability of the stomach, anodyne enemas should be 
 preferred. Let the attention of the physician be especially 
 directed to this matter before he leaves his patient. Let 
 him also strictly enjoin upon the nurse not to allow the 
 patient to rise from her bed to evacuate her bowels, or 
 bladder ; and not to raise her head and shoulders for any 
 purpose whatever till his next visit. The bed-pan must 
 
200 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 be used, and the food and drink of the patient must he 
 taken in a recumbent posture, till the physician deems it 
 prudent for her to be raised up. A disregard of these 
 directions have often been followed by the most distressing 
 and even fatal consequences. Let the physician also give 
 the nurse very particular directions as to any appearance 
 of flooding, that he may, at once, be summoned to the 
 scene of danger. 
 
 The diet of the patient, for two or three days, should 
 consist chiefly, of liquid and farinaceous substances, such 
 as tea of moderate strength ; gruels made of arrow-root, 
 tapioca or flour; toast nicely prepared from crackers or 
 stale bread; chicken broth made palatable, but not too 
 highly seasoned ; an occasional soft boiled egg. etc. If 
 everything goes well she can, in a few days, commence with 
 the lighter meats, and gradually resume her ordinary diet 
 of meats, vegetables, etc. 
 
 The lochia! discharge should not be wholly overlooked 
 by the medical attendant. This usually continues a num- 
 ber of days, and then ceases ; but sometimes it will persist 
 for weeks. At first, it is bloody ; after a day or two it 
 presents a greenish hue, and afterwards becomes whitish, 
 and finally disappears altogether. It may be too scanty, 
 or it may be too profuse. In the former case, if the 
 patient be plethoric, or of a nervous susceptibility, it may 
 produce a great deal of disturbance, such as fever, head- 
 ache, jactitation, and even convulsions; and an effort 
 should be made to increase the discharge by warm emol- 
 lient applications to the vulva. But if no constitutional 
 
PARTURITION OR LABOR, 201 
 
 disturbance arises, no treatment will be necessary. When 
 it is so profuse as to prostrate the patient, and lay the 
 foundation of poor health in after life, it may be checked 
 by such treatment as insure the firmer contractions of the 
 womb. 
 
 Upon his first visit after delivery, which should always 
 be made in twelve or fourteen hours, the physician may 
 find his patient's bladder distended without her ability to 
 pass one drop of water ; or he may find that very little 
 urine has been secreted, and that the bladder is nearly 
 empty notwithstanding no urine has been passed. In the 
 former case, the physician must draw off the water with 
 the catheter according to the directions laid down in our 
 text books. There should be no exposure of the patient. 
 In the latter case, no interference may be necessary, or a 
 little diuretic medicine may be given, according to the 
 judgment of the physician. The bowels may also need 
 some attention. In short, the physician should have his 
 wits about him .at this visit, and make all necessary in- 
 quiries that might have a bearing upon the health and 
 comfort of the mother and child. 
 
 When should the child be put to the breast ? This is a 
 mooted question, but there are no just grounds for any 
 difference of opinion among physicians. Our practice is to 
 have the child put to the breast, as soon as the mother 
 has got a little rest, and has somewhat recovered from the 
 fatigue of the labor, say in a few hours. The child should 
 be encouraged to take the nipple at this early period, even 
 if there should be no milk in the breast, as the following 
 
202 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 objects are secured by it: — 1. The action of the child* s 
 mouth upon the nipple invites the milk to the breasts. 
 2. It insures the firmer contractions of the womb, such is 
 the sympathy between that organ and the breasts. 
 
 In the intestines of every new born infant there is a 
 bjack viscid material called the meconium, which needs 
 purging out, and the physic which nature has provided for 
 this purpose, is contained in the first milk of the mother. 
 This is called the colostrum. It is a prompt effectual 
 purge suited to the constitution of the child, and thoroughly 
 removes the meconium from its intestines. If the nipple 
 should be so flat or sunken that the child cannot take it 
 into its mouth, it can be brought out and elongated by the 
 action of a breast pump ; or what, perhaps, is best, take a 
 pint bottle and fill it with* hot water ; then pour out the 
 water and immediately place its mouth over the nipple, 
 and as the air within cools, a partial vacuum is formed, 
 and tne suction produced is quite sufficient to draw out the 
 nipple. Let the bottle then be removed, and the child ap- 
 plied to the breast. The physician may find that the child 
 is unable to take the nipple on account of a malformation 
 of the frenum of the tongue. This consists in the frenum 
 growing too near the apex of the tongue, and the child is 
 said to be tongue-tied. It must be remedied by clipping 
 through the membrane with a pair of scissors, being care- 
 ful to direct their points a little downwards to avoid cut- 
 ting the lingual artery. But if the child can obtain no 
 milk from the breast, in a reasonable length of time, a 
 little brown sugar dissolved in water, or molasses and 
 
PARTURITIC& OR LABOR. 203 
 
 water, may be given in place of the colostrum of the 
 mother's milk. This is usually sufficient to purge the 
 child and remove the meconium ; or a little olive oil, say a 
 teaspoonful, or four or five drops of castor oil, may be 
 given. The best nourishment for the child, before it can 
 be obtained from the mother, is cow's milk, boiled and 
 somewhat diluted with water, taken ajways from a nursing 
 bottle. 
 
 If it should be necessary to bring up the child by the 
 bottle it should be restricted to a diet made to resemble the 
 mother's milk, as near as possible, for at least, two or 
 three months ; and it should always be drawn through a 
 teat fixed upon the mouth of the nursing bottle. After 
 this period a small amount of oatmeal, arrow-root, or 
 other farinaceous substances, may be mixed with the milk, 
 and gradually increased as the child grows older. Of 
 course, they should be boiled with the milk. A very good 
 substitute for milk may be made as follows : Take a piece 
 of gelatine two inches square, and add one pint of cold 
 water, and allow it to soak for half an hour ; then add two 
 teaspoonfuis of arrow-root, three tablespoonfuls of cow's 
 milk, and two of good fresh cream, with a small lump of 
 white sugar, and allow the whole to remain upon the fire 
 till it gently boils. 
 
 If a wet-nurse be employed, great caution must be used 
 in making the selection. Her general health, habits, 
 mode of living, etc. , should be inquired into ; her breasts 
 should be full and plump, and her milk should have every 
 appearance of purity and richness. The goat makes a 
 
204 # THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 good wet-nurse, and is much used abroad. This animal is 
 very docile, very easily domesticated, and is said to form 
 an attachment for its foster child. Gooch, an English 
 author says, £ ' that the inhabitants of some villages abroad 
 take in children to nurse; the goats, when called, trot 
 away to the house, and each one goes to its child, who 
 sucks with eagerness ; and the children thrive amazingly. ' ' 
 We cannot close this chapter without saying a word or 
 two as to the duty of mothers to nurse their own children. 
 As before intimated, there may be circumstances making 
 it necessary to provide for the babe in some other way. 
 The mother's health may fail, she may have diseased 
 breasts, her milk may be deficient in quantity or poor in 
 quality, and unsuited for the child. But every healthy 
 woman, whatever her station in life, should nurse her own 
 child. 1. She furnishes her child the most natural nour- 
 ishment, the most healthy and congenial food, to which it 
 has a birth-right claim, and to deprive it of such a claim is 
 inhuman and cruel. 2. By drawing away the natural se- 
 cretions the danger of inflammation and ulceration of the 
 breasts, with all their woeful consequences, is greatly 
 lessened. 3. It prevents congestions of the abdominal 
 and pelvic viscera, usually attendant upon labor, from 
 bursting into frightful inflammatory diseases. It cannot be 
 expected that such a violation of the humane provisions 
 of nature will be unattended with bad consequences. If 
 women are so situated that they cannot nurse their child- 
 ren through the whole period of lactation without sub- 
 mitting themselves to great inconveniences, they should, at 
 
, PARTURmOSf OR LABOR, iU*> 
 
 least, submit to it for a few months before handing the 
 little dependents over to the wet-nurse or the bottle. 
 
 Ramsbotham, one of the most eminent obstetricians, 
 speaking upon this subject, uses the following language : — 
 11 Mothers should forego the pleasures of society, give up 
 the necessity of appearing in public, and waive even the 
 etiquette of court, if these pleasures or that etiquette in- 
 terfere in any material degree with her duties to her infant. 
 I cannot allow that a physician would be honestly and con- 
 scientiously fulfilling the trust reposed in him, who did not 
 even in the highest grade of society, point out the dangers 
 that may spring from this most natural and engaging em- 
 ployment being abandoned; and I would always think 
 better of a woman's feelings, both towards her husband 
 and her infant, who gave it the advantage of her own 
 breast." 
 
206 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 DISEASES OF FEMALES. 
 
 Falling of the womb and other uterine displacements — Their causes, 
 symptoms, and treatment — Amenorrhea or retention and sup* 
 pression of the menses — Causes of retention of the menses — Want 
 of development, stricture of the neck of the womb, imperforate 
 hymen, and chlorosis — The symptoms and treatment — The causes, 
 symptoms, and treatment of suppression of the menses — Dysmen- 
 orrhea or painful menstruation — Condition of the womb — Causes, 
 treatment, etc. — Menorrhagia or profuse menstruation — Its terri- 
 ble consequences — Its causes and treatment — Leucorrhoea or the 
 whites — How it destroys the human face divine — The causes, 
 treatment, etc. — Pruritus pudendi or excessive itching of the ex- 
 ternal genital organs — May continue for life if left to itself — Its 
 description, and the treatment recommended as infallible — Irri- 
 table bladder — Painful desire to pass the water at short intervals 
 — Its' horrible effects if left to itself — May continue for life — The 
 infallible cure. 
 
 A full and accurate description of the diseases peculiar 
 to the female organization — their causes, symptoms, and 
 treatment — would of itself require a volume of no mean 
 dimensions, and could be of little advantage except to the 
 student of medicine, and as a work of reference for the 
 physician's library. We have, therefore, concluded to 
 devote merely the present chapter to a brief description of 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 207 
 
 some of tlie principal diseases of the female sexual system. 
 Every woman should have some knowledge of such dis- 
 eases ; she will then be placed upon her guard against their 
 approach, and be prepared to seek timely relief when made 
 a sufferer, and, instead of months and years of disease, 
 suffering, and melancholy, health and happiness may crown 
 her future days. Know thyself] is one of the most im- 
 portant precepts given to human beings. One of the 
 most common of these disorders is, 
 
 Prolapsus Uteri, or falling of the womb. This com- 
 plaint, as its name purports, consists of a change in the 
 position of the womb. The organ sinks down in the pelvis, 
 and lies below its natural position. This may be very 
 slight, or it may continue to descend, till it reaches the ex- 
 ternal orifice of the vagina, or it may be forced through 
 and hang between the thighs. 
 
 Now, what are the causes of this distressing complaint? 
 The womb is held in its place by its ligaments, the vagina, 
 the bladder and rectum, and certain muscles lining the 
 pelvis. But in the standing or sitting posture, the intes- 
 tines above make a certain degree of pressure upon the 
 womb almost constantly ; and in coughing, lifting, straining 
 at stool, etc. , the descent of the diaphragm, and the action 
 of the abdominal muscles, force the intestines down into 
 the pelvis, and greatly increase this pressure. It is evi- 
 dent, then, that when the vagina, uterine ligaments, etc. , 
 lose their tenacity, and become so relaxed and feeble that 
 they can no longer support the weight of the womb and 
 the pressure above, the organ must sink lower down in the 
 
208 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 
 
 pelvis. Anything, therefore, which relaxes these parts, 
 or increases the pressure from above downwards, must be 
 fruitful causes of prolapsus uteri. Hence, general poor 
 health — the sexual organs partaking in the general debility 
 of the system — diseases of the vagina and the womb ; 
 leucorrhoeal discharges ; bad treatment during labor ; stand- 
 ing upon the feet and exercising too early after delivery ; 
 jumping and protracted dancing; relaxation of the ab- 
 dominal muscles, allowing the intestines to descend lower 
 into the pelvis, are among these causes. 
 
 The symptoms will vary according to the degree of the 
 descent of the womb. There is, at first, some uneasiness 
 or dull pain across the small of the back, and a sense of 
 weight in the lower part of the pelvis, increased by being 
 long upon the feet, and by walking, running or otherwise 
 exercising in the erect posture ; and these symptoms are, 
 of course, relieved by rest in the recumbent posture. If 
 the displacement continues to increase, these symptoms 
 become more prominent, and others of a more serious 
 character make their appearance to annoy and torment the 
 patient. There will be pain in the groin, extending down 
 the thighs, owing to the pressure of the womb upon the 
 sacral nerves, and the sense of weight is sometimes so great 
 that the patient feels as though everything would drop out 
 of her. Owing to the pressure of the womb upon the 
 bladder and bowel, there will be a frequent desire to make 
 water and to evacuate the bowels. Sometimes the patient 
 will be able to pass her water only in drops, at other times 
 it will be necessary to draw it off with a catheter. Other 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 209 
 
 parts of the system become affected by sympathy. There 
 may be headache, loss of appetite, distension of the 
 stomach with flatus, palpitation of the heart, etc. , and the 
 countenance will wear an expression of dejection and dis- 
 tress, and the body will be a little inclined to the bending 
 or stooping posture. 
 
 The treatment of this disease admits of great variation, 
 according to the extent of the prolapsus, the condition of 
 other parts of the genital apparatus, and the general health 
 of the patient. If the womb protrudes through the vulva, 
 its replacement should be attempted by careful and perse- 
 vering manipulation, which will always succeed unless ad- 
 hesions have formed between the organ and the surround- 
 ing parts. When replaced it must be held in its position, 
 while other treatment is employed to palliate or entirely 
 cure the infirmity. For this purpose various contrivances 
 have been devised. Instruments called pessaries, are made 
 of wood, ivory, glass, silver, vulcanized gutta-percha, co:k, 
 etc. They are made of various sizes and forms ; and great 
 care should be used by the physician in selecting one best 
 adapted to his patient. It should be occasionally removeS 
 to be cleaned. It may sometimes be removed on going to 
 bed, and reintroduced in the morning before rising. 'Tonic 
 and astringent injections, and injections of clear cold water, 
 are often of great service when thoroughly employed ; but 
 the common glass syringe is a miserable contrivance for 
 this purpose, the patient usually doing more mischief than 
 good with it. The vulcanized gutta-percha syringe, always 
 on hand, and furnished for our patients at a reasonable ex- 
 14 
 
210 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 pense, is the best that can be devised. It is so convenient, 
 and so perfectly adapted to the parts, that in all cases of 
 vaginal injections its use is a pleasure instead of a task. 
 Galvanism has had some reputation in the treatment of this 
 disease, and it will sometimes produce beneficial effects, but 
 it usually fails altogether. When the abdominal walls are 
 greatly relaxed, allowing the intestines to make an undue 
 pressure upon the womb, some benefit may be derived from 
 an abdominal supporter, if properly made and applied. 
 • But no permanent benefits will be likely to follow any 
 local treatment while the general health is bad and the 
 system in a relaxed and debilitated condition; for the 
 genital organs must continue to share in such relaxation. 
 It is, therefore, the business of the medical man to make 
 a thorough inquiry into the condition of his patient's 
 general health, and ascertain what there is to be set at 
 rights, and endeavor by the appliances of the varied re- 
 sources of the materia medica, to give health, vigor, and 
 tone to the system. By such combination of treatment 
 the skillful physician will rarely fail to cure his patient. 
 
 Another displacement of the womb is known by the 
 name retro-version, which means the turning or falling 
 back of the organ. This displacement is by no means so 
 frequent as prolapsus. Like prolapsus it may occur in the 
 virgin, and in the married woman who is not pregnant, but 
 much oftener in the pregnant female. But in the latter case 
 it must occur during the first four months of pregnancy, for 
 after that time the womb is too large to undergo such dis- 
 placement. There are many causes which may produce 
 
DISEASES OF FE31ALES. 211 
 
 this accident, among which we may name a large pelvis, 
 relaxed condition of the round ligaments, undue pressure 
 of the small intestines against the front part of the fundus 
 of the womb, and undue pressure upon its anterior part 
 from any cause whatsoever. Hence an over distended 
 bladder, during the first months of pregnancy, is one of 
 the most frequent causes of this displacement. 
 
 The most prominent symptoms are such as arise from 
 pressure upon the bowel and bladder. The fundus of the 
 womb falls backwards against the rectum, and, at the same 
 time, the neck is tilted forwards against the bladder, in- 
 terfering, more or less, both with defecation and urination. 
 This accident sometimes takes place suddenly when women 
 are travelling, or in other circumstances where it is*incon- 
 venient to evacuate the bladder ; and they may not be able 
 to pass their water till the organ is replaced. In such 
 cases where medical aid could not be obtained, rupture of 
 the bladder and the death of the patient have been the re- 
 sult. The womb may be bent backwards in such a way that 
 the neck will remain in situ. This is called retro-flexion. 
 
 Another displacement of rare occurrence is called ante- 
 version, which means turning or falling of the womb for- 
 wards. This is just the reverse of retro-version, the 
 fundus pressing against the bladder and the neck against 
 the bowel. Both of these displacements, however, may 
 exist without being sufficient to interfere with the bowel or 
 bladder. The womb may be bent upon itself so that the 
 fundus will fall forwards while the neck remains in situ, 
 This is called ante-flexion. 
 
212 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 We have no space in this book for further description 
 of these infirmities ; but will merely add that such patients 
 should lose no time in placing themselves in the hands of a 
 competent physician; and should carefully and perse- 
 veringly follow his directions. Delay, in such cases, not 
 only adds to the suffering of the patient, and destroys her 
 general health, but renders a permanent cure more difficult 
 and protracted, and sometimes impossible. 
 
 Amenorrhea literally signifies an absence of the menses, 
 and includes both their retention and suppression, the 
 former term being used to denote that condition of the 
 system in which the function does not appear at the usual 
 age and development of the female ; the latter that condi- 
 tion in which, after the menses have been established, 
 from some cause or other they are suddenly arrested. The 
 term cessation of the menses more properly applies to their 
 absence during pregnancy, lactation, and at the turn of life 
 when the child-bearing period ceases. 
 
 The absence of the menses at the usual age for their 
 appearance may depend upon defective physical develop- 
 ment, mechanical obstruction, or derangement of the 
 general health. 
 
 1. Defective physical development ! The ovaries are in- 
 timately connected with the menstrual function. If they 
 are extirpated, menstruation, as well as child-bearing, 
 ceases, and if they are not sufficiently developed at the 
 usual age of puberty, menstruation must be, delayed till 
 such development is attained; and this is an important 
 point in practice. The mother is alarmed about her child 
 
DISEASES OP FEMALES. 213 
 
 because she does not have her courses at the usual age of 
 puberty, and she seeks the advice of a medical man. If 
 an experienced man he can usually tell, almost at a glance, 
 whether the absence of the function depends upon any 
 want of physical development. For at puberty an im- 
 portant change takes place in the physical appearance of 
 the girl. Her chest is more expanded, her breasts are 
 fuller, and her hips are broader, and there is a general 
 fullness and embonpoint, which always mark the change 
 from childhood to womanhood. These changes depend 
 upon the growth and development of the ovaries, and if 
 they are well marked the girl ought to menstruate ; if not, 
 she is still a child, and no medicine should be given to 
 force the menses. Such practice, we are aware, is com- 
 mon, but it is the worst kind of malpractice. You might 
 as well give medicines to force the testes to secrete semen 
 before puberty, or to force a child to walk before the time. 
 If such patient's general health be good — which, however, 
 rarely happens—the only thing to be done is to avoid all 
 depressing agents, such as foul air, close confinement to 
 hot rooms, sedentary habits, etc., and adopt a generous 
 diet, take plenty of exercise in the open air, tepid baths 
 if convenient, and, perhaps, a little pleasant tonic beverage. 
 Such a course will favor a more rapid development of the 
 physical system. But there is no use in trying to force 
 the menstrual function till such development is reached. 
 
 2. Mechanical obstruction ! This cause is about as in- 
 frequent as the former, but it sometimes exists, and, un- 
 less removed by the medical art, is certain to prove fatal 
 
214 THE SEXUAL SYS^M. 
 
 There may be a stricture of the neck of the womb, or a 
 congenital closure of the mouth of the womb, or, what is 
 more frequent, an imperforate hymen entirely closing the 
 external orifice of the vagina. Either of these obstructions 
 would, of course, prevent the blood from escaping exter- 
 nally, which must be retained in the vagina or the womb 
 &3 the case may be, greatly distending those organs and 
 producing painful and fatal results if allowed to continue. 
 A cure can usually be effected by an operation. If the 
 obstruction arises from an imperforate hymen, the opera- 
 tion is very simple, and is attended with no danger and no 
 pain worth noticing, for a simple incision made through 
 the membrane, removes the obstruction, and allows the 
 pent up materials to escape. The operation for occlusion 
 of the mouth, or stricture of the neck of the womb, is more 
 difficult, but not insurmountable. 
 
 We should not forget to observe that the pressure of 
 such retained menstrual fluid may so enlarge the womb, as 
 to simulate pregnancy. Many a virtuous girl has been 
 suspected of imprudence, and had her character maligned 
 and blasted from this cause. A thousand tongues are 
 always busy in giving currency to such rumors ; and it is 
 the duty of the physician to protect and fortify the char- 
 acter of his patient, under such trying circumstances ; for 
 character, especially in the female, is without price ; it is 
 the aegis of her existence, without which, she is nothing, 
 with which, she is an angel of light, a queen, a potentate. 
 
 3. Derangement of the general health ! This is peculiar, 
 and known by medical men as chlorosis, but more fre- 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 215 
 
 quently spoken of by nurses, as the green sickness. It is 
 in some way associated with the uterine function ; and it is 
 common for young girls, about the age of puberty, and for 
 those who have menstruated, but in whom the function is 
 much disturbed and irregular, to show signs of this disease. 
 It may be very slight, but it is often very severe in cases of 
 total retention. Both the nervous and vascular system are 
 deranged, and the blood is viciated and watery, and the 
 symptoms arising from such a condition may be enumer- 
 ated as follows : — 
 
 Pallor of the surface of the body, not unfrequently as- 
 suming a greenish or yellowish hue, is one of the most 
 constant symptoms. In some parts of the countenance, 
 such as the eyes, nose, and lips, this is more marked than 
 in others, giving the pallor its peculiar characteristic, 
 The digestive functions are usually much impaired, there is 
 loss of appetite sometimes amounting to a loathing of the 
 ordinary articles of food, and a longing for unnatural sub- 
 stance ; the tongue is covered with a white fur, and the 
 bowels are usually constipated. The debility is seen in the 
 general lassitude, aversion to exercise, the yawning, loung- 
 ing, indolent ways ; swelled face in the morning, and swelled 
 ankles at night. The disturbance of the nervous system is 
 seen in the headache, palpitation of the heart, irregular 
 pulse, restless nights, and, perhaps, hysterical fits. A 
 hacking cough, dull pains in the back, loins, and hips, 
 \ with a dragging sensation, are quite common. In short, 
 all the functions of the system may be disturbed. 
 
 In the treatment of this disease attention to the digestive 
 
216 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 System is of primary importance ; for unless the patient can 
 appropriate a reasonable amount of nutritious food, she can- 
 not be restored to health. If the bowels are constipated, a 
 good brisk purge should first be given, which will have a 
 healthful influence upon all the functions of the system. 
 This will do more than all other remedies to create an 
 appetite and set in motion the functions of the digestive 
 system. Afterwards, if there should be a tendency to 
 costiveness, a little aperient medicine, such as castor oil, 
 rhubarb and magnesia, the antibilious pill, etc., may occa- 
 sionally be administered. It should be given in very small 
 doses at night, to produce a movement of the bowels in 
 the morning. One free movement of the bowels in twenty- 
 four hours is usually sufficient, and the dose shoujd be no 
 larger than is necessary to produce that effect. The ferru- 
 ginous preparations, or blood-making remedies as they are 
 very properly called, are indispensable in the successful 
 treatment of this disease. They not only improve the con- 
 dition of the blood, and give tone and strength to the 
 general system, but they increase the appetite and the 
 digestive powers, by the healthful and invigorating influ- 
 ence which they exert upon all the digestive organs. 
 Such preparations should always be given after meals, as 
 they will then be thoroughly incorporated with the ingesta, 
 and more readily pass into the circulation. Great atten- 
 tion should be given to the diet, which should be nutritious, 
 but not difficult of digestion. Exercise in the open air, 
 and general hygiene, should also receive proper attention. 
 Under such a course of treatment, prescribed and superin- 
 
DISEASES OP FEMALES. 217 
 
 tended by a skillful physician, the blood will be enriched, 
 the digestive organs will be set at rights, the nervous 
 system will assume its normal tone, the patient will grow . 
 strong, vigorous, and cheerful, and feel that she has been 
 translated into a new world of thought and action. 
 
 But the menstrual function may have been established 
 for months, or years, and by certain causes operating at the 
 time of the menstrual flow it may be suddenly arrested, 
 or if these causes operate just before the monthly period 
 the return of the menses at the usual time may be pre- 
 vented. Such arrests are known as the suppression of the 
 
 menses. 
 
 « 
 One of the most common causes of such suppressions, is 
 
 insufficient clothing, and a reckless exposure in cold, wet 
 weather. A woman in thin soled shoes, or with other parts 
 of her body insufficiently protected — a very common cause 
 in this country — goes into the snowy streets ; or she puts on 
 damp clothes, or sits upon the damp ground, or in some 
 other way gets wet and chilled, and suppression of the 
 courses is the immediate consequence. Strong mental 
 emotions are another fruitful cause. A female gets alarmed 
 by a storm at sea, by fire upon the land, by sudden danger 
 in traveling ; or she unexpectedly hears of the death of a 
 friend, or meets with sudden disappointment, or some joy- 
 ful news bursts suddenly upon her, and her menses are at 
 once suppressed. Suppression may also result from the 
 prostrating effects of many diseases, such as consumption, 
 scrofula, anaemia, chronic liver diseases, fevers, etc., etc. 
 The symptoms vary according to the constitution of the 
 
218 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 patient, and the time the suppression continues. With 
 gome there is slight headache, a sense of weight about the 
 pelvis, and more or less pain in the back, and loins, and, 
 perhaps, some dizziness when stooping down or bending 
 forward, etc. In other cases, these symptoms will be 
 greatly aggravated. There will be a feeling of heaviness or 
 pain in the head ; the veins of the forehead will be promi- 
 nent and throbbing ; the face flushed ; the skin hot ; the 
 pulse frequent and bounding ; and there may be congestion 
 or even inflammation of the womb. There may also be 
 vertigo, hysteria, and sometimes epilepsy. The pain and 
 weight about the lower part of the body may become very 
 severe. From this condition of the system nature some- 
 times attempts to relieve herself by eliminating blood from 
 various other organs, such as the lungs, the stomach, the 
 bowels, the nose, etc. , termed vicarious menstruation. 
 
 If such suppressions are allowed to continue, the powers 
 of the system will be prostrated and enfeebled, and con- 
 sumption will be induced, or in some other way the dis- 
 order will have a fatal termination. 
 
 , Sometimes the discharge will not cease immediately, but 
 at each monthly period will become less in quantity, and 
 lighter in color, generally preceded and followed by leucor- 
 rhoeal discharges. 
 
 In the treatment of this disease, the patient should be 
 immersed in a warm bath, as soon as possible after the 
 suppression, and kept there till the system is completely 
 relaxed, say twenty minutes or half an hour. If this can- 
 not be done, a good alcoholic sweat is the next best thing. 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 219 
 
 Place the patient in a cane-bottomed chair, surrounding 
 her with a quilt extending from her neck to the floor ; then 
 pour a little alcohol into a common saucer, and having 
 placed it under the chair, set it on fire, and in a few mo- 
 ments the patient will be in a copious perspiration. This 
 is more efficient than the common practice of placing the 
 feet in a bucket of warm water, and rubbing the legs with 
 ground mustard. In the mean time some hot tea made 
 of one of the aromatic herbs, the pennyroyal being the 
 best, may be freely drank ; or a little hot gin and water 
 sweetened with sugar may be given, especially if the patient 
 can't bear it ; but if it is really pleasing to her, it might be 
 flavored with a little assafetida or other disagreeable sub- 
 stance. Such beverages increase all the secretions, and, 
 therefore, act favorably upon the menstrual function. A 
 dose of aloes, or aloes and myrrh, should also be given, 
 especially if the patient's bowels are at all confined. 
 
 The above means will often be sufficient to re-establish 
 the discharge, but they will sometimes fail, and the patient 
 may be obliged to wait till the next menstrual period. In 
 such cases, the treatment should be commenced a few days 
 before the next period, and continued beyond that time, unless 
 the object is sooner attained. The bowels should be freely 
 moved and kept in a soluble condition, and unless the 
 patient is badly troubled with piles, one of the best emmena- 
 gogues is the aloe tic and iron pill of the U. S. Dispensatory. 
 From one to three of these may be taken every day. It 
 should be borne in mind that the menses are more easily 
 re-established at the menstrual period, than at any other 
 
220 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 time ; but the question of allowing the patient to pass over 
 to the next period, before resorting to active treatment 
 can be decided only by the experienced physician; and 
 this leads us to remark, that in all difficult cases the ser- 
 vices of a skillful physician are of great importance. It is 
 his business to understand the cause of the obstruction, 
 the condition of the womb and general system, and to base 
 a proper treatment upon such knowledge. 
 
 Dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation, is a dis- 
 tressing complaint to which all females are liable, but the 
 unmarried are the greatest sufferers, and marriage very 
 often acts like a charm in the cure of the patient. The usual 
 symptoms are severe bearing down pains in the region of 
 the uterus, sometimes so very distressing as to resemble 
 labor pains ; dull pain across the small of the back, in the 
 loins, and lower extremities, and shooting pains in the 
 breasts, with a sense of fullness and tightness in the head. 
 These symptoms usually precede the discharge some few 
 hours; but as the discharge becomes established they 
 gradually diminish and cease altogether. The pains are 
 sometimes so severe that nervous females faint, or go off 
 into hysterical fits, producing great alarm for their safety, 
 and a speedy dispatch for the doctor. 
 
 This condition of the uterine function may depend upon 
 various causes. 1. Congestion of the blood-vessels of the 
 uterus, causing an exudation of coagulable lymph which 
 organizes into false or pseudo-membranes similar to the 
 membranous formations in croup. When this exists shreds 
 or flakes of this coagulable lymph will come away with the 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 221 
 
 discharges, producing the most violent pains in its separa- 
 tion and expulsion. 2. The pain may be entirely func- 
 tional, depending upon a feeble, nervous, irritable constitu- 
 tion. This, we think, is a very common form of dys- 
 menorrhoea. 3. Stricture of the neck of the womb, form- 
 ing an obstruction to the free passage of the menstrual 
 fluid, is another cause which has somewhat attracted the 
 attention of the profession within the last qfuarter of a 
 century. Now the above are the principal causes, or 
 varieties, of dysmenorrhoea ; but it should be remembered 
 that uterine pains may be produced by various organic 
 diseases of the womb, tumors, etc., all of which must be 
 distinguished by the physician from true dysmenorrhea. 
 
 But what are the general principles of treatment in such 
 cases? As a mere palliation, or temporary relief, when the 
 patient feels the pains coming upon her she should take a 
 warm hip bath, and remain in it for some time, being 
 careful to keep the other parts of the body well covered. 
 The bath should be as warm as can well be borne, and 
 kept so by the frequent additions of hot water. The 
 patient should then take her bed, and a hot brick shoidd 
 be placed to the lower part of her back, and flannels wrung 
 out of hot water should be frequently applied to the lower 
 part of the abdomen and the vulva. An anodyne may 
 also be given, such as Dover's Powder, Hoffman's Ano- 
 dyne Liquor, or Elixir Paregoric in a little sweetened water. 
 Any of these preparations are better for such purposes 
 than Laudanum, Morphine, or the powdered opium, as 
 they do not arrest the natural secretions. Relief may also 
 
222 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 be obtained by throwing very warm water up the vagina 
 with a properly constructed syringe. 
 
