[Illustration: UNIMPREGNATED FEMALE FORM.]
THE
BOOK OF NATURE;
CONTAINING
INFORMATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
WHO THINK OF
GETTING MARRIED,
ON THE
PHILOSOPHY OF PROCREATION
AND
SEXUAL INTERCOURSE;
SHOWING
HOW TO PREVENT CONCEPTION
AND TO
AVOID CHILD-BEARING.
ALSO, RULES FOR
MANAGEMENT DURING LABOR AND CHILD-BIRTH.
BY JAMES ASHTON, M. D.
Lecturer on Sexual Physiology, and Inventor of the “Reveil
Nocturne.”
NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY WALLIS & ASHTON, 243 GRAND STREET.
1861.
INDEX TO CONTENTS.
Abortions and Miscarriages 61
Abortions, how produced 62-63
Aphrodisiacs 63
Child-getting, how to avoid 38
Clitoris, the 19
Conception, modes of preventing 38
Conception, signs of 55
Conception, how to avoid 25
Coverings for the Penis 41
Drugs to destroy the Semen 12-40
Ergot of Rye 62-64
Fallopian Tubes 15
Female Generative Organs 13-14
Female Private Parts 18
Fœtus, development of the 31
Fœtus, size and position of 33
Hymen, the 17
Impregnation 24
Impregnation, manner of 26
Intellect, how formed 48
Labor and Child-birth 55 to 60
Longevity, causes of 53
Love Powders 63
Male Generative Organs 5
Management at difficult Births 60
Marriage, natural laws of 50
Miscarriages 61
Nymphomania 27
Orgasms of a Female 35
Ovaries of a Female 13
Ova, expulsion of the 14
Ovum, or Egg 13
Penis, the 7
Penis, malformations of the 8
Pregnancy, how to detect 54
Semen, the 10
Semen, animalcules of the 11
Sexual Abuses 44
Sexual Desires 20
Sexual Enjoyment of Females 34
Sexual Feeling in Females 35
Sexual Indulgence 33
Sexual Indulgence, time for 36
Sexual Intercourse, too early 42
Sexual Intercourse, too frequent 22
Sexual Intercourse, enjoyment of 36
Sexual Intercourse, position at 46
Sexual Organs, Food to stimulate 37
Sexual Union 21-22
Sex of a Child, how determined 28
Testes, the 6
Temperaments, laws of the 50
Unborn Child, growth of the 32
Unborn Child, intellect of 48
Uterus, or Womb 16
Vagina, the 16
Vital Force, influence of 52
Wife, choice of a 48
Why Children look like Parents 30
Zoospermes 10
ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS in the year 1859 by BENJAMIN H.
DAY, in the Clerk’s Office of the United States District Court for the
Southern District of New York.
PREFACE.
Within the past few years, numerous physiological books have been
compiled and printed, ostensibly for popular reading and to impart
certain information which could not be obtained except from very
expensive medical works. On examination, nearly the whole of them prove
to be the productions of persons calling themselves physicians, and
issued as a medium of advertising their medicines, or their peculiar
practice. In most of these books, facts in physiology are so mixed up
with empirical self-laudations, absurd reasonings, useless repetitions,
and fabulous cases in point, as to become not only intensely tedious, but
in a measure disgusting to the reader.
The Prevention of Conception appears to be one of the main features of
these publications, and each author professes to have a secret plan of
his own for that purpose, which he offers to impart for a professional
fee of five dollars. An offer like this to intelligent people is
understood as arrant quackery; but there are such a vast number of
married persons who desire to limit the number of their offspring, that
many will send their money in sheer desperation, and with little or no
hope of success.
As the writer of this treatise does not propose to offer his professional
services to his readers, and as even the copy-right of it is disposed of
in advance, he will endeavor to present, briefly and impartially, the
prominent facts which modern science has demonstrated in the phenomena
of procreation, the conception and production of offspring, and the
various safe and harmless methods that may be resorted to by married
people to prevent child-bearing. All that is known on these interesting
and important subjects is given in plain language