 But a permanent cure is the sine qua non, to effect which 
 a well digested course of treatment, founded upon the true 
 pathology of the disease, must be kept up during the in- 
 tervals, and at the time of the menstrual courses. The 
 first thing, therefore, which the physician endeavors to 
 ascertain is the true cause of the pains. Do they depend 
 upon congestion of the womb ? if so, the principal treat- 
 ment must be founded upon that condition of the organ, 
 and will be readily marked out by the intelligent physician. 
 Are they the result of some functional derangement of the 
 organ depending upon a nervous, irritable condition of the 
 system? if so, another, and entirely different, treatment 
 must be adopted and continued till a favorable result is 
 reached. Do they depend upon stricture of the neck of 
 the womb ? if so, the obstruction to the free passage of 
 the menstrual fluid must be overcome by the process of 
 dilatation. In addition to the treatment founded upon 
 such knowledge, there are certain reputed specifics, which 
 the physician may employ from time to time with the 
 happiest results; such, at least, has been the experience 
 of the writer. 
 
 One word about stricture of the neck of the womb as 
 the cause of dysmenorrhcea ! When this exists a silver 
 sound, properly curved, highly polished, and well oiled, 
 should be used to overcome the obstruction. If not too 
 large it can be introduced into the womb by a skillful 
 manipulator, without producing any pain or uneasiness. 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 223 
 
 It may be introduced even* two or three days till the ob- 
 struction is removed. Of course, this should never be 
 attempted by any except a physician skilled in this depart- 
 ment of medicine. But when no obstruction exists, and 
 when the dysnienorrhoea is a mere functional derangement, 
 the presence of the uterine sound is often followed by the 
 most salutary results. Its occasional introduction act£ as 
 a peculiar stimulus to the organ, tending to restore its natu- 
 ral and healthy function. This practice in the hands of the 
 writer has been highly successful ; but it cannot be recom- 
 mended without due regard to propriety and the fitness of 
 the patient. When, however, the patient has passed from 
 her virgin condition, and other means are but partially suc- 
 cessful, this practice is proper and necessary. 
 
 Menorrhagia, or Profuse Menstruation, signifies 
 an excessive loss of blood at the menstrual periods. The 
 discharge is sometimes too rapid, or, it is prolonged be- 
 yond the natural or accustomed time, or both of these con- 
 ditions may exist ; and in some cases the discharge returns 
 more frequently than natural. All menstruating females 
 are subject to this disorder, and the drain of blood from the 
 system is not unfrequently so great as to endanger the 
 health and even life of the patient without the prompt and 
 judicious interference of the medical art. Uterine hemor- 
 rhages depending upon various diseases of the womb, mis- 
 carriages, abortions, delivery, etc., should not be con- 
 founded with menorrhagia, though various diseases of the 
 organ may furnish outlets for menorrhagic discharges at 
 the return of the menstrual effort, bleeding being forced at 
 
224 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 that time, which would take place very slightly or not at 
 all at other times. 
 
 These discharges depend upon various causes, and when 
 they once occur they more easily make their appearance at 
 subsequent menstrual periods. 
 
 1. The excessive force of the heart's action, in a pie- 
 thorjc female, may be sufficient to overcome the resistance 
 of the distal extremities of the blood-vessels of the' womb, 
 and a* discharge may take place, which, if continued at 
 subsequent menstrual periods, will change the female of 
 full habit, bounding pulse, and rosy cheeks, into a feeble, 
 anaemic, melancholy woman, prematurely old, and dead to 
 the enjoyments of life. 
 
 2. A feeble, debilitated condition of the general system, 
 depending upon fevers, scrofula, syphilis, or any other 
 causes, is a fruitful source of menorrhagic discharges. In 
 such cases all the tissues of the body are relaxed, the womb, 
 of course, partaking of this general relaxation. The blood 
 is also vitiated, and watery, and easily percolates or oozes 
 through the blood-vessels, or, to use Professor Meigs* 
 language, it c c soaks through. ' ' This condition of the gene- 
 ral system will also be produced by menorrhagic discharges, 
 so that what is often the cause is sometimes the result of 
 menorrhagia. 
 
 T 3. There may be a feeble passive condition of the blood- 
 vessels of the uterus, not depending upon general debility 
 or any other derangement of the general system. For 
 menorrhagia very often appears in females whose general 
 health. is in a sound condition, there being neither pie- 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALE^. 225 
 
 thora, nor anaemia, the heart beating neither too forcibly 
 nor too feebly. In such cases, therefore, the disorder is 
 of a local character, being confined to the womb itself. 
 
 4. Abnormal growths within the cavity of the womb, 
 tumors of various kinds, especially polypus, may give rise 
 to menorrhagic discharges. If, however, the bleeding 
 observes no regular period, but takes place at any time ; or 
 if it come from the tumor itself, it would be improper to 
 call it menorrhagia. But such growths, acting as foreign 
 bodies, sometimes create very great irritation of the organ 
 and give rise to an excessive discharge of blood from the 
 uterine surface, during the menstrual nisus ; and under the 
 game influence the discharge may be continued beyond the 
 ordinary period. This would be a true menorrhagic dis- 
 charge. 
 
 The profuse periodical discharge of blood from the 
 vagina, is the obvious symptom or sign by which we know 
 that menorrhagia exists. The other symptoms may be 
 summed up in a few words.- As we have already intimated, 
 there will be general poor health, debility, anaemia, and all 
 the functional derangements resulting from the excessive 
 loss of blood. There will be weakness, and, perhaps, pain 
 in the back, extending to the hips and thighs ; headache 
 and neuralgic pains in the face; pains in the stomach, 
 flatulent bowels, and sometimes an obstinate diarrhoea ; and 
 as the disease progresses, melancholy, fainting fits, and 
 even epilepsy may occur. 
 
 The general principles of treatment may be briefly stated 
 as follows : — When the patient has lost as much blood a$ 
 
226 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 may be deemed proper, considering her general health, 
 and the amount she loses at her menstrual periods when 
 the function is in a healthy condition, she should take her 
 bed, or, at least, maintain the recumbent posture, and 
 cloths wet with cold water and vinegar should be applied 
 to her abdomen, and also placed under the small of her 
 back. This simple means will often be sufficient to check 
 the flow ; but if not, more efficient means must be em- 
 ployed. The cold douche may be used upon the lower 
 part of the abdomen ; and cold water thrown up the bowel 
 occasionally is often a very prompt means of arresting the 
 discharge. Various astringent and specific medicines may 
 be employed, such as acetate of lead rubbed up with a 
 little powdered opium ; or, if the opium is contra-indicated, 
 it may be rubbed up with a little powdered nutmeg, or 
 other aromatic powder ; gallic or tannic acid may be given 
 in five or ten grain doses in a little syrup or sweetened 
 water; or the dilute sulphuric or muriatic acid may be 
 given sufficiently diluted with sweetened water, or some 
 other vehicle more agreeable to the palate. All these 
 agents have proved highly serviceable in the hands of the 
 author. But there is another remedy, which our expe- 
 rience has taught us to place at the head of the list ; we 
 mean the secale cornutum, commonly called ergot. This 
 has a specific action upon the womb, condenses its bulk 
 and contracts and tightens the blood-vessels, thus checking, 
 or entirely shutting off the discharge of blood. The freshly 
 powdered ergot may be obtained, and given in small tea- 
 spoonful doses, in a little syrup, or cinnamon-water, or 
 
DISEASES OP FEMALES. 227 
 
 in any simple vehicle that is convenient ; or the wine of 
 ergot may be used instead of the powder. Three or four 
 doses may be given during the day or night if necessary. 
 It is not an unsafe remedy. 
 
 But occasionally the physician will meet with obstinate 
 cases, which will steadily resist all such treatment, and then 
 he will be obliged to resort to another means that never 
 can fail if properly and thoroughly employed. We mean 
 the tampoon, or plugging the vagina. Old linen or muslin 
 cloths will answer the purpose. First, tear off a few 
 pieces four or five inches square, and put them up to the 
 womb, thoroughly and firmly impacting them around and 
 upon the neck and mouth; then larger pieces must be 
 crowded in upon them till the vagina will hold no more. 
 Next a napkin should be firmly applied to keep the stuffing 
 from falling out. If this is thoroughly done it will require 
 no small amount of rags, and if not thoroughly done it 
 can accomplish no good, but rather harm. We have some- 
 times used the larger part of an old shirt for this purpose. 
 The physician may prefer to use sponges, which will answer 
 just as well, but, in my opinion, no better. In either case 
 small pieces must be well impacted about the mouth of the 
 womb before crowding the vagina full. The unimpreg- 
 nated womb is small ; its cavity can hardly hold more than 
 an ounce or two, even in women who have borne children, 
 and in the virgin not more than a few drams. When, 
 therefore, it is completely filled the pressure of the blood 
 upon the extremities of the blood-vessels arrests its further 
 escape. Therefore the tampoon must be thoroughly ap- 
 
228 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 t 
 
 plied, as we have pointed out, to prevent the escape of the 
 blood from the womb into the vagina. It is well enough 
 to remark, in passing, that the same rules will not apply in 
 the use of the tampoon to arrest flooding after delivery, at 
 full term, as the cavity of the womb is then so large that 
 death might take place from internal hemorrhage. 
 
 The well educated physician will, of coufse, exhaust 
 every other means before resorting to the tampoon in the 
 virgin ; but when her life, or even her health,' is likely to 
 be endangered he is recreant to his duty if he does not 
 promptly resort to this infallible means of arresting the flow. 
 
 During the intervals of such periodical discharges, the 
 attention of the physician must be directed to the condi- 
 tion of the womb and the general system, upon which he 
 must base a successful treatment. If the discharge de- 
 pend upon polypus, or some other growth within the 
 womb, surgical aid will be demanded; if upon the im- 
 moderate and excessive force of the hearths action — a cause 
 by no means common — means can be employed to correct 
 that trouble; if the original trouble seems to be in the 
 womb itself, whatever there is in the medical art to pro- 
 duce the proper density and tonicity of that organ should 
 be most assiduously employed ; and if the general health 
 is at fault, either as the original cause or as the result of 
 the loss of blood, it must be restored and fortified by a 
 thorough course of tonic treatment; at the same time 
 paying special attention to the condition of the bowels and 
 all the organs of the digestive system. The best tonics 
 for guch purposes are the barks and their preparations, 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 229 
 
 and some of the preparations of iron, such as Vallet's 
 ferruginous pill, iron by hydrogen, the muriated tincture 
 of iron, or the precipitated carbonate of- iron rubbed up 
 with a little balsam of tolu, gum arabic", and syrup, diluted 
 by gradually stirring into it cinnamon water or other 
 agreeable vehicle, to be thoroughly shaken before taken, as 
 the iron quickly subsides to the bottom. The patient 
 should also have a generous meat diet ; and in pleasant 
 weather she should take as much exercise in the open air 
 as her strength will admit without fatigue ; also cold, tepid, 
 astringent, or saline baths may be employed to some ad- 
 vantage. 
 
 Leucorrhcea, Fluor Albus, or the Whites.-— This 
 disorder is characterized by a bloodless discharge from the 
 vagina which is usually white, and hence commonly called 
 the whites. . But sometimes it is green, yellow, or brownish. 
 In consequence of its weakening effects upon the system, 
 it is also spoken of as female weakness. This is a very 
 common disorder among females. It is also a very dis- 
 agreeable, loathsome, and annoying complaint, and if 
 allowed to continue will sap away the very foundation of 
 the system, and entail upon the female a broken down con- 
 stitution, premature old age, and an untimely death. 
 
 Among the causes of leucorrhcea, we may first name such 
 disorders as produce an irritation and consequent enfeebled 
 condition of the vagina and womb, such as warty excres- 
 cences of the vagina or external parts ; pruritus pudendi or 
 excessive itching of the vulva ; piles, and thread worms in 
 the lower bowel ; induration or ulceration of the os uteri ; 
 
230 THE SEXUAL SY8TEM. 
 
 or any sort of diseases of the vagina or the womb. In 
 some women the menstrual period is. always preceded by a 
 slight mucous discharge from the vagina, and sometimes 
 terminated in the same way. During pregnancy, especially 
 the last months, such discharges are so common that they 
 attract little attention, being usually the result of an en- 
 largement of the mucous follicles of the neck of the womb. 
 And at that period of life when the menses cease altogether, 
 they will sometimes be followed by a light colored discharge, 
 more or less periodical in its return, which, without judi- 
 cious treatment, may continue for years. 
 
 When the discharge is muco-purulent, that is, a mixture 
 of mucus and pus, there must be some chronic inflamma- 
 tory action of the vagina or uterus ; for pus can be pro- 
 duced only by inflammation. But discharges depending 
 upon some functional derangement of these organs, or 
 upon some derangement of the general health, accompanied 
 by debility, relaxation, and nervous disturbance of the sys- 
 tem, the sexual organs partaking of such general distur- 
 bance, are the most frequent, persistent, and destructive 
 causes. Such discharges are white, or of a very light color 
 at first, but if the disorder continue for a considerable time 
 they may gradually become greenish, or of a dirty brownish 
 hue. 
 
 This discharge may proceed from the vagina, or from 
 the uterus, or from both ; and in practice it is sometimes 
 important to distinguish between these conditions. For 
 this purpose we have three prominent means of diag- 
 nosis : — , 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 231 
 
 1. In the severe forms of the disease, attended by con- 
 stitutional derangement, we infer that the discharge comes 
 from the uterus, as the sympathy between that organ and 
 other parts of the system is very intimate ; but in those 
 more trifling forms, in which the general health does not 
 suffer materially, we suppose the fault to be in the vagina, 
 as the sympathetic connection between that organ and 
 other parts of the constitution is by no means so great. 
 
 2. From the character of the discharge ! When it comes 
 from the uterus it is found to be thick, and jelly-like, it 
 will feel sticky to the fingers, and if placed under the 
 microscope it will be seen to contain mucous globules; 
 whereas, the discharge from the vagina is thin, opake, and 
 creamy, and the microscope detects a substance called 
 epithelial ceils, which comes from the mucous lining of the 
 vagina. ' 
 
 3. By the use of the speculum! For this purpose a 
 bi-valve speculum, or one with a fenestrum, or an opening 
 in the side, should be used to bring into view not only the 
 mouth of the womb, but also a portion of the vagina. The 
 vagina should first be thoroughly washed out by throwing 
 tepid, or warm water up to the mouth of the womb with 
 a good vaginal syringe, and then the speculum should be 
 introduced. By this means the matter will be seen to 
 collect upon the vaginal surface, or to ooze from the mouth 
 of the womb, or both, as the case may be. Such means 
 of diagnosis, however, should be recommended with great 
 caution, and is seldom necessary or profitable in the man- 
 agement of these cases. 
 
232 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 In all bad cases, the general health, as already intimated, 
 severely suffers. There will be debility and relaxation of 
 , all the tissues of the body, indicated by the soft, flabby 
 condition of the flesh; and there will be anaemia, or a 
 viciated and watery condition of the blood, and a sense 
 of lassitude or weariness as though the patient had over- 
 worked herself, though she may have done little but to 
 lounge about, yawning, sneezing, and coughing, upon ex- 
 posure to the slightest draft of air. The digestive system 
 is more or less deranged; and, at times, there may be 
 nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite ; palpitation of "the 
 heart, and short breathing ; dirty tongue, and weak irri- 
 table pulse; dull pains in the back and loins; and a 
 weary dragging sensation in the left side, and pain in the 
 head. 
 
 This disorder is a greet destroyer of the ' ' human face 
 divine. ' ' Sooner or later the complexion assumes a pale, 
 sallow appearance, quite peculiar to this disease, and re- 
 pulsive to look upon, however beautiful the general out- 
 lines of the features. When well marked, the physician is 
 seldom at a loss to understand its true cause. Also, the 
 loose tissues under the eyes assume a brownish leaden 
 color ; but this symptom may be produced by other causes, 
 such as menorrhagia, anaemia, chlorosis, etc. ; • and a 
 bluish circle about the eyes, more or less marked, is present 
 during the menstrual flow. 
 
 These acrid discharges often produce abrasions of the 
 mouth and neck of the womb in the form of red inflamed 
 patches, which, as the disease advances are converted into 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 235 
 
 ulcerating sores. From the same cause the lining coat of 
 the membrane of the vagina will sometimes peel off in 
 various portions of its extent, producing much suffering in 
 walking, during the menstrual flow, etc. 
 
 The general treatment for this disease may be stated as 
 follows : — First, the physician should ascertain, if possible, 
 the real cause of the discharge, and then mark out his 
 treatment in accordance with such knowledge. If it de- 
 pend upon any organic disease, such as we have already 
 named, that disease must be cured as speedily as possible, 
 and" then the discharge will usually disappear ; but once 
 established it will sometimes continue after the original 
 cause is removed, and other treatment must be employed 
 to effect a perfect cure. 
 
 But when the disorder depends upon some functional 
 derangement of the uterus, and the general system is in- 
 volved in the trouble, the treatment must be both local 
 and general. If the discharge comes from the womb, or 
 if the nervous system is much disturbed, some advantage 
 may be derived from counter-irritation over the spine. 
 Great attention must be given to the general health, which, 
 in all serious cases, is more or less at fault, either as the 
 original cause, or as the result of the disease. A thorough, 
 judicious, and carefully selected tonic treatment must be 
 prescribed. The acids, preparations of bark, and the 
 ferruginous preparations, are the most efficient when 
 properly selected. Iron, in some form, should always be 
 employed, as it improves the digestion, and increases the 
 red corpuscles of the blood, which are deficient in this 
 
234 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 disease. A generous meat diet, exercise in the open air, 
 and an occasional bath suited to the condition of the patient, 
 will complete the tonic part of the treatment. 
 
 Astringent injections should never be omitted, for when 
 properly and thoroughly employed they are very efficient 
 in arresting the discharge. Sulphate of zinc, acetate of 
 lead, or the liquor plumbi subacetatis largely diluted with 
 water, tannic acid and alum, and bicarbonate of potash or 
 soda, the aromatic wines, and the tincture of iodine suffi- 
 ciently diluted with water, are some of the substances 
 from which to make a selection. Anodyne injections may 
 sometimes be used when the parts are painful. These in- 
 jections are not thrown into the womb, but against the 
 lower part of the organ ; and their influence is transmitted, 
 in a greater or less degree, through the entire organ. Not 
 only the vagina, therefore, but the womb itself is brought 
 under the healing influence of these injections when pro- 
 perly employed. 
 
 The patient should be furnished with a suitable syringe 
 — the vulcanized gutta-percha syringe kept in our office, 
 and furnished our patients at a reasonable price, being the 
 very best that can be invented. They have the advantage 
 of never getting out of order; and in addition to the 
 ordinary sized pipe, there is a smaller one which can be 
 used when the parts are irritable, painful, or sore. 
 
 In addition to the above treatment, there are certain 
 remedies which often exert a specific influence upon this 
 disease, though their modus operandi cannot be satis- 
 factorily explained. Such are some of the essential oils, 
 
• DISEASES OF FEMALES. 235 
 
 balsams, etc. , of which the physician can make trial when 
 other means are but partially successful. 
 
 Pruritus pudexdi literally signifies itching of the pu- 
 dendum, or the ext#nal genital organs of the female. It 
 is often confined to the vulva, or space between the lips of 
 the pudendum, but we have sometimes found it extending 
 into the vagina, urethra, and over the perineum and anus. 
 It may occur at any period of life, but especially at 
 puberty, during pregnancy, after delivery, and at the final 
 cessation of the menstrual function. 
 
 The characteristic symptom of this disorder, as the name 
 implies, is itching, which may vary in intensity, but it is 
 usually very distressing. The suffering is far worse than 
 any kind of pain, greatly disturbing the patient's rest, and 
 at times driving her almost frantic; and, to add to the 
 misery of the unfortunate victim, it is sometimes accom- 
 panied with a burning or prickling sensation, and the in- 
 clination to rub and scratch the, parts becomes irresistible, 
 bidding defiance even to the restraints of delicacy. And 
 the scratching can only afford temporary gratification, and 
 always aggravates the complaint, of which patients are 
 fully sensible, still they can hardly resist the temptation. 
 They will sometimes leave their work or their company to 
 indulge in this fantastic, defiant sort of gratification, a 
 gratification mingled with suffering, and entailing misery 
 upon the unhappy victim. To reason with such a patient 
 is out of the question, for she has not always the power to 
 restrain herself; she will rub and scratch most defiantly 
 whatever the consequences. 
 
236 THE SEXUAL STSTEM. 
 
 We have known females suffering from this disorder to 
 retire, in a great measure, from company, and give them- 
 selves up to solitude and melancholy, which in itself would 
 add to the severity and persistence of the complaint. The 
 temper of such women will sometimes undergo a great 
 change. The most agreeable, courteous, and entertaining 
 may become so fractious, irritable, and discourteous as to 
 poison the minds of all around them and keep their whole 
 household in a state of tumult. 
 
 This disorder is often associated with furor uterinus, as 
 some authors term it, which means an excessive and un- 
 conquerable desire for venereal indulgence. Ladies of the 
 most undoubted virtue in seeking relief from this disorder 
 have confessed that their lascivious impulses were irre* 
 eistible, and that they could not look upon men without 
 experiencing those sensations which were alone the right 
 of their husbands. This feeling is sometimes so over- 
 powering as to produce insanity, and it is then called 
 nymphomania. A very remarkable case of venereal furor 
 came under our notice when practicing medicine in New 
 York. The patient, a very excellent lady, sought relief 
 at our hands. Upon hearing the case we advised an ex- 
 amination, to which she acceded. There was no inflam- 
 mation, pain, or soreness of the parts, but upon attempting 
 the examination she began to tremble, and soon passed 
 into hysterical paroxysms, as the result of the sexual pas- 
 sion produced by the touch of the finger. But the reader 
 must not suppose that such passion is always associated 
 with pruritus pudendi. On the other hand the ordinary 
 
DISEASES OP FEMALES. 237 
 
 Bexual excitement is often destroyed, in a measure, by the 
 existence of this disorder. 
 
 But pruritus is not limited to the sexual organs of the 
 female. Men are liable to the same disorder, which may 
 exist in every degree of intensity, their sufferings some* 
 times being very great. But in men it is more endurable 
 ' than in women, as the former are not so much under the 
 restraints of delicacy, some of them being very bold in the 
 freedom with which they resort to that little operation 
 called scratching. Some men have this disorder as long as 
 they live, preferring to doctor themselves or to resort to 
 the nostrums of Tom, Dick, and Harry, rather than sub- 
 mit to skillful treatment, and pay a trifling fee. The glans 
 penis, the prepuce, the meatus urinarius, the scrotum, 
 the perineum, the anus and the roots of the hairs, are 
 the parts liable to be affected. 
 
 In either sex pruritus maybe associated with an erup- 
 tion of little pimples, pustules, or aphthous spots. The 
 latter consist of little pearl-like elevated spots, like the 
 thrush of infants, which is sometimes found about the 
 glans and prepuce of the male ; and upon the vulva, ex- 
 tending, perhaps, into the urethra and the vagina of the 
 female. Thread worms in the lower bowel will often give 
 rise to excessive itchings of the anus, extending, perhaps, 
 to other parts. Children sometimes suffer greatly from 
 this cause, and without medical relief the vigor and 
 stamina of their systems may rapidly decline. Dr. 
 Churchill thinks that, in the female, this disorder may 
 often be traced to some disease of the mouth or the neck 
 
233 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 of the womb, or the lining membrane of that organ, but 
 he cites only one case in confirmation of his opinion. Now 
 it has been our lot to make many such examinations, and 
 with the highest respect for the opinions of that illustrious 
 physician, we have been led to a very different conclusion. 
 This itching disorder, according to our observation, seldom, 
 if ever, depends upon any disease of the womb except in * 
 an indirect way, viz. , the acrid discharges from the womb 
 and the vagina, as in leucorrhoea, may produce excoriations 
 and itching of the external organs ; hence, women who are 
 troubled much with the whites may also suffer from ex- 
 cessive itching of the external parts. How often do we 
 find ulceration of the os and cervix uteri, and congestion 
 and inflammation of the organ, and various tumors growing 
 within its cavity, etc., etc., with no appearance of this 
 itching disorder. 
 
 Want of cleanliness must be regarded as a very common 
 cause of this disorder. Some persons are so averse to the 
 use of soap and water that they allow the acrid discharges, 
 together with other filthy and poisonous materials, to col- 
 lect and dry upon the parts, which in due time may de- 
 velop this complaint. But this cannot be the only cause, 
 as we often meet with it in persons of the most cleanly 
 habits. 
 
 Pruritus is sometimes infectious, and it may be commu- 
 nicated from one sex to the other, and mistaken for 
 venereal disease. Dr. Dewees relates a case of this kind. 
 A lady was affected with this disorder, associated with 
 aphthous eruptions, which she communicated to her hus- 
 
DISEASES OP FEMALES. 239 
 
 band. Slie thought her husband had given her the 
 venereal disease, and the husband accused his wife of the 
 same dirty trick. The crimination was, therefore, mutual 
 and earnest, and preparations were being made for a sepa- 
 ration. But before proceeding to such extremity they 
 agreed to consult the illustrious Dewees, and abide by his 
 decision. This was a wise step, as it resulted in a satis- 
 factory explanation of the nature of the infection, its com- 
 plete removal, and the reunion and happiness of the 
 parties. 
 
 More than one case of the above description has come 
 under our observation. People are wiser now than for- 
 merly, and, in suspicious cases, much bolder in seeking the 
 advice of the medical practitioner. For every person with 
 any honor, or pride of character in his composition, wishes 
 to have such a matter finally and positively settled, pro or 
 con, whatever the consequences. 
 
 We have said that pruritus is sometimes associated with 
 eruptions ; such as pimples, vesicles, or aphthous spots, 
 but in a large majority of cases nothing of the kind exists ; 
 neither will any other organic disease be found upon which 
 the itching depends. Upon examination, a little dryness, 
 redness, erosion, and slight bleeding, as the result of rub- 
 bing and scratching may be found, and that will be all. In 
 such cases as we have before intimated, it seems to be in- 
 dependent of any other disease, and must be treated ac- 
 cordingly. 
 
 As it respects the treatment of this disorder, we have 
 A few thoughts to impress upon the minds of the afflicted 
 
240 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 If the itching depend upon, or is associated with any other 
 disease, such as worms, eruptions, excrescences, tumors, 
 leucorrhoeal discharge, etc. , that disorder must be removed 
 before the itching will disappear ; for, while it remains, 
 partial and temporary relief only can be effected. It 
 should also be remembered, that, when this hateful dis- 
 order has been well established, it will not always disap- 
 pear when we remove the cause which first produced it, 
 and an additional and separate treatment, adapted to the 
 pruritus itself, must be employed. 
 
 As in all other local diseases, the general health should 
 be carefully looked after, and whatever organic or func- 
 tional derangement may be found should be corrected. 
 The digestive system, in particular, may be at fault, and a 
 treatment adapted to the condition of the stomach, bowels, 
 and liver, should be selected by the skillful practitioner. 
 Attention should also be given to the regimen, hygiene, etc. 
 
 But in a majority of cases, as we have before stated, 
 no organic or functional disease of the sexual organs will 
 be found as the cause of the pruritus ; and very often the 
 patients general health will be very little, or not at all dis- 
 ordered, and the diet, exercise, etc., unobjectionable. 
 These cases are sometimes the most persistent, and rebel- 
 lious to treatment. As laid down in our text books, the 
 main treatment, in such eases, consists in astringent and 
 anodyne lotions and ointments, which, at the best, can 
 afford only partial and temporary relief. 
 
 In such works this complaint is usually passed over with 
 a very brief and imperfect notice ; not because it is not a 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 241 
 
 common and distressing complaint, but because it has been 
 regarded as an annoyance rather than a dangerous disease, 
 and also because the treatment has heretofore been uncer- 
 tain and inefficient. And we freely confess that, if we 
 .possessed no more certain means of cure than we once 
 employed, following those works as our guide, we should 
 feel inclined to say little about this distressing complaint ; 
 for in a popular work like the present, we could derive no 
 pleasure in describing the sufferings of our fellow creatures, 
 without the means of their relief. Such means, however, 
 we now possess ! Our opportunities for testing the virtues 
 of various remedial agents in the treatment of this disorder, 
 have been ample and successful, enabling us to devise a 
 plan of treatment which proves infallible. This, we are 
 aware, is very strong language; but the success of our 
 practice justifies its use ; and, with a fair opportunity, we 
 do not and will not fail to cure this distressing complaint. 
 In the spirit of justice and fair-dealing, therefore, we offer 
 this treatment to all scratching sufferers at a reasonable 
 compensation for our professional services. Patients at a 
 distance can consult us by correspondence, or through their 
 friends, and all necessary instructions and remedies can be 
 .sent by express to various parts of the country. Though 
 open to the suspicion of selfishness — for we are free to con- 
 fess that we live by our profession — we cannot refrain 
 from urging this treatment upon such patients, as a matter 
 of humanity, knowing its great efficacy in the relief of suf- 
 fering, in chasing away melancholy, and substituting^ in 
 its place, a cheerful, animated, happy disposition. 
 10 
 
242 TIIE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 When we commenced this chapter, we intended to give 
 a brief description of the various disorders of pregnancy ; 
 but we find our space is insufficient. We must, therefore, 
 be content in merely alluding to them : — 
 
 Morbid appetite ; sour stomach, commonly called heart- 
 burn ; costiveness ; hemorrhoids, or the piles ; dropsy of the 
 feet and legs ; palpitation of the heart ; fainting fits ; tooth- 
 ache ; neuralgic pains ; cramps in the legs ; and the morn- 
 ing sickness, which we have already described as one of the 
 principal evidences of pregnancy, are some of these dis- 
 orders. They may be very slight, or very severe and dis- 
 tressing, requiring medical attendance. 
 
 But the most distressing disorder of pregnancy is known 
 as Irritable Bladder. This, however, in its most distres- 
 sing forms, is more frequently the consequence of parturi- 
 tion, the child's head making undue pressure upon the 
 bladder; and unless the patient has the most careful and 
 skillful treatment, it may continue, with more or less sever- 
 ity, for life. The patient is tormented with a painful desire 
 to pass her water at very short intervals, though there may 
 be but few drams or ounces of urine in the bladder ; and the 
 passage of the warm urine, loaded with its pungent salts, 
 over the irritable or inflamed surfaces, usually produces s 
 painful, scalding sensation in the urethra and at the neck 
 of the bladder. This is often so severe as to drive females 
 from society and compel them to lead lives of solitude and 
 melancholy, which but adds fuel to the flame already con- 
 suming their lives. Irritable bladder may be produced by 
 many other causes, and may exist in either sex, and at 
 
DISEASES OF FEMALES. 243 
 
 almost any age, a further description of which may be found 
 in the last chapter of this book. 
 
 For some time past, our treatment of this disorder has 
 been invariably successful. Patients, who had suffered for 
 years, and had taken bottles and boxes of medicine to little 
 or no purpose, have entirely recovered in a few weeks or 
 months by availing themselves of our recent treatment. 
 Indeed, we should be extremely mortified, not to cure the 
 disease in a patient who follows our simple directions, and 
 uses our remedy as pointed out. This treatment is now free 
 for all at a reasonable compensation, and can be sent far and 
 near by express or other conveyance. 
 
244 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 ABORTIONS OB MISCARRIAGES. 
 
 Divisions of the subject — Causes of abortions-r-Habit of the womb, 
 death of the foetus, detachment of the placenta, external violence, 
 strong mental emotions, etc. — Ludicrous case of abortion produced 
 by anger — Symptoms of threatened miscarriage — Pain and hemor- 
 rhage — How they differ from pain and hemorrhage produced by 
 other causes — The treatment — When to save the foetus, and when 
 to hasten its expulsion — When is it justifiable to induce miscar- 
 riages, or premature labor? — Deformities of the pelvis, retro-ver- 
 sion of the womb, flooding during pregnancy, excessive nausea 
 and vomiting, habitual death of the foetus, etc.— -Pregnancy fol- 
 lowing rapes — Artful and wicked seductions — The civil laws — 
 Horrible consequences of abortions produced by charlatans and 
 patients themselves — A startling case — Advice and warning — An 
 appeal to justice and humanity. 
 
 In our medical literature, we find many useless, and per- 
 haps, some unscientific divisions of the premature expul- 
 sion of the product of conception. If it occur prior to the 
 third month, it is called, by some authors, miscarriage ; if 
 between the third and the commencement of the seventh 
 month, an abortion ; if between the seventh and before the 
 full term, premature labor. Other authors speak of ovular 
 abortion, if before the twentieth day ; embryonic abortion, 
 if before the fourth month ; foetal abortion, if before the 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 245 
 
 seventh month. Again ; it was once common to term the 
 expulsion of the fecundated ovum before the tenth day, an 
 effluxion; and if we extend the time to the next menstrual 
 period after fecundation, there would be some reason for 
 this latter division. For instance, a woman becomes fe- 
 cund, and whether the ovum is fixed in the uterus consti- 
 tuting conception, or whether that act has not yet taken 
 place, at her next monthly period she menstruates as usual, 
 and the fecundated ovum is thrown off with the menstrual 
 fluid, unnoticed and uncared for. This, in our opinion, is 
 the most common form of abortion, and it may not inaptly 
 be considered a mere effluxion. 
 
 The words abortion and miscamage are, however, more 
 properly employed as synonymous terms, and applied to 
 the expulsion of the ovum at any time before the seventh 
 month ; but after that time, and before full term, its ex- 
 pulsion is more properly spoken of as premature labor, for 
 the reason that the child is then viable, can breathe, and 
 take nourishment, and, with proper care, may be matured. 
 
 Some women are habitual aborters ; that is they abort 
 a number of times successively. A woman is made to mis- 
 carry, especially during her first pregnancy, by some one of 
 the causes presently to be named, and, at her second preg- 
 nancy, the womb has a disposition to expel its contents 
 before full term, usually about the period when the first 
 abortion occurred ; and if she now abort the second time, 
 the tendency will be still stronger in her third pregnancy ; 
 and a periodical habit of abortion is formed requiring the 
 greatest skill on the part of the practitioner, and caution 
 
246 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 on the part of the patient, to have the pregnancy advance 
 to full term. 
 
 The death of the foetus is another cause of abortion not 
 at all uncommon. The foetus in utero may be destroyed 
 by disease, such as syphilis, small pox, etc. ; by design, or 
 by accident ; and when dead it acts as a foreign body, irri- 
 tating and exciting the muscular tissue of the womb, and 
 giving rise to those pains and contractions of miscarriage 
 necessary to expel it. When this occurs before the third 
 month, the embryo, membranes, and placenta nearly al- 
 ways come away together and in their entirety, as the 
 attachment of the placenta .to the womb is then very slight, 
 and easily separated ; but after that period the attachment 
 becomes firmer and stronger, and the foetus is usually ex- 
 pelled first, leaving those appendages to come away by 
 piece-meal afterwards. 
 
 When, however, the bag of waters remains entire, and 
 the foetus continues to float in the liquor amnii, after its 
 death, it does not readily undergo decomposition, and it 
 may be weeks, months, or even a whole year, before the 
 womb will take on contractions and cast it forth without 
 the assistance of the medical art. This condition has 
 blasted the character of many innocent females, and, there- 
 fore, we invite* special attention to it in this connection. 
 As an illustration, we will suppose a man leaves his wife, 
 who has conceived, and goes away on a long journey, or is 
 absent on business a few months, which is a very common 
 occurrence of life. After the husband's absence the foetus 
 dies, but is retained in the womb till his return, when. 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 247 
 
 under the influence of sexual excitement, the woman aborts ; 
 but not knowing that the foetus has been dead for months, 
 it appears altogether too small to date back to the time the 
 husband left home, and it cannot be the product of con- 
 ception since his return. In such a fog of ignorance what 
 would be the inference ? Why, that the woman being un- 
 faithful to her marriage vows, had become pregnant during 
 her husband's absence ; and without proper medical coun- 
 sel, she would be compelled to remain under such censure. 
 Such cases are no doubt quite frequent, during these ex- 
 citing times of war, rapine, and murder-; extreme anxiety 
 and sudden mental emotions, as upon the receipt of bad 
 news, being frequent causes of the death of the embryo. 
 
 The disease of the placenta, or its separation from the 
 womb, is another frequent cause of abortions. The pla- 
 centa, as we have explained in our chapter on pregnancy, 
 is the only medium of communication between the foetus 
 and the mother. The foetal lungs are perfectly dormant, 
 no air is admitted to them, and no blood circulates through 
 them to be oxydized, till the child is born and gasps for 
 breath. . But the placenta is the medium through which 
 the blood of the foetus is renovated, the oxygen being de- 
 rived from the blood of the mother. In addition, there- 
 fore, to another important function of the placenta, ex- 
 plained in its proper place, it is really and truly the foetal 
 lungs, and the reader can now understand what must be 
 the result, if it is diseased, or its attachment to the womb 
 is destroyed. If its function is completely destroyed, the 
 death of the foetus is just as certain as the death of an 
 
243 THE SEXtTAL SYSTEM. 
 
 adult if no air could be admitted to the lungs ; but if its 
 function is partially destroyed it may slowly perish, or it 
 may possibly recover, if the injury is not very extensive. 
 
 The attachment of the placenta to the womb may be 
 broken up by a fall or blow upon the woman's abdomen, 
 especially if the violence be directly over the placenta, 
 which is most likely to happen. Sudden, and violent in- 
 crease of the circulation of the blood in the maternal 
 vessels will sometimes produce the same mischief. Pro- 
 fessor Meigs says, "This happens in consequence of the 
 increased circulation causing some drops to escape from 
 the womb, and lodging betwixt it and the placenta, thus 
 peeling or dissecting it off, little by little, until a sufficient 
 superficies is removed to destroy the life of the embryo. " 
 
 Violent muscular motions of the mother, which fre- 
 quently take place in lifting heavy weights ; in ascending 
 stairs with heavy loads; in attempting to recover from 
 falls ; pressure made upon the womb by suddenly stooping, 
 leaping, running, dancing, horseback riding, riding in 
 vehicles over rough roads ; all these are sufficient, in some 
 women, to destroy the connection between the placenta and 
 wonib. 
 
 Sudden fright -and violent fits of passion, as we have 
 already intimated, will sometimes produce abortions. Many 
 ludicrous, if not dangerous cases of this kind have come 
 under our treatment. We were once called to a case of the 
 following description : — 
 
 A German sales- woman in a furniture store, had some 
 altercation with an impertinent customer, who accidentally 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 249 
 
 let a table fall and broke off one of its legs. One word 
 followed another in quick succession, the customer making 
 merry of the whole affair by his frequent use of yavjs and 
 nichts, till the poor woman's passion mounted so high that 
 she no longer had control over herself, when she caught 
 the table leg and was about to inflict condign punishment 
 upon the customer's head and shoulders, whereupon he 
 caught the table leg in one hand and with the other com- 
 mitted an indecency upon the person of the woman. This 
 was a new provocation, and her passion rose still higher, 
 as the thermometer rises upon the application of increased 
 heat. As the result of this fit of passion, for there had 
 been no external violence, labor pains and hemorrhage 
 soon commenced, and the writer had the honor of conduct- 
 ing the case to a safe termination, which resulted in the 
 expulsion of the foetus from the womb and the recovery of 
 the patient. 
 
 The prominent symptoms of a threatened abortion are 
 pain and hemorrhage. Whatever other symptoms arise 
 during the process, these two are present in a greater or 
 less degree. But a woman may have pain and hemorrhage 
 from many other causes ; and she may imagine herself to 
 be threatened with miscarriage, when the indications are 
 entirely of a different character. But the character of the 
 pains and of the hemorrhage, and an examination per 
 vaginam, will always enable the skillful practitioner to de- 
 cide the question beyond all peradventure. 
 
 The pains of miscarriage are recurrent; that is, they 
 are marked by distinct intervals ; and they centre in the 
 
250 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 ♦ 
 
 lower part of the abdomen, and in the loins. In short, 
 they result from the contractions of the womb, and have 
 all the characteristics of labor pains at full term, though 
 sometimes less distinct and prominent in some of their 
 features. Colic pains, which are often mistaken by females 
 themselves for the pains of abortion, lack such regularity, 
 and are not necessarily accompanied by pains in the loins, 
 and by hemorrhage from the womb. The pains of Dys- 
 menorrhoea may be distinguished from those of abortion 
 by attention to the monthly return of the former, by their 
 occurrence prior to the menstrual discharge, and their 
 subsidence when the discharge is well established. Again, 
 some women, as we have shown in another part of this 
 work, menstruate during pregnancy, especially the first 
 months, and this might be mistaken for the hemorrhage 
 of miscarriage ; but such menstruation usually corresponds 
 with the monthly periods ; it is not profuse like the hem- 
 orrhage of abortion, nor is it accompanied with any of the 
 usual causes of abortion. 
 
 But there may be polypus, or other tumors within the 
 cavity of the womb, giving rise to pain and hemorrhage 
 somewhat simulating those of miscarriage ; but attention 
 to the general history of the case, and the general health 
 of the patient, will throw much light upon all such obscure 
 cases ; and prevent much annoyance from useless treatment. 
 But there is little time for such investigation, when the 
 physician is called to a case of supposed miscarriage ; he is 
 obliged to act promptly, especially if his patient is bleeding 
 profusely. He, therefore, makes certain hasty inquiries, 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 251 
 
 and if there still remain the least presumption that the 
 woman is aborting, he at once makes an examination per 
 vagiriam, which usually reveals the true condition of things. 
 If abortion is really taking place, the mouth of the womb 
 will be more or less dilated, and will feel softer than the 
 mouth of the non-gravid womb, the membranes may be 
 felt protruding or the foetus itself may partially protrude, 
 or be found in the vagina. 
 
 Let-us briefly notice the general indications of treatment 
 in all cases of threatened abortion. If the physician have 
 reason to believe that the mischief is very slight, that the 
 placenta is not sufficiently separated from the womb to de- 
 stroy the foetus, and that an effort can be made to save the 
 life of the foetus, without, in the least, endangering the life 
 or health of the mother, it is his duty to manage the case 
 accordingly. And he should employ all those agents, 
 which tend to check the uterine contractions, and to arrest 
 the hemorrhage, as far as possible, by constricting the 
 uterine blood-vessels. The application of cold, acetate of 
 lead and opium, extract of belladonna, etc. etc. , are useful 
 in such cases. The patient should also be kept perfectly 
 quiet, and in the recumbent posture. If she be plethoric, 
 the force of circulation may be reduced by such remedies as 
 aconite, veratrum, digitalis, etc. But if the patient be ex- 
 tremely nervous, such remedies must be employed as will 
 calm and fortify the nervous system, such as the antispas- 
 modics, nervines, etc. 
 
 But suppose it is not deemed prudent to attempt to save 
 the foetus, what then are the indications of treatment? 
 
252 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 Plainly to deliver as speedily as possible, and arrest the 
 hemorrhage. For this purpose all proper means should be 
 employed to favor the dilatation of the os uteri, to increase 
 the contractions of the uterus, and to remove any portions 
 of the membranes and placenta that might remain after 
 the expulsion of the foetus. The application of cold in 
 various ways, the use of ergot, and the tampoon, are all 
 potent agents in the hands of the intelligent physician. 
 
 A detailed description of the treatment above indicated, 
 would occupy too much space for a popular work like the 
 present, and could only be appreciated and properly ap- 
 plied in various and varying cases by the intelligent prac- 
 titioner. We will, therefore, pass to the consideration of 
 other matters connected with this subject, which are of 
 vast importance to thousands of females, who are innocent 
 but unfortunate, and thousands of others who are de- 
 luded, but guiltless and unsophisticated in the ways of the 
 world. 
 
 Abortions and premature labors are frequently induced 
 in legitimate medical practice, for the purpose of saving the 
 health or the life of the mother, or to avoid the risks, which, 
 in special cases, threaten the mother or the child, upon 
 delivery at full term. And this in competent hands is a 
 perfectly safe operation, unattended with difficulty or 
 danger to the patient ; but in ignorant hands, or when at- 
 tempted by patients themselves, as we shall show before 
 closing this chapter, the danger, as well as the obstructions 
 and difficulties in the way of the operation is very great. 
 
 We now invite attention to some of those conditions 
 
ABORTIONS OR 3HS CARRIAGES. 253 
 
 which justify the operation in question, and which are not, 
 to our knowledge, systematically arranged in any other 
 work upon the sexual system : — 
 
 1. Deformities of the pelvis ! It sometimes happens 
 through some freak of nature, that the adult female pelvis 
 is so small, in all its dimensions, that a living child cannot 
 pass through it into the world ; but the usual deformities 
 of the pelvis rendering the natural birth of a child impos- 
 sible, are the result of diseases and injuries. Rachitis, a 
 disease of infancy or childhood, which consists in a defi- 
 ciency of earthy matter in the bones, depriving them of 
 their natural hardness, is a very frequent cause of pelvic 
 distortions; and, though the child recover, and have 
 good health afterwards, the distortion necessarily remains 
 through life. Mollities ossium, a disease of adult life, con- 
 sists in softening of the bones, and may produce the same 
 mischief. From these diseases, the superincumbent pres- 
 sure of the body may jam the pelvis out of its natural 
 dimensions, the superior or inferior opening being greatly 
 contracted, or the whole pelvis jammed out of shape verti- 
 cally, obliquely, or from side to side. Similar deformities 
 may be produced by accidents. The young girl, whose 
 bones are not so hard and resisting as those of an adult, 
 may be caught between two heavy bodies, or a heavy weight 
 may fall upon her, or in some other way, her hips may be 
 subjected to sudden and violent pressure, and a frightful 
 distortion produced, which, though she recover, must re- 
 main through life. 
 
 In addition to the above causes, fractures of some of the 
 
254 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 bones of the pelvis, osseous growths within its cavity, de- 
 formities from bad cases of hip disease in childhood, etc. , 
 will sometimes interpose insuperable barriers to the birth 
 of a living chilcj. 
 
 Now if pregnancy is allowed to go on to full term, when 
 any such obstacles exist, the physician, or counsel of phy- 
 sicians, is called upon to decide between embryotomy and 
 the Caesarean operation. The former consists in actually 
 cutting the child up, and extracting it by piece-meal, a 
 most dangerous as well as loathsome operation. This cut- 
 ting and extracting operation cannot be performed through 
 a space of less than two inches in diameter. If, therefore, 
 the deformity is so great that this amount of space does 
 not exist, the only alternative is the Caesarean operation, 
 which consists in nothing less than cutting the mother 
 open and lifting the child out of the womb, giving the 
 poor victim of such horrible butchery the slightest possible 
 chance for her life ; for statistics show the most melancholy 
 results of this operation. But if the condition of the 
 mother is known in season, or even suspected, a careful 
 medical" examination should be made, and the grave ques- 
 tion of inducing premature labor or an early abortion de- 
 cided. For if a living child cannot be born tRj full term, 
 there may be sufficient space to bring it into the world alive, 
 at the commencement of the seventh month, when, with 
 proper care, it may be reared ; and it might be the duty 
 of the accoucheur to allow the pregnancy to go on till that 
 time. But if the deformity is such as to make this treat- 
 ment at all dangerous to the mother an early abortion is 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 255 
 
 the only alternative; and we cannot understand how a 
 physician of moral sensibilities and sound judgment could 
 hesitate in such a dilemma, except upon the ground that 
 he does not feel himself competent for the delicate task 
 before him, when, of course, he should decline the case, 
 and recommend some one more gifted in this department 
 of practice. 
 
 2. Retro-version of the womb ! In the proper place, the 
 reader will find a brief description of this displacement, 
 its causes, symptoms, etc. ; but we now call attention to it, 
 in connection with miscarriages. This accident most fre- 
 quently happens during the first months of pregnancy, on ac- 
 count of the increased weight of the organ before it attains 
 a sufficient bulk to preclude such a position. The displace- 
 ment is sometimes so great that the womb is found occu- 
 pying a transverse position in the cavity of the pelvis, its 
 fundus pressing against the lower bowel, and its neck 
 jamming well in upon the bladder, producing the most 
 violent and dangerous symptoms. By a judicious and 
 persevering employment of the most efficient means, it can 
 be reposited, in a large majority of cases, and thus being 
 made to occupy its natural position, the pregnancy may go 
 on to full term. But this is sometimes- impossible, as the 
 organ is constantly growing in size and may soon get 
 wedged into its unnatural position in such a way that it 
 must remain unless its bulk is diminished. The reader 
 can anticipate the terrible consequences of such an abnor- 
 mal condition. As the organ continues to grow the blad- 
 der may burst from the impossibility of drawing off the 
 
£56 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 water, or it may inflame and mortify, or inflammation and 
 mortification of other soft parts within the pelvis may take 
 place, and, of course, terminate fatally. 
 
 Now this is no fancy sketch. Thousands of women lose 
 their lives in this way, a most horrible and distressing 
 termination of one's brief span of existence. And what 
 is the treatment? plainly, to arrest the development, and 
 reduce the bulk of the child-bearing organ, by bringing on 
 a miscarriage. This is the only relief in such extreme 
 cases. The womb, it is true, may be provoked to take on 
 contractions, and expel its contents, without the aid of the 
 accoucheur, but this does not always take place, and there 
 is great danger in waiting for such a result. Shall we, 
 therefore, stand by and see our patients die like dogs when 
 we have their salvation in our own hands ? Without this 
 relief, both the mother and the foetus are sacrificed to the 
 ignorance or neglect of the medical adviser ; with it, the 
 unconscious foetus is destroyed — which must have occurred 
 without such relief— but the mother is saved. According 
 to the established ethics of our profession, there certainly 
 could be no plainer indications of rational and sound 
 practice. 
 
 Very little was known about retro-version of the womb 
 till the year 1754, when a case was brought to the notice 
 *of Dr. William Hunter, which enabled him to demonstrate 
 its existence, and the position of the parts concerned. Of 
 this case Dr. G-ooeh makes the following statement : — u Dr. 
 Hunter attempted to restore the uterus to its natural situ- 
 ation, but failed ; there was obstinate constipation, and in 
 
ABORTIONS OB MISCARRIAGES- 257 
 
 a few days the patient died. On examination after death 
 the bladder was found distended, the cervix uteri was 
 turned upwards and forwards against the symphysis pubis, 
 and the fundus had fallen downwards and backwards into 
 the hollow of the sacrum ; where it was so impacted as to 
 be with difficulty dislodged. This case being the first of 
 the kind that had been # noticed in this country, excited 
 great interest. Dr. Hunter gave a public lecture on the 
 occasion over the body of the patient, in which he recom- 
 mended puncturing the membranes in order to procure 
 abortion. ' ■ We have no space for the narration of indi- 
 vidual cases; but since Hunter's demonstration, death from 
 this cause is very commonly reported by accoucheurs of 
 large practice ; and the question returns, shall we allow our 
 patients to die this miserable death when it is in our power 
 to save them ? 
 
 Dr. Churchill in his excellent treatise upon this displace- 
 ment uses the following language: — "Notwithstanding 
 the evacuation of the bladder, all our efforts to replace the 
 uterus in its usual position are sometimes unavailing, be- 
 cause of the bulk it has attained. This only happens with 
 pregnant women, and especially with those in whom the 
 retro-version continues for some time before relief is sought. 
 In such cases we are advised to pass a sound through the 
 os uteri in order to induce abortion, and so diminish the 
 size of the uterus by evacuating its contents." 
 
 3. Threatened miscarriages ! We have already spoken 
 of the causes and symptoms of threatened miscarriages, 
 also the decision of the question, whether to make an at* 
 17 
 
2&8 the sexual system. 
 
 tempt to save the product of conception, or to hasten its 
 expulsion, and the treatment appropriate thereto ; but we 
 now speak of those cases where the foetus must be sacri- 
 ficed, and, therefore, left entirely out of the question, and 
 the abortion completed as rapidly as possible for the safety 
 of the mother. 
 
 When the placenta is partially .detached from the womb 
 hemorrhage is the inevitable result; and, as a general 
 rule, if a woman, not far advanced in pregnancy, loses the 
 smallest amount of blood from this cause, there is a strong 
 probability that she will miscarry. Still, cases have oc- 
 curred, where women not advanced beyond the fourth 
 month have lost many ounces, and the hemorrhage had 
 ceased, and the pregnancy gone on to full term. Now, it 
 is always in the power of the physician who thoroughly 
 understands his business, to arrest the hemorrhage by 
 means of the tampoon, if within the fifth month of gesta- 
 tion ; but when this is employed, the life of the foetus is 
 always sacrificed. Hence, the question has arisen in 
 medical ethics, to what extent is it justifiable to allow the 
 hemorrhage to proceed before resorting to this means of 
 safety to the mother, but destruction to the foetus. 
 
 The doctrine has been taught by many accoucheurs, 
 eminent for their learning and skill, that we should wait, 
 and hesitate, and exhaust every other means of arresting 
 the hemorrhage, with the hope of saving the foetus, before 
 having recourse to this certain means of saving the mother. 
 In other words, that we must wait till we have positive 
 assurance that the woman will die frpm hemorrhage before 
 
ABORTIONS OR MI9CARRIAGES. 259 
 
 we resort to the tampoon. Now, this doctrine we protest 
 against as dangerous and immoral in practice. Look at it 
 for a moment. Here is a pregnant woman flooding, but 
 she has not yet miscarried ; if the physician resort to other 
 means, or leave the case to itself, there is a slight chance, 
 that, if the mother should recover, the foetus will be saved, 
 but the danger to the mother is greatly enhanced ; for, if 
 she does not lose her life, she will probably lose her health, 
 and have a feeble, sickly constitution ever after, as the re- 
 sult of excessive loss of blood. The physician knows he 
 can arrest the flooding at once, and save the life of the 
 mother by sacrificing the foetus ; still he looks on and al- 
 lows the blood to flow away pint after pint, speculating 
 upon the abstract question of losing the imperfectly de- 
 veloped ovum. Truly, such a man has little conception of 
 his obligations to his patient, whom he shamefully and 
 basely betrays, because the only reasonable presumption in 
 her mind is, that her physician will do all in his power for 
 her health and safety; and such a man deserves to be 
 kicked out of the profession. We speak the things we 
 know when we state that thousands of women have lost 
 their lives by such culpable neglect, or inexcusable igno- 
 rance on the part of their medical attendants. 
 
 Professor Meigs, in lecturing to his class upon this sub- 
 ject uses the following significant language: — C I am 
 anxious to put you upon your guard upon this subject ; I 
 trust you will always act up to the principle, that you must 
 not do evil that good may come. Whenever a clear indi- 
 cation for the sacrifice of the tender embryo exists, no evil 
 
260 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 is done in procuring the greater good of the mother ; on 
 the contrary, the act by which it is destroyed, is an act in 
 morals as purely good as the saving of a man's life. The 
 lesser, in morals, must yield to the greater ; the lesser is 
 always included in the greater. ' ' 
 
 4. Excessive and protracted nausea and vomiting during 
 pregnancy ! In its proper place, we have spoken of morn- 
 ing sickness, as one of the earliest signs of pregnancy ; but 
 this is sometimes so excessive, and protracted, as to en- 
 danger the life of the mother, and the physician, or counsel 
 of physicians, are called upon to decide the question as to 
 the production of an abortion, or premature labor, as a 
 means of relief and safety to the poor distressed mother. 
 
 In 1852, a spirited discussion took place in the French 
 Academy of Medicine, embracing the question — Is it ever 
 justifiable to produce abortion in cases of excessive vomit- 
 ing ? and the principal argument in the negative, was the 
 assumption that, in some- eases, pregnant women, who 
 were supposed to be in a dying condition from excessive 
 nausea and vomiting, have recovered, and brought forth 
 living children. In reply to this argument, however, it is 
 sufficient to remark that, if a pregnant woman apparently 
 in a moribund •condition irom excessive vomiting, has even 
 recovered her health, and brought into the world a living 
 child, it was a very rare exception to a general rule, and, 
 therefore, worthless as a principle in practice ; for thou- 
 sands of women have succumbed from this cause, who, in 
 all probability, would have survived, if miscarriage had 
 been effected. 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 261 
 
 Dr. Churchill, describing these dangerous cases of nausea 
 and vomiting, says: — "But in some cases the patient's 
 constitution gives way, and the results are most serious, 
 nay, even fatal, before the completion of gestation. The 
 patient may either die of exhaustion, or be carried off 
 suddenly. I shall .adduce some of the cases on record.' ' 
 He then proceeds to bring forward many distressing cases 
 of death from this cause. Among others he states, that in 
 the course of thirteen years, M. Dubois met with twenty 
 cases in which the disorder proved fatal ; also, that Pro- 
 fessor Stoltz has stated his belief that death from this 
 cause is more common than is generally supposed. Dr. 
 Churchill then proceeds to recommend the induction of 
 miscarriage, or premature labor, as the only safe treat- 
 ment in such extreme cases. 
 
 This treatment was first recommended by Denman, and 
 has since been advised, and to some extent practiced, by 
 many of the most eminent men in the profession, among 
 whom we may mention — M. Dubois, Maguire, Blundell, 
 Robert Lee, Merriman, Ashwell, Bedford and a host of 
 others. The following significant language, touching this 
 question, we quote from Bedford, of the New York Uni- 
 versity : — 
 
 ( ' I cannot, for myself, recognize any difference between 
 the decision of this question, and multitudes of others, 
 that are more or less constantly presenting themselves to 
 the practitioner, while engaged in his daily rounds of duty. 
 Where is the physician who has not, at times, been almost 
 bewildered in his desire to decide the nice question, further 
 
262 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 depletion or stimulation, in a case, for example, of pneu- 
 monia, or pleurisy, or typhus ; knowing, at the same time, 
 that on the correctness of his decision, must depend the 
 life of his patient. In a case like this, after a proper exer- 
 cise of his honest judgment, looking merely at the safety of 
 his patient, whatever that judgment may indicate, and 
 whatever the issue may be, I hold that the medical man 
 has performed his duty. So, gentlemen it is, in sympto- 
 matic vomiting, endangering, if not checked, the safety of 
 the mother. Look carefully at all the circumstances, and if, 
 with the aid of additional counsel, you should be impressed 
 with the conviction, that the greatest, if not the only safety 
 of your patient, is in premature delivery, then, in my 
 opinion, you would deserve rebuke, if you withhold this 
 means of relief; for, after all, the question which you are 
 to determine is, the simple but grave one, of life or death, 
 and the decision has nothing to rest upon but human 
 judgment." 
 
 5. Habitual death of the foetus ! It sometimes happens 
 that after the foetus becomes viable, and before the full 
 term of gestation, it suddenly dies in the womb. This very 
 often occurs during the eighth month, but sometimes one 
 or two weeks only before the natural period of labor. We do 
 not now speak of those cases, so commonly met with, where 
 the death of the foetus is produced by disease inherited 
 from the father or mother ; but of those rarer cases, where 
 the parents are both healthy, and the dead foetus, when 
 brought into the world, shows no marks of hereditary taint. 
 The causes of such deaths are very obscure, having defied 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 263 
 
 the investigations of the best men in the profession. We 
 will not, therefore, occupy any space by stating any opinions 
 of our own, or introducing the speculative theories of others, 
 our object being merely to call attention to the fact of such 
 deaths, and the treatment most advisable. 
 
 Some of the most eminent men in the profession have 
 advised the induction of premature labor two or three 
 weeks before the foetus would die if allowed to remain in 
 the womb, with the hope of saving the child and making 
 glad the hearts of the parents* This practice has often 
 proved successful. 
 
 As an illustration of this whole subject, we will take a single 
 case, which occurred in this town. Julia B. , the very image 
 of good health, married a gentleman of position who was 
 himself perfectly free from all hereditary and constitutional 
 disease. In due time Mrs. B. became pregnant, and at 
 the fourth month she felt the motions of the child, which 
 grew stronger and stronger till the middle of the eighth 
 month, when they suddenly ceased. This indicated the 
 death of the foetus, and when it came into the world it wa3 
 found to be still-born. During her second pregnancy, she 
 had the very best medical attendance, still the foetus died 
 at the same stage of gestation as before. At the third 
 pregnancy it was decided to induce premature labor with 
 the hope of saving the child. This was done at the begin- 
 ning of the eighth month ; the child was brought into the 
 world alive, and is now a healthy, sprightly lad, the pride 
 , and happiness of the family. 
 
 Thus the anxiety of parents to have an heir apparent, 
 
264 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 and to leave their name and image in the world, has been 
 gratified more than once. We do not say such cases are 
 common, but they sometimes occur, and after laying all the 
 circumstances before the parents, if it be their choice, the 
 physician is not only justified, but morally bound to resort 
 to this means of saving the child. 
 
 6. Pregnancy following rapes ! In the days of Hippo- 
 crates, and down to a very late period, when the opinion 
 prevailed among medical men that, in sexual connection, 
 the woman as well as the man, had an emission of semen, 
 accompanied with pleasurable excitement, and that the 
 commingling of these two products constituted fecundation ; 
 the doctrine was held that impregnation could never follow 
 a rape, because as it was said, pleasurable excitement and 
 an emission of semen could not take place in a female strug- 
 gling against the violation of her person. And this doc- 
 trine, outside of the medical profession, is entertained by 
 most people at the present time, not as a matter of science, 
 but simply of tradition. But the progress of physiological 
 science has completely dissipated this notion, and it is now 
 known that there is no emission of seminal fluid in the 
 female, her office being, to furnish the ovum, which is 
 slowly elaborated in the ovary, and slowly conducted 
 through the Fallopian tubes to the uterus, or is thrown off 
 as waste matter. It is also established, that, when an 
 ovum is ripe and ready to be fecundated by the male sper- 
 matozoa, a connection forced against the will of the female, 
 and, therefore, without pleasure on her part, may be fol- 
 lowed by impregnation. Pleasure does not seem to be 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 265 
 
 necessary to fecundation, for it is well known that many 
 married women conceive and bear children as readily a3 
 others, who never experience any pleasure in the sexual 
 embrace. Touching this subject, Professor Bedford holds 
 the following language : — 
 
 ' c A very general opinion has prevailed, that pleasurable 
 excitement during intercourse, is essential to a successful 
 fecundation. This is an error, for it is well known that 
 women, in whom intercourse is not only without the slight- 
 est voluptuous sensation, but even repugnant, become 
 readily impregnated. The opinion that pleasure is necessary 
 on the part of the female, has more than once been cited in 
 courts of justice, as proofs against the purity of a woman, 
 on whose person a rape, followed by impregnation, had 
 been committed. This latter circumstance, however, is no 
 proof at all either in favor of the consent, or adverse to the 
 chastity of the female ; and it is well for you to remember 
 the fact ; for it may be through your testimony that the scales 
 of justice will be rightly poised, and character sustained." 
 
 Now the question has arisen among accoucheurs, as a 
 principle of medical ethics, independent of any civil code, 
 whether, in a clear case of pregnancy following a rape, 
 it would be justifiable to bring about an early abortion, 
 as a relief to the unfortunate female, and protection against 
 the ungenerous and unjust censure of the world. Many 
 have taken the affirmative of this question, and others 
 have added the unfortunate victims of wicked, artful seduc- 
 tions ; and their arguments, upon moral grounds, are cer- 
 tainly not without weight. They think there are many 
 
266 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 circumstances of honor, character, relationship, and family 
 connections, which might justify the physician in sacrifi- 
 cing the unconscious embryo, and relieving the innocent 
 female from such a burden of death and degradation. But 
 such a doctrine openly avowed, and carried into practice , 
 though it might bring relief to many unfortunate but inno- 
 cent females, would, perhaps, have no beneficial influence 
 upon society at large. Besides, in all our statute books, 
 we find laws against such practices with severe penalties 
 attached, and it is the part of every good man, and, indeed, 
 every prudent man, to obey the laws of the land when not 
 in direct conflict with the plain dictates of common sense 
 and moral principle. 
 
 But the judge upon the bench, who would rigidly in- 
 terpret the law, and sternly pronounce, its penalty upon 
 any person arraigned for such an offence, would, probably, 
 be the first to apply for the relief in question, should the 
 misfortune visit his own household ; and in this, he would 
 act like a man, like a humane as well as a human being , 
 which is a very different character from the interpreter of 
 a stern decree, which often fails to discriminate between 
 the really innocent and guilty. 
 
 Aside from the laws of the land, whatever the physician 
 might feel to be his duty, in such extreme cases, he would 
 be compelled to answer for his conduct before the tribunal 
 of his own conscience and that of his God ; and there are 
 questions, we must confess, connected with this subject, 
 which must severely test the moral sentiments of every 
 honest physician. / 
 
ABORTIONS OR MI&CARRIAGES. 267 
 
 The danger arising from a miscarriage, or premature 
 labor, is often greatly exaggerated by medical men, as well 
 as others. Women who abort, are not liable to puerperal 
 fever — the great scourge of child-bearing, and there is little 
 danger of inflammation of the womb, unless active drug3 
 have been improperly employed ; and as it respects flood- 
 ing it cannot endanger the life or health of the patient, 
 especially before the fifth month, when she is in the hands 
 of a competent physician ; indeed, a physician who should 
 allow such a patient to flood so profusely as to endanger 
 her life or health, would be guilty of a malpractice, for 
 which he ought to suffer the severest penalty. When, 
 however, a miscarriage is produced by a fall, a blow, a 
 kick from a horse, or any other external violence, causing 
 internal contusions, or rupture of blood-vessels, it is dan- 
 gerous. It is also dangerous, but not to the same extent, 
 when produced by sudden fright, or fits of passion, but in 
 all such cases the danger arises more from the causes which 
 produce the miscarriage than from the miscarriage itself. 
 
 But the greatest danger arises from the ridiculous in- 
 termeddling of charlatans and patients themselves. And 
 we desire, if possible, to impress this fact upon the minds 
 of our readers. In some of our large towns there is a sort 
 of wholesale slaughter carried on by persons calling them- 
 selves doctors, but without medical education; and by 
 women styling themselves female physicians, astrologists, 
 fortune tellers, free lovers, etc. ; and the most terrible con- 
 sequences follow. When our readers shall have seen a 
 tithe of those frightful things which have come under the 
 
263 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 observation of the author, they will agree with him that 
 these facts are of the most vital interest to thousands. 
 
 When practicing medicine in New York city we had an 
 opportunity of learning something about the notorious 
 Madame Restell, whose only business for years past has 
 consisted in probing and drugging females of all classes for 
 the purpose of producing miscarriages. Her advertise- 
 ments may be found in nearly all the city papers, inviting 
 to her rooms the high and the low, the married and the 
 single, the innocent and the guilty ; and her victims of 
 poor health, diseases of the bladder, and distressing uterine 
 diseases — some of whom came under our own treatment — 
 might be counted by hundreds. This woman is not an 
 educated physician and does not, of course, understand 
 the nice anatomical relations and situations of the internal 
 genital organs. Two prominent features characterize her 
 practice — boldness and ignorance. 
 
 Professor Bedford relates a remarkable case, as the 
 result of this woman's practice, which came under his 
 own observation; and as it is one of great interest, and 
 may serve as a warning to others, we shall introduce it here 
 and then close the chapter with a few reflections by way 
 of advice, caution, warning, etc. The following is his 
 language : — 
 
 " December 19th, 1843. Drs. Vermeule and Holden 
 requested me to meet them in consultation, in the case of 
 Mrs. M., who had been in labor for twenty-four hours. 
 On arriving at the house, I learned the following particu- 
 lars from the medical gentleman : Mrs. M. was the mother 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 269 
 
 of two children, and had been suffering severely, for the 
 last fourteen hours, from strong expulsive pains, which, 
 however, had not caused the slightest progress in the de- 
 livery. I was likewise informed that, about four hours 
 before I saw the case, Dr. Miner, an experienced physician, 
 had been sent for, and, after instituting a vaginal exami- 
 nation, remarked to the attending physicians, that, - in all 
 his practice, he had never met with a similar case. ' Dr. 
 Miner suggested the administration of an anodyne, and 
 having other professional engagements, left the house. 
 Mrs. M. was taken in labor Monday, December 18th, at 
 seven o'clock, P. m., and on Tuesday at seven P. M., I first 
 caw her. Her pains were then almost constant ; and such 
 had been the severity of her suffering, that her cries for 
 relief, as her medical attendants informed me, had at- 
 tracted crowds of persons about the door. As soon as I 
 entered her room, she exclaimed, ' For God's sake, doctor, 
 cut me open, or I shall die; I never can be delivered 
 without you cut me open. ' I was much struck with this 
 language, especially as I had already been informed that 
 she had previously borne two children. At the request of 
 the medical gentlemen, I proceeded to make an exami- 
 nation per vaginam, and I must confess that I was startled 
 at what I discovered, expecting every instant, from the in- 
 tensity of the contractions of the uterus, that this organ 
 would be ruptured in some portion of its extent. I could 
 distinctly feel a solid, resisting tumor at the superior strait, 
 through the walls of the uterus ; hut I could detect no os 
 tincce. In carrying my finger upward and backward toward 
 
^70 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 the cul-de-sac of the vagina, I could trace two bridles, ex- 
 tending from this portion of the vagina to a point of the 
 uterus, which was quite rough and slightly elevated ; this 
 roughness was transverse in shape, but with all the caution 
 and nicety of manipulation I could bring to bear, I found 
 it impossible to detect any opening in the womb. In 
 passing my finger with great care from the bridles to the 
 rough surface, and exploring the condition of the parts 
 with an anxious desire to afford the distressed patient 
 prompt and effectual relief, I distinctly felt cicatrices, of 
 which this rough surface was one. 
 
 4 ' Here, then, was a condition of things produced by in- 
 jury done to the soft parts at some previous period, re- 
 sulting in the formation of cicatrices and bridles, and 
 likewise in the closure of the mouth of the womb. At this 
 atage of the examination, I knew nothing of the previous 
 history of the patient more than I have already stated, 
 and the first question I addressed to her was this : Have 
 you ever had any difficulty in your previous confinements ? 
 Have you ever been delivered with instruments, etc. , etc. ? 
 She distinctly replied that her previous labors had been of 
 short duration, and that she had never been delivered with 
 instruments, nor had she sustained any injury in conse- 
 quence of her confinements. Dr. Vermeule informed me 
 that this was literally true, for he had attended her on 
 those occasions. This information somewhat puzzled me, 
 for it was not in keeping with what any one might have 
 conjectured, taking into view her actual condition, which 
 was undoubtedly the remit of direct injury done to the parts. 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 271 
 
 I then suggested to Drs. Vermeule and Holden the pro- 
 priety of questioning the patient still more closely, with 
 the hope of eliciting something satisfactory as to the cause 
 of her present difficulty; remarking, at the same time, 
 that it would be absolutely necessary to have recourse to 
 an operation for the purpose of delivering her. On as- 
 suring her that she was in a most perilous situation, and, 
 at the same time, promising to do all in our power to re- 
 lieve her, she voluntarily made the following confession : 
 About six weeks after becoming pregnant, she called on 
 the notorious Madame Restell, who, learning her situation, 
 gave her some powders with directions for use ; these 
 powders, it appears, did not produce the desired effect. 
 She returned again to this woman, and asked her if there 
 were no other way to make her miscarry. ' Yes,* says 
 Madame Restell, c I can probe you ; but I must have my 
 price for this operation. ' c What do you probe with?* ■ A 
 piece-of whalebone.' c Well,' observed the patient, l I can 
 not afford to pay your price, and I will probe myself. ' She 
 returned home, and used the whalebone several times ; it 
 produced considerable pain, followed by discharge of blood. 
 The whole secret was now disclosed. Injuries inflicted on 
 the mouth of the womb by these violent attempts had re- 
 sulted in the circumstances as detailed above. It was 
 evident, from the nature of this poor woman's sufferings 
 and the expulsive character of her pains, that prompt 
 artificial delivery was indicated. 
 
 " As the result of the case was doubtful, and it was im- 
 portant to have the concurrent testimony of other medical 
 
272 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 gentlemen, and as it embodied great professional interest, 
 I requested my friends, Drs. Detmold, Washington and 
 Doane, to see it. They reached the house without delay, 
 and, after examining minutely into all the facts, it was 
 agreed that a bi-lateral section of the mouth of the womb 
 should be made. Accordingly, without loss of time, I per- 
 formed the operation in the following manner : — The pa- 
 tient was brought to the edge of the bed, and laced on 
 her back. The index finger of my left hand was introduced 
 into the vagina as far as the roughness, which I supposed 
 to be the original seat of the os tincce ; then a probe-pointed 
 bistoury, the blade of which had been previously covered 
 with a band of linen to within about four lines of its ex- 
 tremity, was carried along my finger until the point reached 
 the rough surface. I succeeded in introducing the point 
 of the instrument into the centre of this surface, and then 
 made an incision of the left lateral portion of the os, and, 
 before withdrawing the bistoury, I made the same kind of 
 incision on the right side. I then withdrew the instrument, 
 and in about five minutes it was evident that the head of. 
 the child made progress ; the mouth of the womb dilated 
 almost immediately, and the contractions were of the most 
 expulsive character. There seemed, however, to be some 
 ground for apprehension that the mouth of the uterus 
 would not yield with sufficient readiness, and I made an 
 incision of the posterior lip through its centre^ extending 
 the incision to within a line of the peritpneal cavity. In 
 ten minutes from this time, Mrs. M. was delivered of a 
 strong, full-grown child, whose boisterous <3ries were heard 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 273 
 
 with astonishment by the mother, and with sincere gratifi- 
 cation by her medical friends. The expression of that wo- 
 man's gratitude, in thus being preserved from what she 
 and her friends supposed to be inevitable death, was an 
 ample compensation for the anxiety experienced by those, 
 who were the humble instruments of affording her relief. 
 This patient recovered rapidly, and did not, during the 
 whole of her convalescence, present one unpleasant symp- 
 tom. It is now ten weeks since the operation, and she and 
 her infant are in the enjoyment of excellent health. * * 
 "It, indeed, seems too monstrous for belief that such 
 gross violation of the laws of both God and man should be 
 suffered in the very heart of a community professing to be 
 Christian, and to be governed by law and good order. Yet 
 these facts are known to all who can read. This creature's 
 advertisements are to be seen in most of our daily papers ; 
 there she invites the base and the guilty, the innocent and 
 the unwary, to apply to her. She tells publicly what she 
 can do, and, without the slightest scruple urges all to call 
 on her who may be anxious to avoid having children. 
 Here, then, is a premium offered for vice, to say nothing 
 of the prodigal destruction of human life that must neces- 
 sarily result from the abominations of this mercenary and 
 heartless woman. With all the vigilance of the police of 
 our city, and with every disposition, I am sure, on the part 
 of the authorities to protect morals, and bring to merited 
 punishment those who violate the sanctity of the law, this 
 Madame Eestell, as she styles herself, has as yet escaped 
 with impunity. Occupying the position I do, and fully 
 13 
 
274 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 appreciating tlie important trusts confided to my care in 
 connection with the department over which I have the 
 honor to preside in the University, I have felt it to be a 
 duty I owe to the community, to the profession, and to 
 myself, publicly to expose the facts of this case ; and I fer- 
 vently hope that the disclosures here made may tend to 
 the arrest of this woman, and the infliction of the severest 
 penalty of the law. ' ' 
 
 The above case had a happy termination, and is not, 
 therefore, an example of the worst consequences of such 
 practice. We introduce it, however, because it is peculiar, 
 and because it shows the danger of inflicting severe injuries 
 upon the genital organs, when such an operation is at- 
 tempted by persons not skilled in obstetrics. Had not 
 competent medical counsel been at hand, this patient 
 would have died, as thousands of others die from similar 
 causes ; and the manipulations of the Restells, or other 
 persons not educated in obstetrics, are as dangerous as 
 those of the patients themselves, though perfectly harm- 
 less in competent hands. Let us, therefore, warn patients, 
 whatever the causes which justify the production of mis- 
 carriage, or premature labor, never to attempt the opera- 
 tion themselves, nor trust themselves in the hands of any 
 person except an obstetrician of known integrity and ex- 
 perience. Let us warn you to have nothing to do with the 
 charlatans of both sexes, who swarm our country, either 
 by purchasing their nostrums, or submitting to their ma- 
 nipulations ; for they are destitute of moral principle, and 
 for a Few paltry dollars, do not hesitate to incur the risk 
 
ABORTIONS OR MISCARRIAGES. 275 
 
 of killing their patients. No drug or medicine should be 
 taken unless furnished by a physician of character and ex- 
 perience — in connection with the other necessary but 
 harmless means — who understand modifying the violence 
 of its action by a combination with other ingredients, so as 
 to insure the effects without the violence or danger. Al- 
 ways remember that in the midst of misfortunes, tempta- 
 tions, and dangers, the only sure path to happiness is dis- 
 cretion and virtue. 
 
 Heed our admonition, we beseech thee! Thou poor 
 victim of disease ; thou unfortunate daughter of drunkea 
 parents, left without the counsel and instruction so neces- 
 sary amidst the snares and devices of the world, almost 
 driven by the sheer force of circumstances, to degradation 
 and despair; thou, who hast struggled between poverty 
 and virtue, and at length fallen beneath the wrongs and 
 cruelties of society ; thou, poor orphan girl, left without a 
 father's protection, or a mother's counsel and guidance, 
 whose lonely pillow has oft been wet with tears — heed our 
 warning, it is for thine own good ; disregard the things we 
 lay before thee, and when thou liest upon thy dying bed, 
 or when disease of body, and anguish of mind, fasten them- 
 selves upon thee like grappling irons, for the rest of thy 
 life, then mayest thou think of the word of warning, we so 
 earnestly desire to press upon thee. Merciful God! re- 
 move the scorn, the injustice, the awful retribution, society 
 casts upon the unfortunate, while the grossly wicked are 
 allowed to tread in the flowery paths of refined society. 
 
 Among the fallen are some of the noblest specimens of 
 
276 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 men and women that ever came from the hand of the all- 
 wise Creator, and a part of our life maybe profitably spent 
 in seeking their health, happiness and restoration. Call 
 us an enthusiast if thou wilt ; we claim to be a Christian, 
 Where is thy Christianity, thou sectarian hypocrite, who 
 strainest at a gnat, and swallowest a camel ? Hast thou 
 one particle of that compassion, forgiveness and benevo- 
 lence, which the good Physician of souls manifested upon 
 earth ; and which constitutes the very soul and essence of 
 Christianity ? Thou haughty man, who peradventure, hast 
 »a loving wife to draw thee to thine own abode, who maketh 
 thee to differ from other men? Circumstances! Thou 
 proud woman reared in indolence and fashion, in the par- 
 lor, and before the glass, who maketh thee to differ from 
 other women ? Circumstances ! haughty man, vain 
 woman, thy position in the world, thy loving and loved 
 companions, family relations, and friendships, are the re- 
 sult of circumstances, or the gifts of Providence, and thou 
 art, after all, a thing of circumstance, changing with the 
 wind every day thou livest. Learn, then, a lesson of hu- 
 mility, or true wisdom, and boast not of thy strength while 
 the evil days come not. 
 
8TERILITY AND IMPOTENCE. 277 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 STERILITY and impotence. 
 
 When justifiable to guard against pregnancy — Its practicability — 
 Amusing humbugs — The influence of children upon parents — In- 
 teresting illustrations — Sterility in the male — How to detect it 
 with the microscope — Causes and treatment of sterility in the 
 male — Interesting and amusing cases — Causes of sterility in the 
 female — Malformations, organic diseases, derangement of the 
 menstrual function, unsuitable marriages, etc. — Unknown causes 
 — An example — Remarks upon the treatment of sterility — Its 
 curability — Impotence in the female — The causes and treatment 
 — Impotence in the male common — The usual causes — Malforma- 
 tions, continued continence, anxiety and fear at the consummation 
 of marriage — Sexual diseases and self-abuses the most frequent 
 causes — Horrible consequences of seminal weakness, and impo- 
 tence arising from self-abuses — Remarks upon the principles of 
 treatment — Its curability — Important mechanical invention — Its 
 great success. 
 
 In the preceding chapter we have pointed out those con- 
 ditions of females which necessitated the induction of early 
 miscarriages, or premature labors. But it is much better, 
 in such extreme cases, to guard against the occurrence of 
 pregnancy. This would save much anxiety and sickness, 
 to say nothing about exorbitant doctors' bills. We also 
 find many delicate females, whose systems break down and 
 
278 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 become prematurely old by too frequent and difficult labors, 
 which may be another reason for limiting the number of 
 offspring. Again, the good of society, and the prosperity 
 and happiness of many families, who have not the means 
 to support and educate a large number of children, de- 
 mand that some limit should be placed to their increase. 
 Now, in all such cases, the prevention of conception, as it 
 is usually called, is a matter of science, and can be effected 
 with little trouble, and no danger to the patient. But the 
 habit of drugging and buying those dirty, miserable con- 
 trivances, advertised in those little catch-penny works, is a 
 waste of time and money, and af damage to the health ; 
 for they are a cheat upon unwary and unsophisticated 
 females, being designed merely to make money without ren- 
 dering an honest equivalent. 
 
 We have looked into this subject, and have taken pains 
 to collect a number of instruments, and even medicines, 
 sold to prevent conception, which we have kept as monu- 
 ments of the gross imposture, and deep degradation of 
 their authors. One fellow in New York, advertises an in- 
 strument for this purpose, for which he claims French 
 origin, and asserts that it is extensively used among French 
 ladies, and that he is the sole agent in the United States. 
 Now, the truth is, the French never saw such a thing, and 
 if offered to a French lady, she would throw it at the fool's 
 head. Another fellow in Albany, N. Y., advertises a 
 thing, which he calls an " Electro-Preventive, " and in 
 connection with this, he reminds young people, that he 
 can furnish them with "love powders," which will enable 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCY. 279 
 
 them to win the " devoted affections" of any persons 
 towards whom they may feel the promptings of '" passion- 
 ate attraction;" also powders which will "make a lady 
 tell all she knows? 1 it is only necessary to drop a little 
 upon any part of the dress. Wonderful astrologist ! 
 Reader ! this is no exaggeration. The pamphlets are be- 
 fore us, in which these ridiculous things are advertised. 
 Ladies are very carefully informed, that these preventives 
 can be carried about their persons, and be ready for use at 
 all times, and under all circumstances ; as* though a decent 
 female needs a preventive every time she attends a ball or 
 tea-party. Notwithstanding the wholesome laws, which 
 we find in all our statute books, against such fraudulent 
 and pernicious transactions, these things are allowed to 
 exist, especially in Gotham and its suburbs. 
 
 Now, in regard to all such contrivances, one remark will 
 suffice, viz. : they are vile cheats, and totally fail of the 
 objects for which they are recommended, and no female 
 should countenance such ridiculous things, proceeding from 
 such vile sources. 
 
 But the object of this chapter is to describe those in- 
 firmities, which prevent the propagation of our species, 
 and to show how we can have children, and not how it can 
 be prevented. Children are often the source of domestic 
 happiness, the pledge of affection, the delight and joy of 
 parents, who look upon their physical and mental develop- 
 ment with the utmost pride and solicitude. Without them 
 there is a void in the domestic circle which nothing else 
 can fill. Their innocent prattle and peevish disposition ; 
 
280 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 their trust and affection ; their hate and selfishness ; their 
 thrilling laugh and hateful cry ; their place at the table 
 and place in the nursery ; their increasing growth and in- 
 creasing exposures and dangers ; and the trouble and ex- 
 pense of their support and education, are all, if properly 
 viewed, but so many drops in the cup of domestic happiness. 
 
 Parents are often concerned about the education of their 
 children, and often speak of the ways and means to be em- 
 ployed for this purpose ; and this is right, for the greatest 
 results for good or evil depend iipon the education, disci- 
 pline, and surroundings of the young. But they seldom 
 think of the influence which children exert in forming the 
 habits and moulding the characters of the parents. It 
 seems to be one great design of children and the family 
 relationship to exert just this reflex influence — the educa- 
 tion of the parents through their children. From them 
 they derive constant lessons of trust, faith, patience, for- 
 bearance, forgiveness, generosity, economy, and industry, 
 the most important lessons of life. 
 
 One of the best examples of the influence of children 
 upon parents, is seen in the familiar speech of the family. 
 In his lectures on language, Max Miller has shown that 
 the common people, who think least, form the great bulk 
 of a language. Their modes of speech and pronunciation 
 are incorporated and embedded in the idioms, phrases, 
 newly coined words, and growth of a language, more com- 
 pletely than those of the most educated and refined classes. 
 But the influence which children exert in forming the 
 language of the family circle is practical, and still more 
 
STERILITY AOT IMPOTEXCY. 281 
 
 efficient. Words work their way upwards from the lower 
 to the higher degrees of intelligence far more frequently 
 than persons generally suppose, just as water is boiled by 
 putting the fire under and not above the fluid, taking ad- 
 vantage of the law by which heated fluids become lighter 
 and rise to the top, carrying up the heat with them. The 
 effort of a parent to communicate ideas to his child leads 
 him to simplify his language as much as possible, and there 
 are multitudes of words and phrases in every language that 
 have grown out of such necessity. 
 
 A great change is produced in the relations of husband 
 and. wife to the rest of the world, and to each other, 
 through the influence of their children. In the birth of 
 their first child there comes an inspiration, which is one of 
 the greatest experiences of life ; the great Author of exist- 
 ence seeming to say to them as the daughter of Pharaoh 
 said to the mother of Moses, ' c Take this child and nurse 
 it for me, and I will give thee wages. ' ! It gives to the 
 life of those parents a new and higher impulse and ambi- 
 tion. The education of the children gradually unites them 
 in a new and higher wedlock, a oneness of purpose out of 
 which arises a new train of duties and relations towards 
 each other, and towards the world, and all are moulded 
 and conformed to the interest and happiness of the family 
 circle. All the cares and anxieties which children give in 
 their infancy and youth, all the pains and diseases they 
 suffer are in reality the processes of a broad, generous sys- 
 tem of education, through which parents are instructed 
 and disciplined for the great work of life. 
 
282 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 We need children to grow up and settle around us as a 
 comfort and solace in our declining years. How lonely, 
 and dreary, and sorrow-stricken must be the old man, and 
 the old woman, when infirmity and sickness come upon 
 them, if they are deprived of the affection and kind 
 ohices of children and grandchildren ? However pleasantly 
 situated in other respects, if these are lacking, their con- 1 
 dition must be sad and melancholy. We go out of the 
 world by nearly the same changes as we came into it. We 
 begin as children, we grow up to manhood, and, at length, 
 we decline and again become childlike. We return to the 
 same weak and helpless condition as we were at first ; and 
 we have need of the same generous and tender offices we 
 once bestowed upon our children ; and how wise the ar- 
 rangement; our children now take pleasure in repaying 
 that kindness. This is the work of natural affection and 
 relationship. Beasts, birds, and fishes render no such 
 services to their old and decrepid ; the old decaying oak is 
 not benefited by such an arrangement, but it stands alone 
 unsupported by others, a venerable monument of the 
 mutability of all things earthly. 
 
 Sterility is, therefore, the greatest earthly misfortune to 
 persons who possess the means properly to support and 
 educate children. Nothing else can fill this void in one's 
 existence. Wealth cannot atone for it ; and the adoption 
 of other children is a poor subterfuge. We have seen a 
 lady of refinement burst into tears at the sight of a chubby 
 boy born of a beggar woman, as though the ability to 
 propagate one's species were denied the more wealthy and 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCE. 283 
 
 refined, while the poorer classes bring forth in safety and 
 rear a hardy brood. This difference, however, would not 
 exist were the immutable laws of our being better under- 
 stood and more closely observed. 
 
 In addition to the instinct connected with the propaga- 
 tion of our species, the foregoing are some of the reasons 
 why people should bring into the world and rear offspring. 
 
 Let us, therefore, proceed to notice some of the causes 
 and conditions of sterility and impotence, and also some of 
 the principles of treatment. 
 
 Sterility in the male is a very uncommon condition, 
 except it be the result of impotence ; still it exists, and, 
 therefore, should receive a passing notice. Sterility usually 
 belongs to females, and impotence to males, as we shall 
 Bhow in its proper place ; but these conditions are some- 
 times reversed, that is, a man, who is perfectly competent 
 to perform the sexual act, may be unable to propagate his 
 species ; and conditions may exist on the part of the wo- 
 man to prevent sexual contact, who would otherwise be 
 fruitful. 
 
 In modern times, the microscope has revealed wonders 
 upon this as well as other subjects ; and is the means by 
 which we now decide the question of sterility in the male. 
 It is now known, as we have explained in our chapter on 
 the male genital organs, that the spermatozoa is the vital 
 principle of the seminal fluid ; if, therefore, we take a little 
 of this fluid and place it under a microscope of the proper 
 power, and the spermatozoa are seen to be without motion, 
 or if they are absent, we know the man cannot beget a 
 
284 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 child ; but if their motions are brisk, indicating that they 
 are alive, healthy, and vigorous, we know the man is 
 fruitful. There is, however, a third condition. The sper- 
 matozoa may be in motion, but their motions may be very 
 sluggish, as though they were very feeble and half dead, in 
 which case pregnancy may possibly take place, but the 
 offspring are apt to be puny and sickly, and to die in the 
 cradle or before reaching maturity. 
 
 This is not mere supposition, but demonstration; we 
 actually see these things, and we know their results, and 
 thus many physiological facts belonging to the sexual sys- 
 tem are clearly explained, which, otherwise, must nave re- 
 mained mysterious. And in addition to the importance of 
 such knowledge, enabling us to decide the question of 
 sterility in the male, and to devise and direct a scientific 
 course of treatment, the following brief incident is a good 
 illustration of its possible uses in other respects : — 
 
 Some years ago a distinguished practitioner in another 
 country, now passed from this stage of action, had a patient 
 of position and wealth, whose semen he had examined 
 from time to time, finding him perfectly sterile, though 
 fully capable of performing the sexual act. This man had 
 the indiscretion of forming a sort of irregular conjugal alli- 
 ance with a sprightly young widow, who, to every outward 
 appearance, was very charming and very respectable. 
 Time passed, and this charming creature became pregnant, 
 and according to the processes of natural law, a living child 
 was born into the world, and the sterile patient was the 
 victim charged as being the father, and proceedings were 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCY. 285 
 
 being entered by way of fleecing him pretty heavily for the 
 support of the young defendant; but the doctor being 
 called upon to use his influence, and not having a con- 
 science to decline the responsibility, soon convinced the 
 woman herself, and all others concerned, that the child 
 must have been sired by some more spermatozoic man ; 
 and here the matter rested, and the patient was saved the 
 injustice of supporting another man's child. 
 
 Sterility in the male, whose semen is in a healthy con- 
 dition, and who is capable of performing the sexual act, 
 may be produced by stricture of the urethra, preventing 
 the ejaculation of the semen into the vagina. In such 
 cases the semen remains behind the stricture, slowly to 
 dribble away, or to be brought away with the urine after- 
 wards ; or, as sometimes happens to be thrown backwards 
 into the bladder by a spasmodic action of the urethra be- 
 hind the stricture. The only efficient treatment in such 
 cases will suggest itself to the mind of any person, viz. , 
 the cure of the stricture, which requires all the careful 
 manipulations and skill of the experienced practitioner. 
 
 Such sterility may also arise from a malformation of the 
 penis known as hypospadia, in which the urethra, instead 
 of opening at the end of the penis, terminates underneath 
 at its base, through which the urine and semen must 
 escape. Such a man must be sterile, though capable of 
 sexual intercourse, because the semen escapes outside of 
 the vagina. A patient of this description, anxious to have 
 children, once consulted the celebrated John Hunter, who 
 advised him to catch the semen in a syringe and squirt it 
 
286 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 into his wife's vagina. The advice was followed, and it is 
 stated that the woman became pregnant, and, in due time, 
 gave birth to a child; but we cannot ourselves vouch for 
 any striking resemblance between the child and its reputed 
 papa. 
 
 A man who is impotent, as we have before intimated, is 
 necessarily sterile, from 4 whatever causes his impotence 
 arises. Though his semen be in a normal condition, he 
 cannot beget children, because he cannot have sexual in- 
 tercourse, and his barrenness must, therefore, continue as 
 long as the impotence continues, the only treatment being 
 the cure of the impotence. But more upon this subject 
 presently when we come to treat of this latter infirmity. 
 The same thing may be said of the female ; any obstruc- 
 tion on her part, which prevents intercourse, is, of course, 
 a certain cause of sterility, while it remains. In addition 
 to this cause, to be noticed more fully in its proper place, 
 the general conditions of sterility in the female may be 
 enumerated as follows : — 
 
 Malformations, organic and functional diseases of the 
 genital organs, derangement of the general system, un- 
 suitable unions, and unknown causes. Let us direct our 
 attention briefly to these conditions : 
 
 1. Malformations ! The womb and the ovaries may 
 be absent, or they may be but partially developed, or there 
 may be some defect in their structure or formation, en- 
 tirely precluding any manifestation of the generative 
 function, though there may be no obstruction to the mere 
 act of coition. As an evidence of some such condition, we 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCY. 287 
 
 wish especially to call attention to the menstrual function. 
 This discharge conies from the cavity of the womb, and is 
 intimately connected with the action of the ovaries, which 
 is proved by the extirpation of the ovaries for the cure of 
 diseases, and by experiments upon the lower animals. If 
 both ovaries are removed in the lower animals they cease 
 to breed ; if they are removed in women they not only 
 cease to breed but they cease to menstruate. If, therefore, 
 a woman has never menstruated there is, probably, an ab- 
 sence of the womb or ovaries, or they are defective in de- 
 velopment, or so deformed as to render the female hope- 
 lessly barren. But if she ever did menstruate, though, it 
 were but once, it shows that these organs are sufficiently 
 developed to take on generative action, and the sterility 
 may be susceptible of cure under skillful treatment, care- 
 fully looking to all the circumstances of the case. 
 
 2. Organic and functional diseases ! Tumors 
 within the cavity of the womb, the most common of which 
 is polypus; tumors of the ovaries and ovarian dropsy; 
 congestions, inflammations, and ulcerations of the womb ; 
 occlusion of the Fallopian tubes from inflammatory action ; 
 and stricture of the neck of the womb, usually at the in- 
 ternal os uteri, are some of the organic diseases, which, at 
 times, render a female barren. Some of these, in proper 
 hands, are perfectly curable, others not so. Barrenness 
 depending upon stricture of the neck of the womb has 
 never, so far as our experience goes, resisted the appro- 
 priate treatment. A habit of miscarriages, pointed out in 
 our chapter on abortions and miscarriages, is a very com- 
 
288 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 nion cause of barrenness, almost always curable by skillful 
 treatment. Any derangement of the menstrual function, 
 such as dysmenorrhoea or painful menstruation, monor- 
 rhagia or profuse menstruation, amenorrhoea or the sup- 
 pression or absence of the menses. Leucorrhoeal dis- 
 charges, or the whites, will sometimes prevent conception 
 during their continuance. Many women, hpwever, readily 
 become pregnant when suffering from one or more of these 
 . disorders. They are all curable under proper treament. 
 Displacements of the womb, such as we have described in 
 another chapter, are frequent causes of sterility, but not 
 always, for some women will readily conceive with con- 
 siderable displacement of this organ, especially prolapsus 
 uteri. The treatment of sterility arising from this cause 
 consists, of course, in the cure or relief of the displacement. 
 A viciated condition of the reproductive system pro- 
 ducing sterility, may arise from diseases of the general 
 system, such as constitutional syphilis, scrofula, anaemia, 
 nervous prostration, etc. Obesity is a common cause of 
 sterility, hence we find that women who grow fat are often 
 barren. The relation between the ovaries and fatty tissue 
 is so intimate that the healthy action of the former is 
 often greatly impaired by the excessive accumulation of 
 Jhe latter. Fat women are, therefore, poor breeders. But 
 such sterility is usually curable under a judicious plan of 
 general and local treatment. Fortunately we are possessed 
 of remedial agents, which act directly upon the repro- 
 ductive system, arousing into action the ovaries, and 
 causing them to furnish the ovum or female germ. Such 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCE. 289 
 
 agents judiciously but not rashly employed, in connection 
 with the general treatment, will usually effect the object 
 desired. 
 
 3. Unsuitable unions! These sometimes give rise to 
 such strong niorr.l aversion between the parties as to render 
 them perfectly sterile. And this is not' much to be re- 
 gretted, as the children of such parents are not apt to 
 grow up an ornament to . themselves or to society, though 
 we find some exceptions. It often happens that a man 
 and wife, though perfectly capable of sexual congress, are 
 barren towards each other, both of whom become fruitful 
 upon being divorced and united to more suitable com- 
 panions. This, of course, we do not lay down as a general 
 principle, for we have already shown . that pregnancy may 
 even follow a rape, but as a rare cause of sterility it is 
 worthy of note in this connection. Such moral aversion 
 between married parties as disgust, contempt, hatred, and 
 a vehement desire to be released from each other and to be 
 united to other persons supposed to be more suitable, 
 especially in the higher walks of society, may be laid 
 down as one of the causes of sterility. Many persons of 
 position, wealth, and refinement have sought to be re- 
 leased from their matrimonial engagements upon this 
 ground ; and upon being united with more suitable com- 
 panions have been as fruitful as other people. A few of 
 these cases have come under our own observation, and a 
 great many more are on record, but nearly all of them are 
 unexposed on account of the delicacy and disgrace which 
 accompany them. 
 19 
 
290 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 We cannot dwell long upon this point, but will introduce 
 a notorious case as an example. It occurred in France, in 
 1654. The Marquis of Lanquey, aged twenty-five years, 
 married a lady between thirteen and fourteen years of age. 
 They lived happily as man and wife for four years ; and a 
 short absence from home, induced the marchioness to ex- • 
 press great anxiety and tenderness of affection for the re- 
 turn of the marquis. Soon after this the artful wife 
 accused the husband of impotence, and declared herself a 
 virgin. The marquis was piqued at this, and demanded the 
 custom then sanctioned by the laws of his country, viz., a 
 trial by congress, as it was called. The judge ordered it ; 
 the lady appealed, but the decree was confirmed, and there 
 was no other alternative. Hence, a jury of five physicians, 
 five surgeons, and five matrons was empanneled to see the 
 act of congress performed, and to report. They filled 
 their report with the most ludicrous and obscene details, 
 not fit to be named here, and they gave their decision 
 against the marquis. The marriage was, therefore, de- 
 clared void, and the husband was decreed to pay all costs, 
 return the fortune he had received from his wife, and not 
 to marry again. But the marquis submitted a legal pro- 
 test against the decision that he was impotent, and declared 
 his intention to marry another woman. In short, the lady 
 married another man by whom she had three children, and 
 the marquis married again and had seven children. 
 
 This lady, upon her death bed, acknowledged that her 
 husband had not been impotent, but that she wished to 
 have the marriage annulled, and resorted to a ludicrous 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCY. 291 
 
 stratagem for the purpose. This was not, therefore, a 
 ease of impotence, but one of sterility between persons, 
 both of whom became fruitful when united to more suit- 
 able companions. It is, of course, difficult, in any par- 
 ticular case, to determine before-hand whether sterility de- 
 pend upon any such moral aversion; but a treatment 
 altogether different from that resorted to above may 
 be equally efficient, and more direct, if not more scien- 
 tific. 
 
 4. Unknown and uncertain causes of sterility! 
 General practitioners are seldom consulted in cases of ste- 
 rility, as there is a prevalent opinion among the people 
 confirmed by the stupidity of such practitioners that this 
 infirmity is usually incurable. But the physician who 
 gains a reputation for its cure will often be consulted by 
 sterile women in whom he will be unable, after the most 
 careful and minute investigation, to satisfy himself as to 
 the condition on which the sterility depends. He knows 
 there is some deranged action, or want of proper action 
 of the reproductive system, but the nature of this derange- 
 ment and the causes which produced it may be entirely 
 hidden from the scrutiny of the greatest expert in this de- 
 partment of practice. We wish to call special attention 
 to this subject, as it seems to be entirely ignored in our 
 text books upon obstetrics, their authors taking it for 
 granted that every case of sterility may be traced to its 
 legitimate cause, which is a great error. That some cause 
 exists, or has existed, is most obvious, but the idea that it 
 is always in the power of man to search out that cause 
 
292* THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 is a hasty and blundering conclusion, not warranted by ex- 
 perience. 
 
 We have been consulted by many such patients. Take 
 a case as an example. Mrs. B. of New York has made 
 us a visit complaining that she is childless, or that she has 
 become barren, before that period of life when women 
 cease to menstruate and=to bear children. Her husband is 
 a middle-aged man in good health, and she has no reason 
 to doubt his entire ability to procreate his species, and 
 they are both anxious to have, 
 
 " A baby in the cradle, a well-spring of pleasure." 
 
 Upon an examination of this patient, we find that she is 
 not excessively fat, nor of a feeble relaxed tissue, but that 
 her general health, in every respect, is in a good condition. 
 We satisfy ourselves that there are no tumors or other 
 abnormal growths of the womb or ovaries, no congestions, 
 inflammations, or ulcerations of those organs. And as the 
 husband's desire to have a child to lead about, to idolize, 
 to chasten, and to inherit his property knows no bounds, 
 he requests us, as he expresses it, to give his wife a 
 thorough overhauling, to see what there is to be set at 
 rights. We, therefore, carry this examination further 
 than is usually necessary ; we introduce the speculum to 
 see if there is any disease of the vagina, or mouth of the 
 womb ; but in this case we find them in a perfectly normal 
 condition ; we also introduce a silver sound into the womb, 
 but we find no obstruction to the ingress of the spermatic 
 fluid. 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCY. 293 
 
 Here, then, is a sterile female, in whom the most careful 
 and thorough examination, fails, to reveal the condition on 
 which the sterility depends ; and the physician inexpe- 
 rienced in this branch of practice would, at once, jump at 
 the conclusion that the sterility must depend upon an * 
 occlusion of the Fallopian tubes— something entirely hidden 
 from our inspection during the life of the patient — but in 
 this conclusion he would be in error ninety-nine times in a 
 hundred ; for such a cause, though it sometimes exists, is 
 exceedingly rare, while the sterility we are describing is 
 very common ; moreover, the occlusion of the Fallopian 
 tubes is permanent and cannot be cured, but sterility de- 
 pending upon some unknown cause, such as we have de- 
 scribed, is usually curable, which the records of our prac- 
 tice fully attest. 
 
 A few additional words as to the treatment of sterility ! 
 We have for years past been engaged more or less in the 
 investigation and treatment of the diseases and infirmities 
 of the sexual system, and with the exception of some rare 
 cases depending upon malformations, etc. , we can give the 
 reader the fullest assurance that sterility is perfectly curable. 
 In most cases we can treat this infirmity successfully with- 
 out a personal interview. We have furnished corres- 
 pondence to and fro for years, and many persons unable to 
 make us a personal visit have succeeded in attaining the 
 object desired. Our remedies can' always be sent by ex- 
 press, and sometimes by mail, to distant portions of the 
 country. 
 
 Persons addressing us by letter should carefully read 
 
294 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 over our description of this infirmity, and, without at- 
 tempting the use of technicalities, give us all the informa- 
 tion possible as to their real condition, viz. : the condition 
 of their general system, healthy or unhealthy, fat or feeble ; 
 also the age, general health, etc. of the husband; the 
 condition of the menstrual function, and the existence of 
 any diseases of the sexual organs that may be known to 
 the patient ; whether she has ever borne a child, has ever 
 miscarried or suffered injury from difficult or artificial de- 
 livery. Upon the receipt of such letters we elicit other 
 facts, if necessary, by a future correspondence, and furnish 
 a treatment appropriate to the case. 
 
 It is not our purpose in writing this book to supercede 
 our usefulness to ourselves by attempting to point out how 
 such patients can treat themselves ; for this would be a 
 useless task. Nor is it our intention to reveal, in full, our 
 treatment to the profession. The idea which seems to 
 prevail that a physician, whose incessant labors has de- 
 veloped something new and useful in medicine, is bound 
 to make it known to the profession or to the world without 
 reaping any advantage from it himself is too frivolous to 
 merit attention. He is bound to do no such thing : it is 
 simply a matter of choice. In time, it is true, all useful 
 discoveries in medicine are made known to the profession, 
 and incorporated into its literature. In this way the pro* 
 fession moves. But the motive is one of selfishness — the 
 love of honor and position, if not of pecuniary gain, being 
 the incentive. We, therefore, influenced by the common 
 motives of humanity, offer our treatment upon fair and 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCE. 295 
 
 reasonable terms, which is as fair and honest as could be 
 desired. 
 
 Let us now pass to consider another infirmity of the 
 sexual system, to which we have already made frequent 
 reference, and which, in some respects, is intimately con- 
 nected with the foregoing, viz. : — 
 
 Impotence ! Any incapacity for sexual congress is that 
 condition of the sexual organs known as impotence ; and 
 we shall proceed briefly to notice some of the causes and 
 conditions of this infirmity ; also our plan of treatment, 
 consisting in part of the use of a mechanical invention. 
 
 Impotence in females! We have already shown that 
 sterility is very rare in males, but very common in females. 
 Impotence, on the contrary, is very common in males, but 
 very unfrequent in females; but it sometimes exists in 
 females, and, therefore, we will give it a passing notice. 
 It may depend upon any kind of malformations, obstruc- 
 tions, or diseases preventing the sexual approach. An 
 imperforate hymen, and a hymen so tough and rigid as to 
 prevent all attempts at intercourse, are the most common 
 conditions of impotence in the female. The remedy for 
 this is very simple when entrusted to proper hands. For 
 further information upon this subject the reader is referred 
 to our description of the hymen in our chapter on the 
 female genital organs. We have also given an interesting 
 case of the rigid contraction of the orifice of the vagina, 
 • which rendered a woman impotent for three years, but 
 which readily yielded to the appropriate treatment. A vi- 
 cious deformity of the female sexual organs known as 
 
296 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 hermaphrodism will usually prevent sexual contact. This 
 consists of an enlarged clitoris resembling a boy's penis, 
 and the adhesion of the labia, qr an imperforate hymen, 
 obstructing the passage to the vagina ; and an operation 
 consisting of the removal of the clitoris, and making an 
 opening into the vagina, has, at once, converted a person 
 supposed to be a man, or half man and half woman, into a 
 true woman, demanding the exchange of pants for petti- 
 coats. Impotence arising from any of these causes is, 
 therefore, perfectly curable. But when it depends upon 
 the absence of the vagina, or when this organ is very im- 
 perfectly and slightly developed, it is, of course, incurable. 
 Such cases are fortunately very rare ; we have never seen 
 but two ; in one there was an imperforate hymen. Upon 
 making an opening through it we found the vagina so 
 small that it could hardly admit one inch of our little 
 finger. 
 
 Impotence in the male may depend upon various condi- 
 tions, such as malformations, long continued continence, 
 mental emotions, sexual abuses, and diseases of various 
 kinds, etc. 
 
 1. Malformations! The absence of the testes or of the 
 penis, or their deficient development, or their destruction 
 by accidents or diseases, may be set down as irremediable 
 causes of impotence. It sometimes happens, however, 
 that the testes are fully formed and retained in the abdo- 
 men, never descending into the scrotum, the presumption 
 being that such a person has no testicles, and cannot, there- 
 fore, procreate his species. But he may be just as compe- 
 
STERILITY AND I31P0TENCY. 297 
 
 tent as though the testicles had descended into the scrotum. 
 Moreover, if there is a congenital absence of one testicle, 
 or if one has been lost by accident or disease — the other, or 
 even a portion of the other being in a sound condition — it 
 may not interfere materially with the ability to copulate, 
 and also to generate the species. We have known a man 
 with the absence of one testicle, the other not being one 
 third the usual size, to become the father of a number of 
 children the very image of their papa. 
 
 But deformities of the sexual organs rendering men im- 
 potent are exceedingly rare. In ten thousand cases of im- 
 potence we should not be likely to find more than one or 
 two depending upon such causes. We will not, therefore, 
 dwell upon them. ■ 
 
 2. Continued continence ! That perfect continence 
 continued for a long time after attaining full manhood, 
 will sometimes render a person impotent, we have the 
 fullest evidence. At first thought, this statement might 
 not seem reasonable, as continence is the very oppo- 
 site of sexual excess, which we know to be a fruitful cause 
 of impotence. But both" extremes are bad, and work de- 
 gradation to the sexual system. The same physiological 
 principle applies to every organ and part of the body. 
 Exclude a person from the light for a long time and 
 the eyes become shrunk, the optic nerve more or less 
 paralyzed, and the power of vision partially or totally de- 
 stroyed; for light is the natural stimulus of the eyes. 
 Fishes excluded from the light for ages, as in the great 
 cave of Kentucky, entirely lose their eyes. Being de- 
 
298 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 prived of their natural stimulus, they become atrophied ; 
 till there is not the vestige of an eye left. Put the arm in 
 splints and continue it there for a sufficient length of time, 
 and it will waste away and become paralytic, because it is 
 deprived of the stimulus of exercise ; so the arm of the 
 blacksmith becomes larger and stronger by exercise. Now 
 the sexual organs are not excluded from the effects of this 
 general law. Deprive them of their peculiar stimulus for 
 a long time and they will shrink in bulk, become flaccid, 
 and there will be a partial or total loss of sexual power. 
 
 Religious fanatics, who undertake to trample under foot 
 the commands of Jehovah — for his commands are revealed 
 in his laws — and eschew marriage under the monstrous 
 assumption that it is inconsistent with their spiritual 
 duties, do not escape with impunity ; for, in addition to 
 the perversion of heart and intellect, which such a viola- 
 tion of physical law is sure to produce, they not unfre- 
 quently find themselves totally impotent, if they wish at 
 any time to change their relations towards this wicked 
 world. Such cases, however, are perfectly curable unless 
 confirmed by poor health and old age. 
 
 3. Impotence may arise from mental aberrations, and 
 emotions, such as fear, hate, love of anticipated pleasure, 
 absence of mind, etc. It often happens that extreme 
 anxiety connected with the anticipated consummation of 
 marriage, the fear of not finding everything right, or 
 of not acquitting himself with decorum, will prostrate 
 all sexual power in the young married man: and wo 
 ha\e seen older men in the same unhappy condition 
 
, STERILITY AND IMPOTENCE. 299 
 
 upon their first or second marriage. This is a vexatious and 
 mortifying predicament, but it is curable. Many such* 
 patients have visited our office, so agitated and alarmed 
 about themselves, that they could hardly keep quiet long 
 enough to relate their misfortunes. Our treatment, in 
 these cases, is always effectual. We give a preparation 
 consisting of a few remedial agents, which act directly 
 upon the sexual organs, and such directions as the 
 nature of the case requires, and the patient speedily finds 
 himself possessed of his usual vigor. These cases do not 
 always speedily cure themselves, as some writers seem to 
 intimate ; for, without treatment, they have been known 
 to continue for months or years, or to become obstinately 
 confirmed for life. 
 
 We sometimes meet with men who are impotent towards 
 their wives though not towards other women, not as the 
 result of any want of physical adaptation, but the want of 
 affection, or the possession of some moral unfitness par- 
 taking of the character of a mere brutal passion. One of 
 our patients confessed his inability to complete sexual in- 
 tercourse with his wife, unless, by an effort of the fancy, 
 he held in his imagination the form of some more volup- 
 tuous female. 
 
 Any person, however vigorous in his physical capacity, 
 who anticipates sexual intercourse with too intense eager- 
 ness and delight, will seldom perform the act with decency. 
 Many libertines have confessed, that after waiting and 
 Beeking an opportunity from time to time, when it, at 
 length, arrived they had no power to take advantage of it. 
 
300 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 A nervous anxiety completely prostrated all sexual power, 
 and the anticipated victim was saved from ruin. This, 
 therefore, has its wise ordinance. 
 
 If the imagination wander from the task, temporary 
 impotence may be the result, and many authors are. of 
 the opinion that impregnation may be impeded from the 
 presence of ideas which interfere with the proper perform- 
 ance of the generative act. Sterne has commented on this 
 point when he introduces his maternal parent as asking at 
 a most untimely moment, whether his " father had not for- 
 gotten to wind up the clock. ' ' His views are strictly physio- 
 logical ; such is the power of the moral over the physical 
 condition of man. 
 
 4. Sexual abuses ! In some of their forms sexual abuses 
 are by far the most common causes of impotence in the 
 male. Judging from our own practice, we should think 
 nineteen twentieths of all such disorders arise from these 
 pernicious causes. All the causes of spermatorrhoea or 
 seminal weakness— to be described in the next chapter- 
 are, therefore, fruitful causes of impotence : indeed impo- 
 tence itself is but another step in the downward course of 
 a patient laboring under involuntary seminal losses. If, 
 therefore, this infirmity is not arrested by a judicious and 
 persevering course of treatment, it is sure to run on to the 
 total prostration of all sexual power; for, unlike many 
 other diseases, it never cures itself. The best authorities 
 are unanimous upon this subject, and, if possible,we desire 
 more indelibly to impress this fact upon the minds of our 
 readers. Though perfectly curable by an enlightened 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCY. 301 
 
 course of treatment, if left to itself spermatorrhoea never 
 gets well, but ends in total impotence. 
 
 We, therefore, urge the reader, who has the least occa- 
 sion for apprehension, to give the succeeding chapter a 
 careful perusal, especially that portion of it which sets 
 forth the chief causes of spermatorrhoea, such as sexual 
 excesses exhausting the wile powers ; venereal diseases, 
 viz. : claps followed by gleets, strictures, irritable bladder, 
 etc. ; and syphilis followed by constitutional symptoms, 
 such as cutaneous eruptions, foul ulcers, pains in the bones, 
 etc. ; and that unnatural, filthy, and destructive habit, 
 which we cannot too severely stigmatize, known as mastur- 
 bation. 
 
 There is nothing more deplorable and humiliating to a 
 man of sense and pride of character than to become 
 partially or totally impotent, especially if produced by 
 sexual abuses, for in this case a keen sense of self-destruc- 
 tion, and mental agony, is superadded to bodily infirmity ; 
 and there is nothing more disgusting and contemptible to 
 an affectionate, well-formed woman with whom he ma} 7 be 
 united in matrimony. Can it be supposed that the sym- 
 pathies and physical powers of a beautiful woman are in 
 unison with those of a man whose best energies were long 
 ago expended in lawless sexual excitement, and vicious 
 sexual abuses ? whose youth has been a hurried history of 
 wild and reckless enjoyment; whose faculties have been 
 lashed past the natural powers of endurance, and who now 
 brings his decrepid efforts, as a worthless offering at the 
 shrine of matrimonial sanctity? Is there a mockery more 
 
302 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 deep, more bitter, than that desolation, of spirit which an 
 affectionate woman must feel on finding that she is united 
 to a mere wreck of sensualism, the horrible victim of self- 
 pollution? Woman's scorn must be intensified from the 
 nature of her position, because she is precluded from 
 giving vent to her feelings of anger and vexation. Love 
 cannot be reciprocal in such cases ; animal impulse prefers 
 that which is more accordant with itself; even beasts prefer 
 males possessed of vigor, power, and beauty ; and this in* 
 stinct is implanted by nature in the genus homo; and 
 whatever changes in our feelings and manners civilization 
 may effect, it cannot extinguish this instinct. 
 
 A gentleman of high connections, and apparently pos- 
 sessed of every requisite to make life happy, was un- 
 expectedly found dead in his bed ; a pistol, the instrument 
 of his death, was clenched in his hand ; none being able to 
 account for the rash act, and, doubtless, but for his own 
 revelation it would have remained for ever a secret. Upon 
 a piece of paper, in his own hand-writing, were discovered 
 these words, " I am impotent and unfit to live. ' ' Scarce a 
 day passes that deaths by suicide are not recorded, where 
 no cause can be assigned for the deed, many of which, 
 could we explore the secrets of the dead, we are inclined 
 to believe would be placed in the category of sexual in- 
 firmities and diseases. 
 
 An opinion generally prevails, confirmed by the careless 
 statements of some authors, who have had little experience 
 in this department of medicine, that it is perfectly natural 
 for a man to become impotent about the age of sixty, 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCY. 303 
 
 which is a very great mistake. Impotence at thi3 period 
 of life, or at any time previous, is not a natural condition, 
 but depends upon some vicious cause, such as poor health, 
 organic diseases of the genital organs, or sexual abuses of 
 various kinds; and they are usually curable, unless the 
 constitution is absolutely broken down. In females, it is 
 true, the child-bearing period is limited to about the forty- 
 fifth or sixth year of age, and seldom goes much beyond ; 
 but there is no such limit fixed to man's generative powers. 
 His powers depend altogether upon his general health, the 
 integrity of his generative organs, or, if infirm, the in- 
 vigorating and alterative treatment which he may be placed 
 ugder. Men sometimes become fathers when they are 
 eighty, ninety, or even a hundred years of age. Wm. 
 Parr begot a child when he was a hundred and thirty years 
 old, and lived to be a hundred and fifty. This, of course, 
 is a remarkable case ; neither is it common for men to be- 
 come parents at eighty, ninety, or a hundred years of age ; 
 but such things occur often enough to show that the limit 
 is not fixed by the number of years that a man has lived. 
 But it is by no means uncommon for men to become 
 fathers at the age of seventy and seventy-five. Informa- 
 tion has just come to our knowledge of a man whom we 
 have known from our childhood marrying the second time 
 at seventy, and becoming a father at about seventy-one. 
 
 By a judicious and persevering use of the treatment we 
 now possess for the restoration and perpetuation of the 
 sexual powers, a man may retain his capability, if mode- 
 rately employed, to an advanced age — and every man ad- 
 
304 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 vanced in years should have the decency and discretion to 
 employ his sexual powers with moderation. This treat- 
 ment consists, for the most part, of tonic and alterative 
 remedies, calculated to invigorate and strengthen the 
 general systeni 3 and remedies which act directly upon the 
 sexual organs, together with the employment of a 
 
 Mechanical invention, which we shall now explain. 
 But first a few words upon the structures of the organ to 
 which the instrument is applied, and the phenomena of 
 erection. The penis is abundantly supplied "with arteries, 
 veins, absorbents, lymphatics, nerves, and a cellulo-vascular 
 structure, which is the erectile tissue peculiar to the genital 
 organs. The reader will, therefore, perceive that ttyis 
 organ is composed of very loose structures, and capable of 
 considerable expansion. Now a lascivious impression 
 made upon the mind by the irritating effects of the seminal 
 fluid in the seminal vesicles, by friction of the external 
 organs, or any other cause whatsoever, is, at once, trans- 
 mitted through that wonderful mechanism, the reflex 
 nervous system, to the nerves which supply the organ; and 
 this nervous force, accompanied by the peculiar lascivious 
 sensation, causes the organ to expand, and as the expan- 
 sion takes place, the blood rushes into all its structures, 
 till the vessels are completely filled, and we have the en- 
 largement and rigidity known by the term erection. If, 
 therefore, this nervous vigor be wanting, the organ does 
 not expand, and no blood flows to the part, except as it 
 flows to any other part for the purpose of nutrition, and 
 we have that condition which we call impotence. 
 
STERILITY AND DIPOTENCY. 305 
 
 Again : The flow of blood to the organ, in the frequency 
 and quantity nature intended, not only depends upon the 
 nervous action, but the perpetuation of the nervous action 
 itself, and its restoration when lost, depends, in a very 
 great measure, upon the presence of the blood ; for it is 
 well known, that this fluid is a natural and healthful 
 stimulus of the nerves which supply the organ. If, then, 
 we could devise some means to produce an occasional flow 
 of blood to the organ, we should certainly gain a most im- 
 portant acquisition to our treatment of impotence. Reason- 
 ing thus, we come to the conclusion that a small air pump 
 could be constructed that would accomplish the very object 
 desired. Upon making inquiry, however, we were in- 
 formed — with how much truth we will not pretend to say 
 — that a certain transatlantic surgeon had hit upon the 
 same thing, and that its use, in his hands, gave the highest 
 degree of satisfaction. If this be true, we cannot claim 
 the origin of this invention ; but we think no one will deny 
 us the credit of having brought it to its present state of 
 convenience, utility, and perfection, as we now have them 
 manufactured. 
 
 This instrument consists of a receiver and exhauster. 
 The receiver is made of flint glass of the clearest and 
 strongest quality, so as to sustain accidental falls and blows 
 without- breaking. It is a little expanded at the bottom 
 and worked very smooth, and at the top it is rounded and 
 pierced with a hole, over which a valve is very accurately 
 and firmly fastened, allowing the air to escape but not to 
 enter. The exhauster is made of drawn metal, and the 
 20 
 
306 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 sucker and piston are so well constructed that they never 
 get out of order. 
 
 Now let us work the instrument ! Place the glass re- 
 ceiver over the organ, in such a manner that it will rest 
 air tight upon the surrounding parts. There will be no 
 trouble in doing this properly if no bunches of hair are 
 allowed to get under the glass, and if the parts are moistened 
 with a little water. Now moisten the lower part of the 
 exhauster, and place it over the top of the glass, and take 
 the knob of the piston between the thumb and finger and work 
 it up and down. Every stroke, of course, expels a small 
 quantity of air, and its movements are so accurate, smooth, 
 and easy, that you have no trouble in obtaining the precise 
 amount of exhaustion that you may need. As the air is 
 expelled, the organ expands, and the blood flows into all its 
 structures upon the well known principle of atmospheric 
 pressure, or as it is usually called, suction. The same 
 principle is illustrated in the action of the common water 
 pump, in sucking fluids through tubes, and in the infant 
 "Sucking milk from the breast of the mother. 
 
 The glass receiver is large enough to allow of consider- 
 able empty space above and at the sides when the organ is 
 fully erected ; but the exhauster is small, not being more 
 than half the length of the glass, as nothing could be 
 gained by having it longer, its present size being most con- 
 venient. The instrument can now be used for the purpose 
 of a small air pump, in experiments, amusements, etc. 
 Any amount of force not over fifteen pounds to a square 
 inch can be produced by the suction, a small part of which 
 
STERILITY AND IMPOTENCY. 307 
 
 being sufficient in its application for the treatment of im- 
 potence. 
 
 The reader is now prepared to understand the great ad- 
 vantage of this instrument in the treatment of partial or 
 total loss of sexual power. The blood is made to flow to 
 the organ, which is its natural and healthful stimulus, and 
 greatly restores the health and vigor of the nerves which 
 supply the organ ; also the occasional and gentle exercise 
 of the organ with this instrument tends greatly to increase 
 and perpetuate the vigor and healthful sensibility of all 
 the structures which enter into its composition. It pro- 
 duces some enlargement, but as there is always some 
 atrophy, or wasting away of the organ in sexual debility, 
 this is an additional recommendation. It is also proper to 
 state that dame nature, sometimes indulging in freaks, 
 denies to certain individuals the normal amount of de- 
 velopment, which may be compensated for by this inven- 
 tion. This is done upon the same principle that the 
 nipple is drawn out and enlarged by the action of a breast- 
 pump or the infant's mouth — an actual enlargement of one 
 third or one half being produced. But it should always 
 be used with great gentleness, and the rigidity should never 
 be forced beyond its natural hardness ; and should not be 
 continued long at any one time ; thus used no possible dis- 
 advantage can arise from it. 
 
 We made known this treatment to the profession a 
 few years since in a book entitled, New Medical Revela- 
 tions, after which we often received solicitations from 
 physicians and others to furnish the instrument for them ; 
 
308 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 and hence we have had them manufactured and now keep 
 them on hand to supply such orders. They are put up in 
 neat boxes without the danger of exposure, and are sent 
 to any part of the country by express on receipt of ten 
 dollars now the price of the instrument. 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 309 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 
 
 Seminal weakness and self-pollution — Emissions during sleep— 
 Those produced by defecation and urination — Those occurring 
 slowly and almost constantly — Detected by the microscope — Their 
 destructive effects upon the system — Impotency, atrophy, etc. — 
 Imbecility, insanity, epilepsy, paralysis, consumption, etc. — Start- 
 ling description of Hufeland — Causes of seminal weakness — 
 Sexual excesses, gonorrheal and gleety discharges, masturbation, 
 etc., etc. — Interesting case of treatment — What is masturbation ? 
 — How to protect the young from such horrible pollutions — Its 
 destructive effects upon the mind and body — Quotation from the 
 Rev. Dr. Adam Clarke — Quotation from Hippocrates — Priapism, 
 atrophy, and insensibility of the organ — -Disgusting and dangerous 
 means to produce erotic sensations — Startling account of the inn- 
 keeper — The disgusting and horrible practices of Gabriel Gallien 
 the shepherd of Languedoc — Remarks upon the treatment of 
 seminal weakness and masturbation. 
 
 Unnatural seminal emissions may be divided into the 
 voluntary and involuntary. The former relate to those 
 which are produced by some artificial and unnatural means, 
 in conjunction with an overstrained effort of the will, and 
 known by the terms masturbation, self-pollution, etc., to 
 be fully explained in the second part of this chapter. The 
 latter relate to those which take place without the concur- 
 
310 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 rence of the will, or in opposition to the volition of the 
 patient; and hence they are spoken of as involuntary 
 seminal emissions. The technical term for this infirmity 
 is spermatorrhoea, signifying the running away of the 
 spermatic fluid. It is also 'known by the term seminal 
 weakness, and is spoken of by other language readily un- 
 derstood by the connection in which it is found. 
 
 Seminal weakness is a very common and very dangerous 
 disorder. It may exist in some of its forms for months, 
 or even years, without the knowledge or .suspicion of the 
 patient, sapping away the foundations of health and 
 bringing in its train some of the most painful and deadly 
 infirmities known to man. In this we find its greatest 
 danger. 
 
 For the purposes of description we shall divide the 
 symptoms of this disorder into the heal and constitutional. 
 Of the former the discharge itself is the most prominent. 
 Very often it takes place in the night, the sensation pro- 
 duced by the emission suddenly waking the patient out of 
 sleep.- These are called nocturnal emissions. They are 
 usually preceded by lascivious dreams, the influence of the 
 imagination upon the seminal vesicles being sufficient to 
 produce an emission. They do not always, however, 
 arouse the patient out of sleep ; for the seminal vesicles 
 and their outlets will sometimes become so debilitated, and 
 so deficient in natural sensibility through sexual excesses, 
 self-abuses, etc., that sudden emissions may take place 
 during sleep without the knowledge of the patient. 
 
 Again ; involuntary losses of semen sometimes occur while 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 311 
 
 the patient is at stool, or when he evacuates his bladder, 
 the pressure of the lower bowels and the bladder upon 
 the seed vessels being sufficient to squeeze out the semen, 
 which conies away in a clear condition or with the urine. 
 In all such cases the seminal vesicles are greatly debilitated, 
 and there is danger that the mischief will go on for an 
 indefinite period without the knowledge of the patient. 
 
 Finally, the seminal vesicles unable to, retain any consid- 
 erable amount of seminal fluid, allow it to dribble away 
 slowly, but almost constantly, a portion of it remaining in 
 the urethra to be washed out when the patient makes 
 water, just enough escaping at other times to moisten the 
 glans penis. This may appear to the naked eye* like the 
 oozing of unwholesome perspiration, increased, perhaps, 
 upon the occurrence of voluptuous thoughts when in the 
 society of females, or by accidental frictions. It is some- 
 times so slight that the orifice of the penis is no more 
 moistened than it would be by the escape of a drop or two 
 of urine; but the drop of semen contains the living seed, 
 the constant escape of which will sooner or later viciate 
 and destroy the system. 
 
 When the existence of unconscious seminal discharges 
 and their destructive effects upon the system, were first 
 published to the profession, most physicians, not taking 
 pains to investigate the subject, seemed to doubt the ex- 
 istence of such a disease, and to suppose that the discharge 
 consisted merely in the mucous secretions of the urethra 
 aud the prostate gland ; and many physicians at the pre- 
 sent day are nearly or quite as ignorant. But the frequent 
 
312 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 use of the microscope in the diagnosis of this disease, has 
 long since established its existence and frequency. If the 
 physician, who understands the use of the microscope, 
 takes a little of the cloudy or flocculent matter sometimes 
 found in the urine, or a little of the matter squeezed out 
 of the penis between the. thumb and finger, or obtained by 
 other means which we sometimes employ, and places it 
 upon the slide under the microscope, and distinctly dis- 
 covers the spermatozoa, he knows the discharge is sper- 
 matic fluid, and that he has a case of seminal weakness ; 
 for the spermatozoa is the vital principle of the spermatic 
 fluid. In this way we have established beyond all ques- 
 tion, the existence and great frequency of this disorder. 
 
 All these unconscious emissions are peculiarly dangerous 
 from the fact that they may run on for an indefinite period 
 without the knowledge of the patient, and consequently 
 without an application for medical relief. Ignorant of his 
 real trouble, the patient ascribes his unhappy condition of 
 body and mind to any cause but the right one, till acute 
 and agonizing disease forces him, at the eleventh hour, to 
 apply to some physician for the relief of the medical art ; 
 and happy for such a patient if he falls into the hands of 
 some one who understands his condition and possesses the 
 skill to remove his disease, and to restore his shattered 
 system to soundness and health. 
 
 Some of the most obstinate disorders of the sexual 
 system, which have come under our treatment, not only had 
 their beginning, but gained ground for months or years 
 during the entire ignorance of the patient of the existence 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 313 
 
 of such diseases, having never applied to competent 
 medical authority for advice. The generative system being ' 
 the most delicate and intricate portion of the body, is the 
 most subject to unseen and unsuspected derangements, 
 among which seminal weakness is, perhaps, the most in- 
 sidious and dangerous ; and this suggests the importance of 
 a thorough examination by a competent and skillful physi- 
 cian, in those patients who are constantly complaining 
 without knowing the cause of their sickness. 
 
 The state of the external organs of generation is another 
 local symptom of seminal weakness not always sufficiently 
 marked at the commencement to attract the attention of 
 the patient. Though complete impotence may not have 
 supervened — which is sure to follow sooner or later if 
 seminal weakness continues — by attention to himself the 
 patient will usually be able to detect some diminution of 
 his ordinary erectile power. When erected he will find 
 the organ less forcibly distended, and not quite so hard as 
 natural. This change is gradual, and sometimes very slow, 
 but unless the cause is removed it is certain to go on to 
 total impotence ; while in a state of health, and with cer- 
 tain precautions, such as we have pointed out in the pre- 
 ceding chapter, he may retain his sexual power to a good 
 old age. 
 
 The patient will very frequently observe a slight atrophy 
 or diminution in the size of the organ, and after a while 
 it may shrink away one third or one half its natural bulk. 
 We have seen it wasted away till it was hardly as large as 
 the little finger. Many such cases are recorded by physi- 
 
314 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 cians eminent in this field of inquiry, such as Broussais, 
 Dupuytren, and Lallemand of Paris ; Reid and Acton of 
 England, etc. ; and our own observation furnishes many 
 more cases of the same character, which, did our space 
 admit, we should be glad to dwell upon more at length as 
 an admonition and warning to such persons. 
 
 The scrotum may be found in a relaxed and flabby con- 
 dition, and the testicles may hang more loosely than na- 
 tural, one very often dropping further below the other 
 than nature intended, all of which shows a sad want of 
 tonicity in the parts. On attempting copulation the emis- 
 sion will sometimes take place almost immediately, even 
 before a proper degree of penetration has been effected, 
 or before sufficient time has elapsed to make* the act na- 
 tural, or decent and becoming. This must create the, 
 most unmitigated contempt and pity on the part of the 
 female, who realizes a sorry apology for the pleasures of 
 the nuptial bed. 
 
 So much for the more prominent local symptoms. Lot- 
 us now notice some of the general symptoms of seminal 
 losses. These are literally legion. Connected with and 
 affecting every part of the organization, it would be diffi- 
 cult to name any functional disturbance, which may not be 
 produced by this disorder. Uneasiness in the stomach 
 accompanied by flatulence, giddiness and heaviness in the 
 head, pain or weakness in the eyes, a feeling of lassitude, 
 weariness, and dislike of exertion, irregularity of the 
 •bowels, troubled sleep -succeeded by days of nervousness 
 and apathy, fluttering and palpitations of the heart, great 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 315 
 
 sensitiveness to changes in the weather, gloomy imagina- 
 tions, and a disposition to shun society, are some of the 
 milder symptoms, or such as very soon set in, and increase 
 in severity the longer the emissions continue. In describ- 
 ing such cases Lallemand uses the following language : — 
 
 "The patients soon become ill. The most intimate 
 friend is ignorant of the cause of the various disorders 
 they complain of; nor is the medical man who possesses 
 their confidence better informed, for even the patients en- 
 tertain no suspicion of the real nature of their complaint. 
 Hence, their indisposition is set down to ennui, a tendency 
 to melancholy, or to hypochondriasis. When their disease 
 assumes a more serious aspect, then the constitution is 
 said to be delicate, impassionable, or unhealthy, and they 
 are looked upon as malades imaginaires. They are re- 
 proached with too much care of themselves, or an over- 
 fondness for medicine. Medical men in extensive practice, 
 tired of hearing the tale of so long a series of unmitigable 
 and inexplicable maladies, rid themselves of such patients 
 by recommending them to travel and obtain a change of 
 air. Charlatans plunder them, and officious friends advise 
 marriage, or some sort of occupation to fill up the void in 
 their existence, but all blame, because no one really com- 
 prehends, the nature of their disorder. Unfit for any 
 serious occupation, and incapable of deep reflection, they 
 become dissatisfied with themselves, and still more so with 
 others. Absorbed in one sole thought, they return inces- 
 santly to their disease to seek for the cause of their la- 
 mentable condition, and soon become misanthropical." 
 
316 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 But let us continue the description as the disease ad- 
 vances, and, step by step, becomes more serious and pain- 
 ful. In some nervous constitutions, difficult breathing, 
 tightness in the chest, and cough may soon appear to 
 harass and alarm the patient. Such patients are very 
 often treated for consumption, when seminal weakness is 
 the real trouble. Such mistakes are very common among 
 physicians who have given little attention to this depart- 
 ment of practice; It should not be forgotten, however, 
 that if the emissions and cough continue they may run 
 the patient into the consumption, and in that way end his 
 miserable days. 
 
 Disturbed sleep, as before intimated, is a very common 
 symptom. Persons in health go to bed weary, and rise re- 
 freshed, but the patients under consideration often rise 
 more fatigued than when they retired. Their sleep is 
 either dull and heavy, and, therefore, unrefreshing, or 
 light and broken by nightmares or frightful dreams, and 
 finally a state of nightly restlessness ensues followed by 
 days of ennui and melanchojy. Lallemand says : — 
 
 " At a still more advanced period sleep leaves the patient 
 almost entirely. They often pass whole nights in agitation 
 without being able to find a comfortable posture ; they get 
 up and lie down again, walk about, or roll on the beds ; at 
 one moment their bodies and temples are on fire ; at the 
 next they are chilly and covered with cold sweat. During 
 these long nights they constantly dwell on sad thoughts, 
 and are especially tempted to commit suicide." 
 
 The eyes are apt to have a heavy, sleepy, idiotic appear- 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 317 
 
 ance, and the patient sometimes becomes blind. The hear- 
 ing may be affected with dullness, or it may be preternat- 
 urally acute, sharp and heavy sounds being annoying and 
 painful. A feeling of weight and heaviness in the head, 
 swelling and confinement of the brain, and heats, flushes, 
 and chills make the misery of such a patient complete. 
 Gloomy images now revolve in the mind, among which, 
 self-destruction may figure foremost. 
 
 But of all the symptoms of this disorder, the alterations 
 which take place in the mental faculties are, perhaps, the 
 most lamentable. This is too little understood by medical 
 men. Usually the first change observed will be loss of 
 memory. The patient will be found making frequent in- 
 quiries concerning transactions of a recent date, the names 
 of persons, places, etc. , as though the brain was losing its 
 retentive power, and ideas easily slipped out of the mind, 
 which are literally true. This state of mind is all the 
 more deplorable, because it is the certain harbinger of 
 complete mental imbecility or idiocy unless the cause is re- 
 moved. 
 
 Such patients are often troubled with perplexity and con- 
 fusion of ideas, vacillation and fickleness of purpose where 
 any simple decision is required ; and they are unable to fix 
 their thoughts on any particular business or topic of study. 
 Wandering thoughts, often such as are not of the most, 
 pure and innocent character, rush into the mind upon the 
 most unsuitable occasions ; the temper becomes peevish, 
 sour, and irritable upon the slightest provocation, or rather 
 upon no provocation whatever ; and when the sufferer is a 
 
318 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 married man, this bitterness of temper is often the source 
 of the most vexatious domestic misery. Persons pre- 
 viously cheerful experience frequent attacks of melancholy 
 and languor ; and vague fears of some calamity, which they 
 cannot define or understand, but still fear, often hasten 
 them towards that state of restlessness and melancholy, 
 which renders life a burden. They imagine enemies among 
 their nearest friends, and suppose the whole world is con- 
 spiring against their happiness ; and while they seem ap- 
 prehensive of every change in the weather, or other trifling 
 circumstance, which they fear might affect their health, 
 they may be contemplating immediate suicide. This in- 
 sanity becomes the fixed condition of the patient ; and re- # 
 cent investigations and reports of our insane asylums, 
 fully attest that sexual pollutions of various kinds are fre- 
 quent causes of imbecility and insanity. 
 
 In consequence of the exhaustion of the vital stamina 
 of such patients, the irritability of the nervous system, 
 and the congestion or softening of the brain, epilepsy and 
 paralysis, are by no means uncommon results. To sum up, 
 therefore, as we cannot dwell separately upon all the un- 
 happy results of long continued seminal losses, we may 
 name, in addition to the ordinary symptoms, complete im- 
 becility, insanity, epilepsy, paralysis, and consumption. 
 
 Touching the effects upon the system of long continued 
 unnatural seminal losses, Hufeland, a German physiolo- 
 gist of great distinction, gives the following eloquent and 
 vivid description : — 
 
 11 Hideous and frightful is the stamp which nature affixes 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 319 
 
 to one of this class. He is a faded rose — a tree withered 
 in the bud — a wandering corpse. All life and fire are 
 killed by this secret cause, and nothing is left but weak- 
 ness, inactivity, deadly paleness, wasting of body, and 
 depression of mind. The eye loses its lustre and strength ; 
 the eye-ball sinks; the features become lengthened; the 
 fair appearance of youth departs, and the face acquires 
 a pale, yellow, leaden tint. The whole body becomes 
 sickly and morbidly sensitive ; the muscular power is lost ; 
 sleep brings no refreshment; every movement becomes 
 disagreeable ; the feet refuse to carry the body ; the hands 
 tremble ; pains are felt in all the limbs ; the senses lose 
 their power, and all gaiety is destroyed. Such persons 
 seldom speak, and only when compelled ; all former activity 
 of mind is destroyed. Boys, who before showed wit and 
 genius, sink into mediocrity, or even become blockheads ; 
 the mind loses its taste for all good and lofty ideas, and the 
 imagination is utterly viciated. Every glance at a female 
 form excites desire ; and anxiety, repentance, shame, and 
 despair make the painful state of such a man complete. 
 His whole life is a series of secret reproaches, distressing 
 feelings, self-deserved weakness, indecision, and weariness 
 of life ; and it is no wonder if the inclination to suicide 
 ultimately arises — an inclination to which no man is more 
 prone ; the dreadful experience of a living death renders 
 actual death a desirable consummation ; the waste of that 
 which gives life generally produces disgust and weariness 
 of life, and leads to that peculiar kind of self-destruction, 
 which is characteristic of our age. Moreover, the diges- 
 
SfcXl 
 
 320 THE g&XUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 tive power is destroyed ; flatulence and pains in the stomach 
 are likely to follow, and create constant annoyance; the 
 blood is viciated; the chest obstructed; eruptions and 
 ulcers break out upon the skin ; the whole body becomes 
 dried and wasted; and in the end come epilepsy, con- 
 sumption, slow fever, palsy, faintingfits, and an early death. ' ' 
 Let us now invite the attention of our readers to a care- 
 ful consideration of the causes of seminal weakness. To 
 shun the evil let us try to understand the causes thereof. 
 And before noticing the three principal causes, we will remind 
 the reader, that there are many diseases of the genito- 
 urinary organs that may exist as the causes, or the symp- 
 toms, or entirely independent of, seminal weakness, such 
 as inflammations of the testicles and their appendages, 
 stricture of the urethra, irritability of the bladder and 
 urethra, pruritus or the excessive itching of the anus, 
 ^scrotum and surrounding parts, etc., etc. Again, there is 
 scarcely a disturbing influence of the human frame that 
 may not, in certain nervous, irritable constitutions, resolve 
 itself into an active promoter of this evil. For instance, 
 a single night's drunken debauch, hemorrhoids or other 
 diseases of the lower bowel, ascarides or small worms in 
 the fundament, drastic purges often administered and long 
 continued, diarrhoea or its opposite constipation of the 
 bowels, may give rise to seminal weakness. Congenital 
 predisposition is sometimes & cause. Here the seeds of 
 disease lurk in the system until called into activity by some 
 exciting cause, such as a blow, a fall, horseback riding, 
 fatigue, violent mental emotions, drunkenness, etc. 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 321 
 
 But there are three causes which stand foremost in the 
 list we are considering as they may produce the disease in 
 any constitution however vigorous and enduring. These 
 should, therefore, receive a more special and extended 
 notice. 
 
 1. Sexual excesses ! It is easy to understand how such 
 an abuse may produce the evil in question. If the body 
 is overworked, exhaustion and prostration follows; and if it 
 it is often repeated and long continued £he system is debil- 
 itated, emaciated and prematurely worn out. The same 
 law holds in regard to any particular organ or function of 
 the body. By forcing into the stomach a large quantity 
 of indigestible and unwholesome food thereby over-bur- 
 dening the wonderful energies of that organ, after awhile 
 its energies flag, and dyspeptic symptoms make their ap- 
 pearance. By overstraining the eyes, as in artistic em- 
 ployments of various kinds, or in reading without suffi- 
 cient lights and continuing the exertion for a long time, 
 those delicate organs become weak, and inflamed, and 
 vision prematurely declines. Such illustrations might be 
 enumerated to almost any extent ; but our object is merely 
 to call attention to this universaMaw, as applied to the 
 sexual system. By sexual excesses the seminal vesicles 
 and their outlets lose their natural and healthy tonicity, 
 and become so debilitated and relaxed, that they have no 
 power to retain the semen, which escapes with or without 
 the consciousness of the patient. 
 
 2. Gonorrhoeal and gleety discharges! The mucous mem- 
 brane of the urethra is continuous with that of the seminal 
 
 21 
 
322 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 vesicles and their duets which open into the urethra. An 
 impression, therefore, made upon the urethra may be 
 transmitted to all the parts, which are continuous, if not 
 contiguous, with it ; and hence a badly treated gonorrhoea 
 ending in gleet very often extends its weakening influence 
 to these parts, producing, if allowed to continue, an obsti- 
 nate form of involuntary seminal emissions. As an ex- 
 ample we will give a brief description of a case, which 
 came under our professional care : — 
 
 The patient had contracted gonorrhoea. He was treated 
 by some inferior practitioner, who dosed him in the ordi- 
 nary manner with copaiba, cubebs, etc. ; and resorted, as 
 usual, to the early use of astringent injections. He was 
 then supposed to be cured. Soon after, however, a gleety 
 discharge made its appearance, which continued for a few 
 months and was then temporarily arrested by some em- 
 pirical preparation to reappear from time to time after- 
 wards. But years subsequently, when the gentleman had 
 nearly forgotten his gonorrhoea, his health began to fail, 
 and his mental faculties were undergoing a change for the 
 worse ; nervous prostration and loss of sexual power were 
 already stealing upon -him; he knew his illness was in- 
 creasing upon him, but he was entirely ignorant of the 
 cause of his misery. He, therefore., consulted a physician, 
 who, failing to discover the cause of illness, pronounced 
 his patient hypochondriacal, merely fancying himself to be 
 sick. Months afterwards he applied to the writer with a 
 faint hope that he might still find relief. He first gave us 
 a history of his case by letter, which, at once, led us to 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 323 
 
 suspect that lie had all the while been suffering from 
 seminal weakness, and further inquiry confirmed our first 
 impressions. A thorough treatment was prescribed, having 
 reference to the general health and the local disease which, 
 in due time, effected a complete cure. 
 
 Now, here was a patient who had been parting with life 
 itself, and descending y towards the grave, as the result, in 
 the first place, of a badly treated gonorrhoea followed by 
 seminal weakness, and, in the next place, of the inability 
 of the practitioner first consulted to detect and remove the 
 infirmity ; and had it not been discovered and removed in 
 the manner explained, the grave would have closed over 
 another victim to imaginary tUness, as it is so cruelly and 
 falsely called. This case, we record merely as an example 
 of the large number of patients, who, after seeking relief 
 from various improper sources, have placed themselves 
 under our treatment and been discharged in a healthy con- 
 dition ; and we make the statement not in the spirit of 
 boasting, but as a matter of justice to ourselves, and such 
 patients as above described ; for while most physicians know 
 little of the nature and treatment of this infirmity, we have 
 taken great pains to investigate the whole subject, and 
 have been able to devise a plan of treatment which proves 
 eminently successful. 
 
 3. Masturbation ! All the other causes of seminal weak- 
 ness put together, are, by no means, equal to this. In- 
 deed, few persons, who practice this vice escape involuntary 
 seminal emissions in some form ; and when they do, the, 
 loss of semen, and the shock upon the nervous system 
 
324 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 from masturbation, produce the same, or worse effects, 
 than involuntary losses of semen; and, therefore, all we 
 have said, and shall still say concerning the general symp- 
 toms and unhappy consequences of either, applies with 
 equal force to the other, though we have preferred to keep 
 the two subjects somewhat distinct. We shall, therefore, 
 notice this more fully than either of the other causes, aa 
 we have not space to make it the subject of a separate 
 chapter. And let us first inquire, 
 
 • What is this secret vice ? That the youth, who, as yet 
 have escaped contamination, may continue uncontaminated, 
 they should understand, as well as the nature of the subject 
 will allow, what the habit is ; for this is the only way they 
 can be deterred from falling into its practice. As a general 
 definition, we may state, that it is an effort made by persons, 
 while in secret, and yielding to their lascivious impulses, to 
 procure to themselves the sensations appended to the in- 
 tercourse of the sexes. This may be made clearer by a 
 literal definition of some of the terms used to designate 
 the practice. It is called Onanism, because Onan com- 
 manded by Judah his father "to go in unto" Tamar his 
 brother's wife, and raise up children unto his brother, dis- 
 obeyed the command, by managing to spill his seed upon 
 the ground. It is called masturbation, from two Latin 
 words, one signifying hand and the other I ravish — to ravish 
 with the hand, because the hand is used to excite the sexual 
 passion. It is also called self-pollution and self-abuse, be- 
 cause the pollution and abuse is produced by the person 
 himself. Solitary vice, secret vice, etc. are other terms 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 325 
 
 used to designate this vicious and filthy habit, because it is 
 practiced in solitary and secret retreat, away from the ob- 
 servation of others. 
 
 Masturbation being a solitary and secret practice, it is 
 impossible to guard against it, except by vigilance, and 
 warning, and a faithful portraiture of its terrible conse- 
 quences ; for it may be learned under almost any circum- 
 stances — in the family, at public and private schools, from 
 vicious associates, and even from the perverse instincts of 
 the youth himself. Hence, we see the folly of the pretence 
 that a knowledge of this subject will lead to its practice, 
 when it cannot be guarded against except by careful in* 
 struction, and the most faithful description of its terrible 
 consequences. Those who believe in the concealment of a 
 knowledge of this vice are persons of good intentions, but 
 they never reason well. They are controlled by foeling in- 
 stead of duty. 
 
 We do not desire that this subject should be shorne of 
 the disgust and delicacy, which naturally belong to it, nor 
 that it should be made a topic of ordinary conversation ; 
 for that would shock the sensibilities of all decent people. 
 But there are proper ways to impart this instruction, the 
 best and most efficient being to place in the hands of the 
 young, and those of riper years, suspected of having con- 
 tracted the habit, well-written works setting forth the con- 
 sequences of all secret and vicious practices. Such a 
 course could not fail to produce its legitimate and beneficial 
 effects upon society. And well would it be for the rising 
 generation if this volume, as intended, should receive such 
 
326 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 a circulation. There is also great need that clergymen, 
 superintendents of colleges and schools, parents, guardians, 
 and all to whom are intrusted the formation of youthful 
 character, should be better instructed upon such subjects, 
 that they may more readily detect, and, if possible, remove 
 those deadly vices, which commence in the heart, rather 
 than the outward life. 
 
 There are no physicians in this or any other country, 
 having devoted themselves chiefly to the treatment of dis- 
 eases of the genital organs, who are not deeply impressed 
 with the prevalence of self-pollution. It may be doubted 
 by the mere routine practitioner ; but, of all men, he is 
 least likely to form an accurate conception upon this sub- 
 ject ; for he is seldom ever entrusted with such secrets. 
 The confession that the solitary victim will not, and cannot 
 with propriety malve to a father, mother, or brother, he 
 will not be likely to make to the family physician. The 
 common medical attendant, then, is just as ignorant of the 
 extent and consequences of such vicious practices, as he is 
 of the best mode of detection and cure. Away then with 
 this wretched perversion of the meaning of the terms 
 " morality and delicacy ;" it is better, in the language of a 
 great master of science, 1 1 to admit, at once, that amongst 
 other infirmities of our nature, causes predisposing to self- 
 abuse exist within the human organization itself, and to 
 take measures, at least as strenuous against this almost 
 universal infirmity, as are adopted against others far less 
 common, less seducing, and less pernicious." 
 That young people frequently fall into the habit in quea- 
 
UNNATURAL SLMINAL EMISSIONS. 327 
 
 tion, and almost destroy themselves while totally ignorant 
 of the consequences, the writer can testify from the expe- 
 rience gathered during his practice, and he feels assured 
 that in calling attention to the evils resulting from every 
 form of vicious indulgence he is adopting the most efficient 
 means of prevention and cure. Many a noble youth might 
 have been saved to his family and to society by such timely 
 warning ; and shall it be said that it is wrong to strip the 
 mask from this fearful infatuation, and to paint its horrors 
 as they really exist ? 
 
 Among the intelligent and well-educated classes, and 
 those whose occupations, or the want of occupations, lead 
 them to habits of indolence, we find large numbers of 
 persons exceedingly prone to this vice ; for it is true the 
 world over, that ; k indolence is the mother of vice. ' ' And 
 must we acknowledge that young clergymen are often given 
 to this practice? Such is the ease, and it is sometimes 
 carried to a very destructive and debasing extent. They 
 have sufficient scope, it is true, for the exercise of their 
 intellectual and moral faculties, upon subjects elevating 
 and ennobling to the mind, but the indolence of the body, 
 and the over-fawning female society into which they are so 
 readily admitted, very often counterbalances the good in- 
 fluences coming upon themselves from their professional 
 labors, and while preaching to others they are themselves 
 castaways. They know it is a crying sin in the sight of 
 Heaven and resolve to quit it; their resolution is broken; 
 they beg for pardon and strength to overcome the tempta- 
 tion ; again they resolve, and again their resolution goes 
 
32S THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 to the wind ; and after awhile, the scene being acted over and 
 over for almost an innumerable number of times, some gain a 
 victory over their passions, more or less complete, while 
 others remain slaves to the lusts of their flesh for an indefi- 
 nite length of time, some of whom are the most pitiable 
 objects to be found in all God's universe. It is useless to 
 cover this thing up. I prefer to probe it, to expose and 
 lay it open to the light of truth and science, with the hope 
 of doing something to remedy the evil. We can often tell 
 one of this class by looking upon him when standing in 
 the pulpit; and, as it is our uniform custom to attend 
 church, rain or shine, when possible to do so, these things 
 are sometimes often forced upon our mind when least de- 
 sirable. We have had such persons call at our office to 
 consult us upon their unhappy condition, full of apologies 
 for the necessity of making such a revelation, when the 
 very thing had, more than once, been most undoubtedly 
 revealed to us from the " sacred desk." Dr. Armstrong, 
 an eminent English physician, whose inquiries upon this 
 subject are worthy of great respect, says, " I think I could 
 tell a person, who had given himself up to the practice of 
 self-pollution, merely by walking behind him in the street, 
 from his peculiar gait." 
 
 Rev. Dr. Adam Clarke, the learned and illustrious com- 
 mentator of the Holy Bible, speaks of masturbation in 
 the following emphatic language : — 
 
 " The sin of self-pollution is one of the most destructive 
 evils ever practiced by fallen man : in many respects it is 
 several degrees worse than common whoredom, and has in 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 329 
 
 train more awful consequences. It excites the power of 
 nature to undue action and produces violent secretions, 
 which necessarily and speedily exhaust the vital principle 
 and energy ; hence, the muscles become flaccid and feeble, 
 the tone and natural action of the nerves relaxed and im- 
 peded, the understanding confused, the memory oblivious, 
 the judgment perverted, the will indeterminate, and wholly 
 without energy to resist. The eyes appear languishing 
 and without expression, and the countenance 'becomes va- 
 cant ; appetite ceases ; as the stomach is incapable of per- 
 forming its proper office, nutrition fails ; tremors, fears, 
 and terrors are generated : and thus the wretched victim 
 drags out a miserable existence, till superannuated even 
 before he had time to arrive at man's estate, with a mind 
 often debilitated, even to a state of idiotism, his worthless 
 body tumbles into the grave, and his guilty soul is hurried 
 into the awful presence of its Judge. ' ' jg: 
 
 Unfortunately for the history of human nature, this vice 
 has been found coeval with every form of society, savage 
 and civilized ; and the denunciations of ancient moralists 
 are of equal application at the present day. We find them 
 expressing the greatest horror at this degrading practice, 
 as a crime the most monstrous, unnatural, and filthy, its 
 consequences absolutely ruinous, perverting natural inclina- 
 tion and conjugal affections, and extinguishing the hope of 
 a vigorous posterity. The morals, the constitutions, and 
 the future manhood of the growing population of our 
 country are perishing, and rotting under the influence of 
 this terrible evil. Its prevalence among our youth and 
 
330 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 those of more mature years is a matter of certainty, which 
 it would be foolish to attempt to conceal, as it*can only be 
 extinguished by exposure, and a faithful description of its 
 terrible consequences. 
 
 Hippocrates, more than two thousand years ago, ob- 
 served that ' ' the seed of man arose from all the humors 
 of his body, and is the most valuable part of them. When 
 a person loses it, he loses the vital spirit ; so that it is not 
 astonishing 'that its too frequent evacuation should ener- 
 vate, as the body is thereby deprived of the purest of its 
 humors.'' Another author remarks, that "the semen is 
 kept in the seed vessels, until the man make proper use of 
 it, or nocturnal emissions deprive him of it. During all this 
 time, the quantity which is there detained, excites him to 
 the act of venery ; but the greatest part of this essence, 
 which is the most volatile and odoriferous, as well as the 
 strongest, is abi&rbed into the blood ; and it there produces 
 on its return very great changes. It makes the beard, 
 hair, and nails grow ; it changes the voice and manners ; 
 for age does not produce these changes in animals, it is the 
 seed only that operates in this manner, for these changes 
 are never met with in eunuchs, or those who have been 
 deprived of their testicles. Can a greater proof of its 
 vitalizing power be shown, than this fact, that one single 
 drop is sufficient to give life to a future being? Those, 
 then, who waste this precious fluid are truly wretched. 
 Disabled from rendering any service either to themselves 
 or their friends, they drag on a life totally useless to others 
 and a burden to themselves, in the midst of that society, 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 331 
 
 which, if it could know, would despise, rather than pity 
 them for their self-inflicted sufferings. ' ' 
 
 A moment's consideration will suggest how necessarily a 
 continuous and excessive drain of the seminal fluid by 
 masturbation must lead to prostration and decline. That 
 fluid is not an excrementitious material, intended to be ex- 
 pelled from the system, like dead and effete matters that 
 would be injurious longer to remain in the body ; but it is 
 intended to be retained in the body, with the exception of 
 the small portion healthfully employed, from time to time, 
 for the propagation of the species. All physicians who 
 have given attention to this subject are of the opinion that 
 one ounce of this fluid lost by masturbation, excessive un- 
 natural indulgence, or seminal weakness, is equal to the 
 loss of ten ounces of blood. 
 
 Among the effects of masturbation, we must not forget 
 to mention priapism, or a permanent erection of the penis. 
 This will sometimes remain for weeks or even months, 
 producing the most painful consequences, and endangering 
 the life of the patient by inflammation and disorganization, 
 or by erysipelas running up into the body, unless the pa- 
 tient lives where he can, at once, avail himself of the most 
 skillful treatment. Atrophy or wasting away of the penis, 
 such as we have described as one of the consequences of 
 involuntary seminal emissions, is sure, to a greater or less 
 extent, to follow long-continued masturbation. The organ 
 also has an old look, and is often more or less distorted. 
 We have often seen it looking as old and infirm in boys 
 
332 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 sixteen or seventeen years of age, as in man at the age of 
 sixty years. 
 
 But there is another local result of self-pollution to which 
 we would more particularly call the attention of our 
 readers — the loss of the natural sensibility of the parts. 
 This is sometimes so great, and the penis becomes so 
 deadened to the ordinary means of excitement, that the 
 hand is no longer sufficient to produce an erection accom- 
 panied by erotic sensations; and if the victim— always 
 weak in intellect — is unaware of the danger of such horri- 
 ble practices, he will be likely to resort to other artificial 
 means more potent for this purpose. Hence, we find them 
 titillating the urethra with pencils, sticks, pieces of whale- 
 bone, and such things, which often slip into the bladder 
 endangering the life of the patient and rendering surgical 
 aid necessary for their removal. Sometimes it is necessary 
 to cut the patient as for stone. Another means sometimes 
 employed to produce erotic excitement is to thrust the 
 penis through small holes, such as the handle of a key, a 
 candle-stick, etc. , and the organ immediately swelling it is 
 often impossible to withdraw it without surgical assistance. 
 Had we space we might relate many painful, as well as 
 ludicrous, cases of this kind. 
 
 An interesting case is related of an inn-keeper, who was 
 in the habit of titillating the penis by introducing foreign 
 bodies into the urethra. "On one occasion he used an 
 iron wire seven or eight inches long, the end of which was 
 crooked like a hook, to obtain, probably, more exquisite 
 pleasure. One day, while indulging in this singular 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 333 
 
 maneuver, he suddenly felt severe pain. The membra- 
 nous portion of the canal was ruptured. The unfortunate 
 man made several attempts to withdraw the wire ; but the 
 hook, which had entered the soft part, rendered it im- 
 possible. Overcome by suffering and shame, he wished to 
 get rid of it ; and with this view, he rounded the loose 
 part of the wire into the form of a rin'g, proposing in this 
 manner to pull upon it more firmly. He exercised this 
 force until the ring was nearly broken, but the iron was 
 still in its place. He now expected death, and was obliged 
 to call in a physician-to his relief. 
 
 " Dr. Fardeau was promptly in attendance. He found 
 the penis, and also the skin of the scrotum enormously 
 tumefied. All the tissues which are inserted in the penis 
 were also swelled, hot, and painful. The belly began to 
 be puffy; the urine was suppressed; the face was red; 
 the eyes filmy ; the pulse hard, frequent and corded, and 
 the mind much affected. Dr. Fardeau grasped the loose 
 portion of the wire, pulled it up slightly, and immediately 
 found that the other end was arrested by an immoveable 
 obstacle. He then examined the parts attentively, and 
 found, to his astonishment, that the hook was fixed in the 
 inner edge of the ischiatic tuberosity. An oblong incision 
 was now made over this part ; the hook seized, and the 
 wire was withdrawn through the perineum. This patient, 
 after suffering a long time from the wounds inflicted, was 
 finally restored to health, and effectually cured of his de- 
 testable practices.' ' 
 
 For the purpose of exposing still further the ridiculous 
 
334 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 means which persons, who have destroyed their intellects 
 by long-continued self-pollution, will sometimes employ to 
 produce erotic sensations ; and to bring this whole subject 
 home to the consciences of our readers, and disgust them, 
 and thereby deter them from its practice, we will here re- 
 cord the notorious case of Gabriel Grallien, a shepherd of 
 Languedoc, as related by Chopart in his work on the 
 urinary passages. Startling and incredible as the descrip- 
 tion may appear, it is still authentic: 
 
 "At about the age of fifteen, he became addicted to 
 masturbation, and to such a degree as to practice it seven 
 or eight times a day. Emissions became at last so difficult 
 that he would strive for an hour, and then discharge only 
 a few drops of blood. At the age of six and twenty his 
 hand became insufficient — all he could do was to keep his 
 penis in a continual state of priapism. He then bethought 
 himself of tickling the internal parts of his urethra, by 
 means of a bit of wood, six inches long, and he would 
 spend in that occupation several hours, while tending to 
 his flocks in the solitude of the mountains. By a con- 
 tinuation of this titillation for sixteen years, the canal of 
 the urethra became hard, callous, and insensible. The 
 piece' of wood then became as ineffectual as his hand. At 
 last, after much fruitless effort, Gallien, one day in despair, 
 drew from his pocket a blunt knife, and made an incision 
 into his glans along the course of the urethra. This op- 
 eration, which would have been painful to any body else, 
 was in him attended with a sensation of pleasure, followed 
 by a copious emission. He had recourse to this new dis- 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 335 
 
 covery every time his desire returned. When, after an 
 incision into the cavernous bodies, the blood flowed pro- 
 fusely, he stopped the hemorrhage, by applying around 
 the penis a pretty tight ligature. At last, after repeating 
 the same process perhaps a thousand times, he ended in 
 splitting his penis into two equal parts, from the orifice of 
 the penis to the scrotum, very near the symphisis pubis. 
 When he had got so far, unable to carry his incision any 
 further, and again reduced to new privations, he had re- 
 course to a piece of wood, shorter than the former ; he 
 introduced it into what remained of the urethra, and excit- 
 ing, at pleasure the extremities of the ejaculatory ducts, 
 he provoked easily the discharge of semen. He continued 
 this about ten years. After that long space of time, he 
 one day introduced his bit of wood so carelessly that it 
 slipped from his fingers and dropped into the bladder. 
 Excruciating pain and serious symptoms came on. The 
 patient was conveyed to the hospital at Narbonne. The 
 surgeon, surprised at the sight of two penes of ordinary 
 size, both capable of erection, and in that stage diverging 
 on both sides, and seeing besides, from the scars and 
 callous edges of the divisions, that this conformation was 
 not-congenital from his birth, obliged the patient to give 
 him an account of his life, which he did, with the details 
 that have been related. This wretch, cut, as for a stone, 
 recovered of the operation, but died three months after of 
 an abscess in the right side of the chest ; his physical state 
 having been evidently brought on by the practice of mas- 
 turbation, carried on for many years.' ' 
 
836 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 In the course of our remarks, w§. have alluded to the 
 melancholy and irritable condition of most persons suffering 
 from the effects of solitary vice, and involuntary seminal 
 losses, and the practice of upbraiding them as imaginary 
 invalids, merely fancying themselves to be sick. Now this 
 practice, so common and wrong-headed, we would solemnly 
 protest against as injurious in the extreme, tending to 
 confirm the patient in his unhappy condition. It should, 
 therefore, be rigidly guarded against, as a part of the 
 treatment in all such cases. It is more consistent to en- 
 deavor to keep up the patient's courage, by a cheering word 
 spoken at the proper time, and the avoidance of every 
 circumstance which could confuse or irritate him. But 
 before he can enjoy the world or society the cause of his 
 illness must be removed. Remember ; if he complain, he 
 must be sick, though the cause and nature of the sickness 
 be hid from every observer ; or, if the illness should seem 
 to be confined chiefly to the mind, it always depends upon 
 gome cause requiring the scrutiny and resources of the 
 skillful practitioner for its detection and removal. An 
 eminent European writer speaking upon this subject uses 
 the following language : — 
 
 " It is in vain we say to the so-called hypochondriac — 
 amuse yourself, employ your mind, go into society, seek 
 agreeable conversation ; so long as we have not removed the 
 cause of his disorder he is unable to profit by our counsels. 
 How can we expect, that when a man is fatigued by the 
 least exercise he shall occupy himself with walking or gar- 
 dening? How can we desire him to go into society, when 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 337 
 
 the simple presence of a woman intimidates him, and 
 recalls all his former misfortues ? How can we expect him 
 to enjoy conversation when he loses its thread every mo- 
 ment — when his memory leaves him, and when he feels 
 his nullity ? We persuade him to seek amusements and 
 pleasures, but are they such to him ? Is not the happi- 
 ness of others his greatest punishment? Because he is 
 unaWe to follow our advice, we accuse him of unwilling- 
 ness, and we wish to compel him. But let us first remove 
 the cause of our patient's disease^ and we may then hope 
 that his character and conduct will change, and that he 
 will return to his natural tastes and habits. ' * 
 
 Various local appliances have been invented for the 
 treatment of seminal losses with varying and unsatisfactory 
 results. Lallemand of Paris, whose investigations and 
 writings have done so much to explain the true character 
 and results of such infirmities, was still very limited in his 
 resources of treatment. He was author of the celebrated 
 Porte Caustique^ a silver instrument like a catheter, with 
 lunar caustic fixed at the end, or in a groove near the end, 
 to be thrust into the urinary canals of all spermatorrhoeal 
 patients, regardless of the condition of the general system 
 or the local parts. This became a fashionable remedy, 
 and, therefore, had a long run before its bad results were 
 fully realized. That it sometimes produced beneficial re- 
 sults in the hands of such men as Lallemand, no enlight* 
 ened physician will doubt ; but its bad results are so fre- 
 quent and dangerous, that its use under any circumstances, 
 is, at least, very questionable. Inflammation, spasm, and 
 22 
 
338 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 stricture of the urethra ; strangury and irritability of the 
 bladder; swelled and painful testicles, etc., etc., are fre- 
 quently produced by this fashionable remedy. Many prac- 
 titioners adhere to it at the present day ; but in our hands 
 milder and safer remedies are uniformly successful ; and, 
 therefore, the porte caustique is not one of our resources 
 of cure. 
 
 An attempt to prevent the escape of the semen hf pres- 
 sure upon the walls of the urethra has its disciples. A 
 ring-like contrivance has been invented, which locks around 
 the penis, and hugs the urethra so closely that no semen 
 can escape beyond while it remains. But look at the 
 laughable absurdity of such an invention ! Of course it 
 cannot prevent the escape of the semen from the seminal 
 vesicles, but merely from the urethra beyond the ring. 
 What, then, is the result? Why, any novice can tell! 
 The semen is collected into the urethra behind the ring— 
 a portion of it sometimes passes backwards into the bladder 
 owing to some irregular spasmodic action of the urinary 
 passage — and when the patient is obliged to remove the 
 ring for the purpose of making water, the semen and the 
 urine come away together, and the unhappy invalid is be- 
 guiled into the belief of amendment, because he does not 
 see the semen escape. Surely absurdity could go no 
 further, and is just worthy a school-boy who is unable to 
 % hold his water ; besides, its use might produce stricture 
 of the urethra, venous congestion of the organ, etc. 
 
 Suppositories are highly recommended by some practi- 
 tioners in the treatment of this infirmity. These consist 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 339 
 
 of various medicated substances, rolled into the form of a 
 cigar, and thrust up the patient's fundament upon going 
 to bed — a most uncongenial way of giving medicines. Of 
 course, no direct effect can be produced upon the seminal 
 vesicles or their ducts by this treatment ; for a mere tyro 
 in medicine can certify that the suppository would be 
 separated from the diseased parts, by the coats of the rec- 
 tum, the prostate gland, and a certain amount of cellular 
 tissue. But a slight effect may be produced indirectly by 
 the sympathy of the diseased parts with the rectum, and 
 the absorption of a slight amount of the medicinal substance 
 contained in the suppository. In this way a continued 
 impression is kept up. But when necessary to administer 
 medicines per rectum, it is usually preferable to dissolve 
 them in water, and throw them up the bowel with a 
 syringe, as they are moife readily absorbed and produce 
 more salutary results, both locally and constitutionally. 
 Neither of these contrivances are necessary, however, when 
 medicines can be retained upon the stomach, except, per- 
 haps, an injection to provoke the action of the bowels, or 
 an anodyne injection to produce relief from pain situated 
 in the neighboring parts. 
 
 In the treatment of seminal weakness, and various other 
 diseases of organs situated within the pelvis, it has been 
 customary, from time immemorial, to employ various kinds 
 of counter-irritation over the sacrum, and small of the 
 back, such as blisters, tartar emetic eruptions, and various 
 other escharotics ; moxas, setons, irritating plasters, etc. ; 
 but we have long since given up all such applications, and 
 
340 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 for the best of all reasons, viz. : we have seldom seen 
 the slightest benefits from their use. Applied to other 
 parts of the body, in the treatment of serious diseases, 
 they are often very serviceable in the hands of skillful 
 practitioners ; but when applied over the sacrum, or lower 
 part of the back, for the treatment of diseases of organs 
 within the pelvis, they produce, we repeat, little or no 
 effect, except to torment and harass the patient. It is, 
 therefore, unjust and inhuman to employ them. One of our 
 most eminent surgeons, having had his attention called to 
 this subject, acknowledged to us that he had never seen any 
 very decided benefits from this treatment, though he had 
 employed it for years, for all sorts of diseases within the 
 pelvis, and had laid it down as an essential part of the 
 treatment, in a large text book for our colleges. It has 
 been a fashionable remedy, and, therefore, employed 
 without proper reference to the results. 
 
 So much for some of the treatment still employed by 
 many practitioners, which we have tested and discarded, 
 as dangerous, or worthless ; and now let us sum up some 
 of the principles of our present treatment. It is local and 
 constitutional; but in both cases, the remedies are given 
 per os, and pass through the stomach. 
 
 It is well known by medical men, that our materia 
 medica furnishes us with various agents, having direct and 
 specific action upon all the organs and functions of the 
 system. For instance, some act chiefly upon the liver, 
 increasing the flow of bile, and correcting various disturb- 
 ances of that organ ; others act chiefly upon the kidneys, in- 
 
UNNATURAL SEMINAL EMISSIONS. 341 
 
 creasing the flow of urine, and correcting its abnormal 
 condition ; others still direct their force chiefly to the 
 genital organs, increasing the sexual power and appetite, 
 and tending to correct various infirmities — and so on 
 through the whole economy. 
 
 Again ; we have remedies which enter into all the secre- 
 tions' and excretions of the system. This is proved by ap- 
 plying the proper chemical tests. For instance ; if we take 
 a little of the urine, and test it for any particular substance 
 which the patient is taking, and find the identical sub- 
 stance present, we know it passes through the system into 
 that excretion — we have also learned an important principle 
 in the treatment of various urinary and genital diseases, 
 viz. : the medication of the urine. We are thus in pos- 
 session of various remedies, both mineral and vegetable, 
 which pass into and medicate the urine. Now, the urine 
 thus medicated comes in direct contact with the outlets of 
 the seminal vesicles, and the whole of the urinary passage, 
 and the influence of the remedy, is transmitted to the 
 seminal vesicles themselves. But some of these substances 
 are inert; others do harm, while others effect a cure; and, 
 therefore, it requires great experience and discrimination 
 in the selection of the proper remedy for the case in hand. 
 Upon such knowledge depends the skill of the practitioner 
 in the treatment of various diseases of these organs. Of 
 course, the remedy thus diluted with the urine is not very 
 pungent, but, if continued a reasonable length of time, it 
 possesses sufficient strength to produce a permanently 
 healing effect, which experience abundantly proves. Does 
 
342 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 the reader now understand our principle of treating seminal 
 weakness by administering remedies through the stomach? 
 In addition to such local treatment as above indicated, 
 the general constitution of such patients always needs great 
 iattention. Always enervated, debilitated, and shattered, 
 to a greater or less extent, the system must be fortified and 
 built up, by a judicious course of tonic and alterative 
 treatment ; but this may generally be united with the local 
 treatment, when convenience, or other circumstances, makes 
 it desirable. If there should be any atrophy or loss of 
 sexual power — which will be found to exist in nearly all 
 bad cases — the instrument described in the last part of the 
 preceding chapter, will be found serviceable in connection 
 with the other treatment. 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES, 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 INFECTIOUS SEXUA.Z DISEASES. 
 
 Gonorrhoea produced by infectious matter— Ludicrous ideas of some 
 authors — The period of incubation — How the symptoms com- 
 mence — Character of the discharge — The painful symptoms — 
 Scalding in making water, swelled glands, chordee, phymosis, 
 paraphymosis, swelled testicles, irritable bladder, etc. — The 
 formation of spasmodic and permanent strictures — Terrible con- 
 sequence of bad treatment — Syphilis — The primary sore or 
 chancre — Its situation in males and females — Varieties; hard, 
 soft, and sloughing — The whole virile member sometimes de- 
 stroyed — The formation of syphilitic buboes — Constitutional 
 syphilis most to be dreaded — Dirty, scaly, copper-colored skin 
 diseases, running sores, sore throat, destruction of the palate, and 
 the nasal appendage, falling of the hair and eyebrows, diseases 
 of the bones, joints, etc.— Syphilitic bronchitis, paralysis, etc. — 
 Why not reported in our bills of mortality — Hereditary trans- 
 missions — Fearful mortality of children — The treatment of such 
 children — Remarks upon the treatment of primary and constitu- 
 tional syphilis. 
 
 Infectious sexual diseases usually called by authors 
 venereal diseases, and sometimes spoken of by the people 
 as had diseases ■, will form the subject of this chapter. But 
 to give a systematic treatise of these diseases, noticing in 
 detail their origin, nature, effects, symptoms, treatment 
 
344 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 etc., would require a volume equal to the present, and 
 would be of little use to the general reader. We shall, 
 therefore, call attention only to their main features, and 
 interpose our warning and advice as to their terrible con- 
 sequences and their successful treatment. 
 
 There is no person except the medical man, whose repu- 
 tation brings him patients from all classes of society, who 
 knows the extent to which these diseases exist ; he alone 
 understands their terrible consequences, the imprudences 
 of persons in contracting them and in seeking relief, and 
 the ridiculous blunders of charlatans wh$ undertake their 
 treatment. 
 
 Sexual intercourse is occasionally impure ; animal poisons 
 are generated and communicated by such intercourse, 
 which are of a peculiar malignant character. There are 
 two distinct venereal poisons ; one is the poison of gonor- 
 rhoea, commonly called clap, which coming in contact with 
 the mucous membrane of the urethra, or the prepuce, pro- 
 duces a specific inflammation, which gives rise to a dis- 
 charge of infectious matter. The other is the poison of 
 syphilis, vulgarly called the pox, which applied to the 
 glans, prepuce, or skin, produces a small circumscribed 
 sore called a chancre. 
 
 Let us now proceed to describe these two venereal dis- 
 eases, and their horrible consequences when badly treated, 
 or allowed to take their own course. 
 
 First, gonorrhoea ! This disease, as already intimated, is 
 produced by infection from the same disease in the other 
 sex. But the acute stage of the disease may have passed, 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 345 
 
 and a chronic discharge may continue, for a longer or 
 shorter time afterwards, called a gleet, which may possess 
 enough of the specific poison of clap to produce the dis- 
 ease in a well person. Hence a person may get the gonor- 
 rhoea by having connection with another, who has a gleet 
 Some authors seem to suppose that a gonorrhoea may be 
 contracted in other ways, such as having frequent connec- 
 tion with a woman who has an acrid discharge from the 
 vagina, known as the whites, or a discharge proceeding 
 from ulceration of the womb, or by cohabiting with a 
 woman when she has her courses. Cases are also recorded 
 in medical works — Druitt . being, perhaps, the highest 
 authority — where the disease has been brought on by 
 horseback riding, riding in vehicles over rough roads, etc. , 
 etc. But we have little faith in such a doctrine. TFe 
 have never seen a case of gonorrhoea we had reason to be- 
 lieve was communicated by the whites, the menses, horse- 
 back riding, or anything of the kind. This may be a very 
 convenient doctrine, and may hide a multitude of sins — for 
 which purpose we suppose it must have been taught — but 
 it does a great injustice to science, to society, and indi- 
 viduals. It is true that a gleety discharge, as the result 
 of gonorrhoea, may be increased, or if it had been arrested 
 it may possibly be reproduced by any of the above causes ; 
 but they cannot, in our opinion, originate a gonorrhoea. 
 This can only come from a specific poison like itself. 
 
 No certain time can be laid down before a clap will make 
 its appearance after infection has been communicated. In 
 some instances three or four days elapse ; in others there 
 
346 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 will not be the least appearance of the disease till the 
 eighth or tenth day. Most commonly, however, it is per- 
 ceptible sometimes between the third and sixth day. It 
 usually commences with a sense of uneasiness about the 
 parts, a tingling, thrilling sensation sometimes exciting 
 lascivious desire ; presently this is exchanged for itching 
 and soreness, and then a drop of fluid escapes, and the 
 attention being called to the parts, it is found that the lips 
 of the urethra, are a little inflamed and swollen, and a 
 whitish, glutinous, and nearly transparent fluid exudes 
 from the orifice. At first the discharge is nearly mucous, 
 but afterwards it assumes a decided prevalent appearance ; 
 this gradually becomes yellowish, and if the inflammatory 
 symptoms run high, it may assume a greenish color, often 
 intermixed or streaked with blood. 
 
 Let us notice some of the painful symptoms of gonor- 
 rhoea. Scalding and pain in making water is often very dis- 
 tressing. This is produced by the passage of the urine over 
 the inflamed surface of the urethra. It varies in intensity 
 in different individuals. There is also an irregular, tume- 
 fied, contracted condition of the urethra, causing the urine 
 to be passed in a small twisted or forked stream, producing 
 more or less difficulty, as well as pain and scalding, in its 
 expulsion. 
 
 Chordee is a very painful symptom. . The spongy body 
 of the penis, situated along its inferior portion, through 
 which the urethra passes, is inflamed, and there is de- 
 posited in its structure an adhesive matter which fills up 
 the cells, glues them together, and prevents their disten- 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 347 
 
 tion ; and the consequence is, that when an erection takes 
 place the organ is bent downwards, and is horribly painful. 
 
 In bad cases we have the conditions called phymosis, 
 and paraphymosis. In the former case, the prepuce is so 
 rigidly contracted in front of the end of the penis, that 
 the patient cannot draw it back to uncover the parts ; in 
 the latter case the prepuce is drawn back of the head of 
 the penis, and is so rigidly contracted as to form a tight 
 ring around its neck, producing great pain, and demanding 
 prompt medical assistance to save the structures from 
 mortification and destruction. 
 
 The glands of the groins are sometimes affected by 
 gonorrhoea, and swell up, forming what are denominated 
 buboes ; but these are quite different from thos^e trouble- 
 some buboes produced by syphilis. The former are pro- 
 duced by sympathy with the gonorrhoea ; they are very un- 
 frequent, seldom burst, and a number of glands may be 
 affected at the same time ; the latter are produced by the 
 absorption of the poison of syphilis, are very common, 
 usually burst, and form loathsome sores, and but one gland 
 is usually affected. Blundering practitioners have some- 
 times mistaken ruptures for these buboes, and thrust the 
 lancet straight into a man's gut. 
 
 Swelled testicles are another painful and dangerous 
 symptom. There is a continuity of mucous surface from 
 the urethra to the testicles, and along this surface the in- 
 flammation of gonorrhoea occasionally creeps, producing 
 swelling and pain of one or both of these organs. The 
 testicles are enveloped in dense fibrous capsules, that do 
 
348 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 not readily yield, when the organs become inflamed ; hence, 
 the pain is excruciating, extending to the small of the 
 back, and producing more or less symptomatic fever. It 
 sometimes happens that the swelled testicle bursts, and 
 the discharge of matter continues till its structure and 
 function is destroyed ; but if this does not happen, the 
 function of the organ may be destroyed, or greatly im- 
 paired by such mischief. 
 
 A gonorrhoea that is badly treated is very apt to run into 
 the chronic condition, and is then termed gleet. In six 
 or seven weeks the discharge diminishes, but> does not en- 
 tirely cease ; its character also undergoes a change ; in- 
 stead of thick mucus and pus, it becomes thin, and looks 
 like a little mucus and pus mixed with water, or like a 
 dirty drop of water. It is usually viscid, and sticks to- 
 gether the lips of the urethra, and stains the patient's 
 linen—a most filthy condition to be endured. The cha- 
 racter of this gleety discharge is quite changeable in its 
 color, consistency, and quantity, sometimes almost entirely 
 ceasing and again reappearing upon having sexual connec- 
 tion, exposure to cold, fatigue, or any slight changes in 
 the general health. Without skillful treatment a gleet 
 may continue for years, or a whole life time, and it may 
 from time to time possess enough of the specific poison of * 
 gonorrhoea to communicate the clap to another person. 
 It is not usually very distressing when unaccompanied by 
 other diseases ; but it is very dangerous, for it is apt to 
 produce irritable bladder, strictures of the urethra, atrophy 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 349 
 
 of the penis, seminal weakness, impotence, and other 
 horrible disorders of the genito-urinary organs. 
 
 Another very distressing and dangerous disorder result- 
 ing from a gonorrhoea, is properly termed irritable bladder; 
 and when once provoked it is very intimately associated 
 with all the habits of sensualism. The patient is annoyed 
 with a frequent desire to void his urine, sometimes so 
 urgent and distressing that he is compelled to make water 
 every fifteen minutes or half-hour. The quantity of the urine 
 is not usually increased ; but the bladder cannot endure its 
 accumulation, a table-spoonful, or two, sometimes being 
 sufficient to produce the most painful efforts of the organ 
 to expel it, and hence the patient would pass only this 
 small quantity of water. There is usually more or less 
 scalding pain in the passage of the urine owing 'to the 
 morbid sensibility at the neck of the bladder and along 
 the course of the urethra. This disorder may exist in 
 every degree of severity, from the mildest to the most 
 violent and dangerous form, sometimes rendering the pa- 
 tient's life a burden to himself and obliging him to keep 
 out of society, and to linger away his hours in solitude. 
 
 Irritable bladder arising from other causes, especially in 
 females, we have briefly noticed in our chapter on diseases 
 of females. 
 
 But of all the consequences of gonorrhoea — the most 
 serious and dangerous, interfering most decidedly with the 
 procieation of the species, and the happiness of married 
 life — the formation of stricture is most to be dreaded. 
 Spasmodic stricture may occur suddenly, at any time during 
 
350 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 the progress of a gonorrhoea, or gleet, and may shortly 
 disappear, or without proper treatment may be followed 
 by the most deplorable consequence, such as rupture of 
 the bladder, burrowing of the urine through the urethra 
 into the cellular tissue, and finally — if death does not 
 sooner take place — making a passage for its escape behind 
 the scrotum. 
 
 But a permanent stricture — very properly so called, as it 
 never gets well without the interference of the medical 
 art — is slower in its formation. It is the result of chronic 
 inflammatory action of some portion of the urethra, pro- 
 ducing a thickening of the membrane, which becomes 
 hard like cartilage, loses its natural elasticity, and more 
 or less plugs up the passage. At first, the patient observes 
 that a few drops of urine is retained in the urethra after 
 the whole appears to be expelled, which dribbles away 
 afterwards, and slightly wets his linen. Next he observes 
 that the stream of urine has somewhat diminished in size, 
 and as the stricture continues to form, he is sensible that 
 greater effort is required to expel the urine. The stream 
 continues to diminish, and is scattered, twisted, or forked, 
 owing to the uneven condition of the urethra, and it can- 
 not be ejected to the usual distance. As the disease pro- 
 gresses the stream becomes thread-like, or the urine is 
 often discharged, drop by drop, requiring a very protracted 
 effort, accompanied by the most excruciating pain to void 
 a few spoonfuls. The bladder and kidneys become dis- 
 eased; and spasmodic stricture is liable to occur at any 
 time — quickly putting an end to the life of the patient. 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 351 
 
 If death does not occur in this way, the patient loses his 
 appetite, becomes enervated and emaciated, great prostration 
 ensues, and hectic fever sets in. putting an end to the fearful 
 tragedy — the result of the imprudence or misfortune of 
 the patient in not having proper treatment in season. 
 Both spasmodic and permanent strictures may arise from 
 many other causes, such as injuries to the parts diseased, 
 morbid condition of the urine, excessive nervous irrita- 
 bility, intemperance, sexual excesses, self-abuses, etc. , etc. , 
 and require the utmost skill and caution in their treatment. 
 Permanent stricture in the female is very unfrequent, on 
 account of the shortness and greater dilatability of the 
 urethra, but spasmodic stricture is a very frequent attend- 
 ant upon child-bearing. 
 
 There is no disease of these organs that requires greater 
 caution and skill than the treatment of stricture. There 
 is none demanding more minute acquaintance with* the 
 anatomy of the parts ; none in which blundering rashness 
 or ignorance may produce more deplorable mischief. But 
 in the hands of a cautious, skillful practitioner a perfect 
 and permanent cure can usually be expected, even in those 
 cases which have existed for years, and seem entirely hope- 
 less. By gently and perseveringly attempting the dilata- 
 tion of the stricture by the use of bougies and catheters, 
 especially adapted to the case in hand, together with ap- 
 propriate internal treatment, the hardened mass gradually 
 disappears, the membrane becomes soft and natural, allow- 
 ing the introduction of a full sized instrument, and the 
 free and easy passage of a full stream of urine. In this 
 
352 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 way we have always succeeded in curing strictures without 
 the necessity of resorting to cutting instruments. We 
 have often found two, three, or even four or five strictures 
 of the urethra at the same time, and have succeeded, in a 
 longer or shorter time, in making a complete cure to the 
 great relief and joy of the patient, whose life had been 
 wretched beyond description. But let me repeat that this 
 treatment is dangerous in th6 hands of a blundering, un- 
 educated doctor, or, indeed, in the hands of any physician 
 unless he has given special attention to the anatomy of the 
 parts, and the treatment of this disease ; for the urethra 
 is so irregular in its form, there are so many prominences 
 and depressions along its course, and so many ducts open- 
 ing into it, that a false passage may be made by forcing 
 the instrument into the bulb, or even into the prostate 
 gland. Some deplorable cases of this kind have come 
 undtr our observation. 
 
 But stricture and all the other unhappy results of gonor- 
 rhoea, which we have now mentioned, may usually be 
 averted, by the proper treatment of the gonorrhoea itself. 
 We shall not, therefore, attempt to point out how patients 
 can treat themselves, for no persons uneducated in medi- 
 cine can manage such cases with safety. It is sheer non- 
 sense to talk about patients treating themselves. We would, 
 therefore, warn them against their own treatment and 
 that of mere pretenders to medical science. Such trifling 
 is always dangerous. Every case must be treated by itself, 
 and there are many circumstances which greatly modify 
 the treatment at different stages of the disease, and in 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 353 
 
 different patients, such as the intensity of the disease, the 
 time it has existed, the constitution and general health of 
 the patient, his idiosyncracies, and even his temperament, 
 age, etc. Hence a remedy that would be appropriate and 
 highly beneficial, when given to a patient at the proper 
 time, might intensify the disease four fold when given to 
 another patient, at a different stage of the disease. How . 
 often do we find patients, and even doctors resorting to 
 certain stimulating resins, and astringent, irritating injec- 
 tions, at the time when the very opposite course of treat- 
 ment is demanded ; and the consequences of such blunder- 
 ing are often most disastrous. Such things have so often 
 come to our knowledge, that they are really sickening to 
 contemplate. Every person ought to know that it is un- 
 safe for any one except an educated physician to undertake 
 the treatment of a serious and dangerous disease, a disease 
 liable to such horrible consequences as a badly managed 
 gonorrhoea. 
 
 A confirmed gonorrhoea cannot be arrested suddenly 
 with safety to the patient ; and those persons who adver- 
 tise that they can cure the disease in a day or two without 
 regard to diet, etc. , are totally regardless of the deplorable 
 consequences of their practice. Xo honest physician will 
 resort to such extreme measures, and hazard the health, 
 and even life of his patient, for a few paltry dollars. It is 
 one thing to arrest the discharge temporarily, and quite 
 another thing to cure the disease permanently on which 
 the discharge depends. In the former case the inflamma- 
 tory symptoms become dangerous, the discharge reappears 
 23 
 
3o4 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 from time to time, and becomes chronic and gleety, and 
 diseased testicles^ irritable bladder, and strictures of the 
 urethra, are very likely to follow. Bat when the disease 
 is completely cured, the patient is exempt from all such 
 dangerous consequences. We have often cured a gonor- 
 rhoea in three or four days, but not by attempting, in the 
 first instance, suddenly to arrest the discharge ; but by 
 carefully adapting our treatment to the condition of the 
 parts, and endeavoring, as speedily as possible, to bring 
 about such a favorable condition that it would be perfectly 
 safe to administer remedies for the special purpose of ar- 
 resting the discharge. In this way the discharge is perma* 
 nently arrested, the cure is complete, and the patient is 
 protected from all those terrible consequences, which re- 
 sult from a badly treated gonorrhoea. 
 
 Let us now direct our attention to another venereal dis- 
 ease known as syphilis, or the pox. .This infection, though 
 produced by impure sexual connection, is entirely distinct, 
 in its primary and constitutional effects, from that we have 
 already considered. Gonorrhoea is produced by the inocu- 
 lation of a venereal poison, and so is syphilis ; but the 
 poisons are essentially different in character, and there is 
 no analogy between the two diseases, except that they 
 primarily affect the same organs. 
 
 There is a difference of opinion as to the origin of the 
 term syphilis, but it is probably derived from two Greek 
 words, sys, signifying swine, and phileo, to love, literally a 
 lover of swine, because the swine was regarded by the 
 Jews as an unclean animal, and its flesh was supposed to 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 355 
 
 produce scrofula, which is somewhat analogous to constitu- 
 tional syphilis. But such criticism is of no consequence 
 to the reader, and we will, at once, proceed to give a brief 
 description of the disease^ itself. 
 
 Primary syphilis consists in a small ulcer, called chancre. 
 This is usually found upon some portion of the genital 
 organs, as might be supposed from the nature of the con- 
 tact producing the disease. In man its most usual seat is 
 upon the glans, or head of the penis, upon the prepuce, 
 in the furrow between the glans and prepuce, and at the 
 sides of the frenum or bridle of the penis, because those 
 parts are the most exposed to the syphilitic virus or poison, 
 and also best calculated to retain the matter. But we often 
 find chancres upon the skin of the penis, the scrotum, and 
 sometimes upon the thighs. In the female they are usually 
 found upon the external genital organs, but often in the 
 vagina, and upon the neck of the womb, and sometimes 
 upon the thighs, and about the anus ; and, loathsome as 
 the statement may appear, it must be placed on record as 
 a matter of science, that true syphilitic chancres have been 
 found upon the lips and tongues of both sexes. We have 
 seen a number of such cases. In short, wherever the 
 syphilitic virus is thoroughly applied to the living tissues, 
 there a chancre may be produced. 
 
 If we take a little of the matter of a chancre before it 
 begins to heal, and insert it into the skin with the point 
 of a lancet, we can produce a new chancre like the old 
 one. Practitioners sometimes resort to this method of 
 diagnosis when they are doubtful as to the character of the 
 
356 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 old sore, being careful to destroy the new chancre as soon 
 as its character is developed. 
 
 The period of incubation, as it is called, or the time, 
 which elapses, after an impure connection, before a chancre 
 is developed, varies from three to ten days. But the 
 poison commences its action from the time of its applica- 
 tion, some days being necessary to produce the smallest 
 pimple or sore. If the parts with which the virus comes 
 in contact are excoriated or chafed a chancre is more likely 
 to be developed, and in less time than otherwise; and 
 both syphilis and gonorrhoea are more likely to be pro- 
 duced in persons whose skin and membranes are thin and 
 delicate than in those in whom these tissues are firmer, 
 tougher, and thicker. 
 
 There are many varieties of chancres, depending chiefly, 
 no doubt, upon the character of the ulcer whence the in- 
 fectious matter is derived ; but also modified, to a certain 
 extent, by the constitution of the patient, the condition 
 of the genital organs at the time of the infection, etc. 
 But it will be sufficiently accurate for our present purpose 
 to sum up all these varieties under three heads : — 
 
 1. The indurated or hard chancre! This is sometimes 
 called the Hunterian chancre, because it was first accu- 
 rately described by the celebrated English surgeon, John 
 Hunter. But in plain English it is called a hard chancre, 
 which expresses the character of the sore. It may begin 
 as a little pimple, or as a small patch of excoriation, but 
 when fully formed its edges and base are . as hard as 
 cartilage. It is nearly circular > of a tawny color, and ex- 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 357 
 
 cavated or cupped in the centre ; and if you take it be- 
 tween the thumb and finger, it feels like a little cup of 
 cartilage set in the soft flesh. Its most frequent seat is 
 upon the glans penis. 
 
 2. Non-indurated or soft chancre! This chancre has 
 not, like the preceding, the hard base and edges, but it is 
 soft, as its name implies. It commences as a little pimple, 
 or pustule, which itches the patient, and leads him to 
 make an examination of the parts ; next it bursts, and 
 soon displays a foul, yellowish ulcer attended with slight 
 redness and swelling, and spreads circularly. At first this 
 sore is sometimes covered with a dirty brown scab, but not 
 always. If the ulcer is not properly treated but continues 
 to spread, dirty-looking fungous granulations may be 
 formed, producing great irritation and pain. This chancre 
 is usually found on the prepuce, or at the sides of the 
 frenum, and there may be one, or half a dozen, at the 
 same time. 
 
 3. Phagedenic chancres ! These are rapid in their pro- 
 gress, corroding or eating away the neighbouring parts. 
 They sometimes become sloughing, that is, small patches 
 of the surrounding tissue die, and separate, or slough 
 away from the living tissue. Sometimes they spread ex- 
 tensively under the skin, at other times they eat -deeply 
 into the substance of the penis. The edges are irregular 
 and ragged, and the discharge thin, bloody and profuse. 
 They are exceedingly painful, and always dangerous, 
 sometimes destroying large portions, and occasionally the 
 whole of the virile member. The malignant character of 
 
358 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 these ulcers may arise from some vicious condition of the 
 constitution and the genital organs, or inappropriate, med- 
 dlesome treatment, or some peculiar malignancy in the in- 
 fectious matter. Either of the other chancres wanting 
 proper treatment, may take on the phagedenic or sloughing 
 condition at any time during their ulcerative stages. 
 Druitt, an English author, says, " There is reason to be- 
 lieve that intercourse between foreigners gives rise to a 
 very destructive kind of poison. The venereal secretions 
 of the Portuguese women appear to have been horribly 
 deleterious to the British soldiers during the Peninsular 
 war, who gave the expressive name of The Black Lion to 
 the sloughing sores that resulted from connexion with 
 them." 
 
 A chancre, and gonorrhoea, are sometimes contracted at 
 the same filthy intercourse, and coexist in the same pa- 
 tient, as a liberal reward for his deeds of dirty daring. 
 Such cases have often fallen under our notice. A chancre 
 may be found within the urethra near the end of the penis, 
 but entirely concealed from the observation of the patient, 
 and the discharge mistaken by the inattentive physician, 
 as well as the patient, for a gonorrheal discharge ; and 
 being treated for a gonorrhoea, the patient would be likely, 
 in due time, to be afflicted with all the horrors of constitutional 
 syphilis without knowing that he had ever been infected 
 with primary syphilis. In like manner a chancre in the 
 vagina, or upon the neck of the womb, producing little 
 pain in those situations — the principal symptom being a 
 elight purulent discharge from the vagina, may be unob- 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 359 
 
 served, and unsuspected, and allowed to run on till her 
 entire system is polluted with the disease, and her health 
 destroyed for life.* A careful medical examination when 
 the patient has reason to suspect that she has been con- 
 taminated, and a thorough course of treatment when 
 chancres are formed in those situations, are the only safe- 
 guards within her reach. We would raise no useless alarm 
 here, but we have seen so many women literally rotten with 
 constitutional syphilis, who were entirely unaware of their 
 real condition, or that they had ever been affected with a 
 "bad disease, ' ' that we cannot withhold this word of ad- 
 vice and caution. 
 
 As one of the results of a chancre, and not sufficiently 
 remote, nor of a nature to be classed among the constitu- 
 tional symptoms, we may name the formation of bubo. 
 We have already spoken of gonorrhoeal buboes, and some 
 of the differences between them and a syphilitic bubo, the 
 latter always being produced by the absorption of the 
 poisonous matter of a chancre. A lymphatic vessel or 
 gland enlarged by such a cause constitutes a true syphilitio 
 bubo ; hence we may have a bubo of the penis running 
 along the course of a lymphatic vessel ; but its usual seat 
 is in the groins, It usually makes its appearance about 
 the time the chancre ceases to ulcerate. If we take a 
 little matter from a bubo after it has reached the ulcerative 
 stage, and insert it beneath the cuticle, we can produce a 
 true chancre like the first. A syphilitic bubo without good 
 treatment usually bursts and displays . a foul, copper- 
 colored, running sore. If acute, there is usually but one, 
 
360 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM: 
 
 nearly always situated above Poupart's ligament ; if chronic, 
 there may be more than one. These latter generally occur 
 in weak, scrofulous constitutions, or in constitutions satu- 
 rated with mercury, or vitiated and broken down by in- 
 temperance. The glands slowly enlarge; at length the 
 skin inflames ; next portions of the skin die and slough 
 away, exposing extensive, indolent, loathsome ulcers, that 
 are very obstinate in healing, lasting, perhaps, for months. 
 
 But a chancre and a bubo though distressing and loath- 
 some in the extreme, are trifling disorders, in themselves 
 considered, compared with constitutional syphilis. The 
 great danger of the primary disease, is the pollution of the 
 general system. If the constitution is viciated by habits 
 of sensualism, or if the patient is fool enough to undertake 
 the management of his own case, or to submit himself to 
 the treatment of mere charlatans, or if mercury is admin- 
 istered in large doses when contra-indicated, the primary 
 ulcer becomes obstinate and persistent, the poisonous 
 matter is absorbed into the system, and viciates the blood, 
 deranges the nervous centres, perverts all the structure of 
 the body, to make its outward appearance, in due time, in 
 various horrible forms. 
 
 The symptoms of constitutional syphilis are usually di- 
 vided into the secondary and tertiary ; the former relating 
 to those which follow close upon the primary disease, af- 
 fecting the skin, mucous membranes, etc. ; the latter re- 
 lating to those more remote, affecting the bones, and other 
 deep-seated tissues and. organs. But the time of their 
 appearance, their order of sequence, etc., is very uncer- 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 361 
 
 tain, mixed, and confused, and, therefore, without regard 
 to this division, we shall proceed to notice briefly some of 
 these symptoms. 
 
 Usually, in six or eight weeks after the primary disease, 
 sometimes earlier, and, at other times, much later, the 
 patient becomes dispirited, his sleep is disturbed, his eyes 
 have a dull, heavy appearance ; he loses his appetite, begins 
 to waste away in flesh, experiences a sense of general lassi- 
 tude or weariness, and may have night sweats, rheumatic 
 pains, etc. We may now look out for a crop of skin dis- 
 eases, affections of the throat, etc. 
 
 In the mildest cases, we may find nothing but a mottled 
 condition of the skin ; in other cases we find brownish, dirty, 
 copper-colored patches, slightly elevated above the sur- 
 rounding surface ; or, there may be an eruption of pimples, 
 varying in size from a pin's head to a large pea succeeded 
 by scabs. We may also have copper-colored blotches of a 
 scaly character, succeeded by scabs, which fall off, and 
 expose shallow ulcers with copper-colored edges. In still 
 severer cases, we have a vesicular eruption. These arfe 
 filled with semen, which gradually becomes purulent, 
 and dries into thick, dirty looking scabs, while the ulcers 
 extend beneath them, and when the scabs fall off they 
 leave dirty, foul, circular ulcers, of various sizes and ob- 
 stinately indisposed to heal. 
 
 We may have sore throat at any time after the consti- 
 tution becomes tainted. Sometimes it appears before the 
 eruption upon the surface, at other times not till a later 
 period. It may be cured, but unless the syphilitic taint 
 
362 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 is entirely subdued, or eradicated from the system, it may 
 reappear, from time to time, to harass and torment the 
 patient. In the mildest cases there may be a little in- 
 flammation and excoriation of the mucous membrane of the 
 tonsils, or some part of the fauces or mouth. But we 
 more frequently find ulcers upon the tonsils, fauces, and 
 pharynx, with ragged, elevated edges, covered by a loath- 
 some, ash-colored matter, and surrounded by an unhealthy 
 livid appearance of the mucous membrane. Occasionally 
 these ulcers become sloughing and extend rapidly, giving 
 rise to great pain and difficulty in swallowing, and more or 
 less constitutional disturbance. One of these may open 
 into the lingual artery, and prove fatal by hemorrhage ; or 
 it may be situated upon the glottis, and the contractions, 
 which take place in healing, may be sufficient to obstruct 
 the passage of air to the lungs, producing death by suffo- 
 cation. 
 
 The nasal appendage is liable to a foul attack at this 
 time, or at any subsequent period when the constitutional 
 disease shows itself. It usually commences with dryness 
 and sniffing, followed by a discharge of offensive matter. 
 Ulceration may extend to the bones of the nose, causing 
 its bridge *to fall in, and producing the most odious de- 
 formity. Sometimes the whole nose is destroyed. The 
 eyes may also be affected with a disease called iritis, giving 
 them a peculiar, disagreeable appearance, and producing 
 more or less derangement of vision. The testes may enlarge 
 from the effects of chronic inflammation, and become very 
 painful, especially at night ; or they may waste away, till 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 363 
 
 they almost entirely disappear ; or malignant disease may 
 be induced, rendering their removal necessary to save the 
 life of the patient. The glands of the neck may inflame 
 and enlarge, and abscesses may be formed which become 
 indolent and obstinate in healing. 
 
 The formation of tubercles should always be looked upon 
 as an unfavorable 'symptom. These consist of a feebly 
 organized substance, appearing to have the consistence of 
 cheese, varying in size from the smallest pea to a chestnut, 
 but without any definite form. They soften sooner or 
 later, suppurate and form deep irregular ulcers of a loath-, 
 some and obstinate character. They may belong to the 
 secondary or tertiary symptoms, and may appear upon the 
 surface of the body, or in the deep-seated tissues. Ricord has 
 found tubercles in the brain that he believed to have a 
 syphilitic origin. More frequently, however, they are 
 found upon the cheeks, at the alse of the nose, upon the 
 tongue and the palate. We have seen the most foul, of- 
 fensive, and dangerous ulcers of the tongue produced by 
 patches of these tubercles; they often destroy the soft 
 palate and the bones, leaving a hideous chasm in the upper 
 part of the mouth, destroying the patient's voice, etc. 
 Copper-colored tubercles may also be found about the 
 anus, the genital organs, upon the arms, and the legs, etc. , 
 either alone, or accompanied with other skin diseases. 
 
 In bad cases the hair and eyebrows may fall out, and a 
 scurf form upon the scalp ; the roots of the nails become 
 inflamed, and the nails themselves become brittle, easily 
 crack or break, and even fall out. But these symptoms 
 
304 , THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 are rather unfrequent. Diseases of the bones, however, 
 are a very common symptom of constitutional syphilis, 
 and may occur at a very remote period after the primary 
 affection. The bones situated superficially are most liable 
 to venereal disease. The tibia, and ulna, or bones of the 
 legs; the clavicle or collar-bone ; and the frontal bone, or 
 the bone which forms the forehead, are the most usual 
 seats. The patient is first admonished of the disease by 
 some tenderness of the affected bone, followed by severe 
 pain, nearly or quite absent during the day, but returning 
 in the evening to torment the patient through the night. 
 The pains are shortly accompanied with swellings known 
 as nodes, and if the disease continues to advance the 
 periosteum or membrane covering the bone is destroyed, 
 and a foul, profuse, obstinate, and painful abscess is es- 
 tablished called caries of the bone. There may be a num- 
 ber of openings for such abscesses. Sometimes portions 
 of the bone die and separate from the sound bone, coming 
 away themselves through the opening in the soft tissues, 
 on being removed by the practitioner; this is called 
 necrosis of the bone. At other times there will be an ac- 
 tual hypertrophy, or increase of the bulk of bone, which 
 is termed exostosis of the bone. If the disease is situated 
 upon the forehead, or any other part of the cranium, death 
 may ensue from inflammation of the membranes of the 
 brain, or the actual protrusion of the brain through the 
 aperture in the skull. Such cases are not so common now 
 as formerly, but they occur every now and then, and are 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 365 
 
 found in our college museums telling a silent but tearful 
 story of the ravages of this hateful disease. 
 
 In addition to the foregoing symptoms we sometimes 
 have certain warty and vegetative excrescences, soft, fun- 
 gous, coper-colored elevations called condyloma, and 
 aphthous eruptions about the anus, upon the genitals, be- 
 tween the fingers, etc., which are perfectly manageable 
 under a skillful course of treatment; but, if neglected, 
 exceedingly annoying and destructive to the patient. 
 
 The observing physician is constantly meeting with pa- 
 tients in the streets of our large towns more or less marked 
 with the external evidences of syphilitic disease ; but the 
 bad cases are crowded off into our hospitals, or sick at 
 their homes, the medical man assigning some other cause 
 for their sickness out of respect for the patient and his 
 family. The reader must not, therefore, suppose that 
 these things seldom exist, because he is seldom made 
 acquainted with them in his daily intercourse with the 
 world ; for such things are the arcana of the profession, 
 and carefully concealed from everybody except the medical 
 attendant. Drunkenness and venereal diseases are fre- 
 quent causes of death in our large towns; but they seldom 
 appear in our bills of mortality, the physicians being de- 
 terred by public sentiment, and a proper regard for the 
 friends of the deceased, from assigning either of these 
 causes of death in his certificate of burial. 
 
 But we sometimes find patients whose entire systems 
 are tainted with the venereal poison, still nearly or quite 
 free from the usual external symptoms of the disease. 
 
366 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 Their general health is bad, their appetite fails, they lose 
 flesh, become dispirited, are, perhaps, a little jaundiced 
 and dyspeptic, and subject to ill turns from every slight 
 exposure ; and unless their true condition is discovered, 
 and they are put through a thorough course of treatment, . 
 they will always be complaining, often down sick, and 
 transmit their disease to their offspring. In such cases, as 
 well as those marked by severe external symptoms, the 
 patient may suffer from a sort of syphilitic bronchitis, and 
 the venereal poison may so affect the brain and nervous 
 centres, as to produce general, or local, paralysis, and 
 terminate, or render still more miserable, his unhappy ex- 
 istence. 
 
 But one of the most melancholy results of constitutional 
 syphilis is the transmission of the disease from the parents 
 to their offspring. Everybody knows that certain diseases 
 are hereditary, and none possesses this character more de- 
 cidedly than the one under consideration. The syphilitic 
 poison once having contaminated the system of the parent 
 and not having been perfectly eradicated is sure to make 
 its appearance, with more or less severity, in their children 
 — a most fearful cause of death among young children in 
 our large towns, though not appearing in our bills of mor- 
 tality. Sometimes the foetus dies in the womb, and is ex- 
 pelled before full term, usually at the seventh or eighth 
 month, with all the evidences of death by syphilis, such 
 as decomposition, copper- colored blotches, etc. At other 
 times the child is born alive, with all the symptoms of 
 syphilis at the time of birth, or soon afterwards to be de- 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 367 
 
 veloped. The eyes are inflamed, the iiostrils are stuffed 
 with fetid matter, copper-colored blotches appear upon the 
 surface, the cry is low, husky, murmuring, and hoarse, 
 and fortunately the little contaminated innocent usually 
 wastes away and dies. Sometimes the child is plump 
 and fat, and apparently healthy at the time of birth, 
 having none of the external symptoms of syphilitic dis- 
 ease ; but in two or three months grows sick, wastes away, 
 and dies, the doctor himself often being at a loss to under- 
 stand the cause of death. In such cases a thorough course 
 of enlightened treatment administered to the infant di- 
 rectly, and indirectly through the mother or nurse, will 
 often save the child, and, perhaps, insure its future health 
 and vigor; but to insure a future progeny that will be 
 clean and healthy at the time of birth, the treatment must 
 be directed to the parents, or, at least, to that parent who 
 has been the victim of syphilitic disease. After the birth 
 of an unclean child, the husband and wife must live apart, 
 and be placed under a thorough course of alterative treat- 
 ment ; and when the physician has reason to believe the 
 cure complete, they can resume the marital rights, and if* 
 the treatment had been thorough and skillful, the next 
 child will be free from all venereal taint. Though the wife 
 may never have been afflicted with primary syphilis, her 
 system may have been impressed with the constitutional 
 disease through her husband, or the foetus in utero, and 
 the skillful physician will usually deem it prudent to pre- 
 scribe a course of treatment for both parties. This is no 
 fimcy sketch, but enters largely into the practice of every 
 
368 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 eminent physician in our large towns, and the results are 
 always as we have stated — the birth and growth of healthy 
 children. 
 
 But one of the peculiarities of constitutional syphilis is 
 its latent condition. It may remain in the system for years 
 in a perfectly quiescent or inactive state to be developed 
 in the future offspring, the first, perhaps, having escaped 
 contamination. We have a case on record as an example : 
 A gentleman had contracted syphilis two years before his 
 marriage, but considered himself cured. His first two 
 children bore no marks of the disease, but on the contrary 
 were the very models of health. The next £wo children 
 were covered with syphilitic blotches, and soon died, the 
 father, in the mean time, having contracted no new disease. 
 The health of the mother also began to decline. They 
 were separated, and both placed upon a - thorough course 
 of treatment, and after the cure was judged to be complete 
 they again lived together and had children entirely free 
 from all syphilitic taint. 
 
 Why this disease should lurk in the system for years, 
 and not affect the first, but develop itself in subsequent 
 offspring, we will not undertake to explain, but the fact is 
 beyond all contradiction. It is impossible to trace, and 
 fully explain all the symptoms and subtle workings of the 
 venereal poison. Once having entered the system and im- 
 pressed itself upon the blood, and all the tissues of the 
 body, it may engender a thousand fierce symptoms, that 
 most persons, and even practitioners, are likely to attribute 
 to almost any other causes. So long as a germ of the dis- 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 369 
 
 ease remains in the constitution a renewal of its action 
 may be expected at any period, however remote, and its 
 half-extinguished energy may again usurp its power. 
 
 Again : — The tertiary form of constitutional syphilis — 
 that is, when it is remote from the primary disease and 
 characterized by affections of the bones, deep-seated tuber- 
 cles, etc. — is not always transmitted to the offspring in the 
 specific form of syphilis, but in the form of other diseases, 
 especially scrofula, which itself is strongly hereditary. It 
 is the opinion of many investigators that all scrofulous 
 diseases originate in syphilis, at recent and remote periods, 
 and though not susceptible of positive proof, there are 
 gome reasons for adopting this view of the subject l; The 
 analogy in the character of the two diseases. 2. We 
 know that tertiary syphilis in one generation will produce 
 scrofula in the next. And, 3. The great prevalence df 
 syphilis in every age of which history gives us any account 
 of man's follies and vices. The books of Moses are the 
 most ancient, as well as the most reliable history extant ; 
 and these, together with other portions of the Old Testa- 
 ment, give us distinct traces of the virulence, and general 
 prevalence, of venereal diseases, though not known by our 
 modern names. As examples we refer the inquisitive to 
 Leviticus, chapter xv. 1-15, and the^xxxviii. Psalm of 
 David. Upon the former passage we make the following 
 brief extract from the comments of the Rev. Dr. Adam 
 Clarke, the learned commentator of the Bible : — 
 
 " The disgraceful disorder referred to here is a foul blot, 
 which the justice of Grod, in the course of providence, baa 
 24 
 
370 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 made in general the inseparable consequence of tl 
 criminal indulgences, and serves, in some measure, 
 correct and restrain the vice itself. In countries where 
 public prostitution was permitted, where it was even a 
 religious ceremony among those who were idolaters, the 
 disease must necessarily have been frequent and prevalent. 
 When the pollutions and libertinism of former times are 
 considered, it seems rather strange that medical men 
 should have adopted the opinion, and consumed so much 
 ' time in endeavoring to prove it, viz. : that the disease is 
 modern. It must have existed, in certain measures, ever 
 ^ince prostitution prevailed in the world, and this has been 
 in every nation of the earth, from the earliest era. That 
 the Israelites might have received it from the Egyptians, 
 and that it must, through the Baal-peor and Ashtaroth 
 abominations, which they learned and practiced, have pre- 
 vailed among the Moabites 3 etc., there can be little reason 
 , to doubt." 
 
 With reference to the treatment of syphilis, a few general 
 observations, if properly heeded, may be an incalculable 
 benefit to such unfortunates. And first, let it be indelibly 
 impressed upon the minds of our patients, that the more 
 speedily primary syphilis is cured, the less danger there 
 will be that the poisondfrom the chancre or bubo will enter 
 into and contaminate the general system. If the patient 
 has been exposed to the cause, and is wide awake to his 
 danger, he will usually discover the chancre when it is but 
 a pimple, or a mere excoriation, and without delay apply 
 to a physician of character for its cure. At that early 
 
INFECTIOUS 8EXUAL DISEASES. 371 
 
 stage the chancre can at once be removed, and the system 
 protected against the liability of constitutional disease. 
 This, therefore, is a great advantage in the treatment of 
 this disease, depending altogether upon the vigjrtance and 
 discretion of the patient. 
 
 And here we would remark that primary syphilis-, cha- 
 racterized by the chancre, and, perhaps, a bubo, cannot be 
 treated properly without the presence of the patient* as 
 certain applications, together with the other treatment,, 
 cannot, with safety, be omitted* nor entrusted to any othac 
 person ; but constitutional syphilis- of every variety* in the 
 parents, or their children, or other persons, as well as gleet,, 
 irritable bladder, seminal weakness, impotency* sterility* 
 etc. , etc. , can be treated with perfect success, by corres- 
 pondence, or through some friend of the patient, where a 
 personal interview is impracticable. Our success* in this 
 kind of practice enables us always to guarantee great relief, 
 and usually a permanent cure, when patients follow our 
 simple directions — of course* we can promise nothing to 
 others. Among physicians who have distinguished them- 
 selves in any special department of medicine, this kind of 
 practice is no new thing under the sun* having only of late 
 been brought into disrepute by the attempts- of mere 
 charlatans to play upon the fears and credulities of the* 
 people — but let the evil rest where it belongs. 
 
 We would especially warn patients to avoid all illegiti- 
 mate medical treatment, whether for primary or constitu- 
 tional syphilis,, or other dangerous diseases. By illegiti- 
 mate treatment we mean the attempts of patients to 
 
372 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 manage their own cases, and the interference of mere pre- 
 tenders to medical science, usually known as charlatans, 
 empirics, and by many other names. Without an intimate 
 knowledge of the nature of the disease, or the action of 
 powerful remedies upon the system, of the conditions, 
 which modify the action of such remedies — for such per- 
 sons to turn these potent agents for good or evil against 
 themselves is a species of weakness truly pitiable.. At- 
 tempts at self-cure are too frequently finished in self- 
 destruction. It has been said that in the practice of 
 law, he who conducts his own case, has a fool for a 
 client; and much more emphatically will the assertion 
 apply to those who turn in weakness and suffering their ill- 
 judged remedies against themselves — surely he who doctors 
 himself has a fool for a patient. 
 
 The abuse of mercury has been productive of great 
 mischief, both in the hands of practitioners and patients, 
 who have undertaken to cure themselves. Under the 
 mistaken notion that it is an antidote for venereal diseases, 
 the untutored have supposed th.at in order to effect a cure 
 it would be necessary only to saturate the system well with 
 this drug ; or, if prejudiced against mercury, they hare 
 supposed they could effect a cure by persevering in the 
 use of some of those advertised nostrums, the basis of 
 which is always mercurial, though professedly vegetable 
 and harmless, and so thousands have been mercurialized 
 out of the world annually; or their constitutions have 
 been so broken down, and the functions of the system so 
 impaired, as to render the remainder of life miserable. 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 2T?> 
 
 We fully coincide with the following passage from the 
 published lectures of Dr. Dickson, formerly a medical 
 officer on the British staff: — "As the non-mercurial 
 treatment of primary sores gained ground, secondary symp- 
 toms — or, more correctly speaking, what were formerly 
 mistaken as such — diminished at the same rate. Many 
 of these mis-called secondary symptoms have only lately 
 been found out, in many cases, to be the primary symp- 
 toms of bad practice. Yes, the rotten skulls found in 
 anatomical museums with all their beautiful specimens of 
 diseased bones, which in our younger days were so abun- 
 dant in our hospitals, in the great majority of cases, were 
 the productions of long and harassing courses of mercury. 
 When the mercurial treatment was most in vogue, 
 secondary symptoms were most numerous; but the medical 
 men of that day, the blind devotees of Hunter, supposed 
 them to be the result of too little mercury having been 
 employed in the primary treatment. These practitioners 
 resembled the celebrated Sangrado, who, when his patients 
 died, after he had drawn almost every drop of blood from 
 their bodies, and drenched them with warm water while 
 they were able to swallow it, declared their deaths could 
 not have happened if they had been sufficiently bled, or 
 had taken warm water enough.' ' 
 
 Dr. Dickson was a regular physician, whose motto was 
 progress. He did not condemn the judicious use, but 
 the shameful abuse, of mercury. In a majority of cases 
 syphilis can be successfully treated without a particle of 
 this drug ; in some cases it produces positive injury, while 
 
374 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 in others it produces the greatest benefits, nay, is indis- 
 pensable. But the selection of such cases and the judicious 
 administration of the remedy — the form of preparation, 
 the size of the dose, the length of time it should be con- 
 tinued, etc., — requires all the discrimination of the expe- 
 rienced physician. Thus employed it never produces any 
 bad effects. Not a single case has ever come under our 
 observation, in hospital or private practice, where this 
 remedy produced any unfavorable results, when properly 
 employed. To get all the benefits it is capable of effecting 
 it is never necessary to carry it to the extent of producing 
 salivation, or even touching the mouth. But without 
 such discrimination there is danger in its employment, for 
 it is among the edged tools of physic requiring to be 
 wielded by a competent and practiced hand. 
 
 There are two classes of medical men to whom such 
 patients should never apply for treatment, if they can find 
 the third class, One is the general practitioner, who has 
 neither time nor disposition to bestow proper attention 
 upon the diseases under consideration ; for no physician, 
 however worthy and learned, can treat these diseases suo- 
 cessfully unless he makes them a special study and has 
 much practice in this department of medicine. In our 
 large towns such cases are usually declined by the con- 
 scientious physician engaged in general practice. The 
 other class comprises those who have not received a regular 
 medical education, and those who take upon themselves 
 all manner of silly names for the purpose of misrepre- 
 sentation and humbug. Be assured, reader, that a physi- 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 375 
 
 cian of character, who has ability to succeed in the regular 
 profession of medicine will be slow to identify himself with 
 any new sect. His motto will be progress, not revolution, 
 for there can be no such thing in science. All such ir- 
 regulars are sadly deficient in the accurate discrimination 
 of the varieties and changes in diseases bearing the same 
 name, and indicating a difference of treatment. Their 
 practice is never safe. 
 
 A collegiate medical education is highly important that 
 the young practitioner may feel how little he knows, and 
 be prepared to start right in the prosecution of his studies 
 when he assumes the responsibilities of* a physician. 
 Some years ago twenty candidates for the honors of the 
 medical department of one of our universities were re- 
 jected on account of their inability to pass a satisfactory 
 examination, and we suppose those poor fellows were ever 
 after in the habit of speaking in the most contemptuous 
 terms of* college diplomas, etc. 
 
 We knew a man in an obscure country town, push him- 
 self into the practice of physic without even having seen 
 the inside of a college, or hospital, or having devoted 
 himself to medical study in any other- way, except to read 
 a few such books as " every man his own doctor/ ' etc. 
 Of course, he was out against the "regulars," and, by 
 some stupid people, regarded as a skillful physician, and, 
 in their estimation, actually placed above an old physician 
 of attainments, residing at the village beyond. Now a 
 change of circumstances soon brought to this man r s door 
 a handsome fortune, thus placing in his hands the mean* 
 
376 THE SEXUAL SYSTEM. 
 
 of becoming a regular himself, and having sufficient ambi- 
 tion to make the best of what he possessed, after some 
 preparatory study, assisted by the old doctor at the village, 
 he started off for college, where, to his great mortification, 
 he soon found he knew far less than any boy who had 
 studied one year with a regular physician before entering 
 college. He was heartily ashamed of his former position, 
 studied well, felt his need of all the advantages within his 
 reach, and, in due time, became a respectable practitioner 
 of medicine, and never felt his importance so much after- 
 wards. 
 
 These pseudo-doctors, in our large towns, usually adver- 
 tise for the treatment of venereal and other secret diseases ; 
 in the country, they not unfrequently become family phy- 
 sicians, and because patients sometimes recover, in spite 
 of their interference, or without judicious medical treat- 
 ment, it is supposed they possess remarkable skill ; and, 
 if we give them the credit of curing all who recover in 
 their hands, and ascribe to an over-ruling Providence the 
 death of all who die, they will, indeed, pass for very good 
 doctors. 
 
 Could the reader see one tithe of the principles and 
 facts, and the deductions from such principles and facts, 
 which must be thoroughly learned, to enable a man to 
 stand in the regular profession as a good physician, espe- 
 cially in our large towns, he would be shocked and indig- 
 nant at the pretensions, misrepresentations, frauds, and 
 falsehoods of charlatans. How important, therefore, that 
 every person afflicted with any sort of infirmity, or 
 
INFECTIOUS SEXUAL DISEASES. 377 
 
 disease of the sexual system, should endeavor to place 
 himself entirely in the hands of a regularly qualified phy- 
 sician, whose learning, skill and integrity is a sufficient 
 guarantee of secrecy, and a proper course of treatment. 
 
 As it respects our own practice, we will here state, that 
 no silly affectation, or extreme modesty influences us to 
 withhold a truthful statement of our qualifications and 
 success. If close application to study, together with the 
 advantages of the best medical institutions in the world, 
 and long-continued, untiring, and laborious pursuit of 
 medical knowledge in after-life, afford any assurances of 
 ability and success, as such we submit the statement to 
 our readers. Patients who place themselves entirely under 
 our treatment, can always rely upon secrecy, humanity, 
 and prompt attention in the management of their cases. 
 Success is our constant motto, compared with which all 
 other things in our profession dwindle away to insignifi- 
 cance. Our constant purpose is to cure our patients, but 
 this requires their own concurrence, discretion, and pru- 
 dence in carrying out our directions and plan of treatment. 
 Those patients, therefore, who are afflicted with chronic 
 diseases of long standing, and lack the resolution and 
 judgment to continue a well-devised plan of treatment 
 long enough to experience its full benefits, are requested 
 not to trouble us with their complaints or their fees ; for 
 we rather lose a dozen fees than fail in the successful treat- 
 ment of one of the least of our patients. i 
 
 
 
 
 

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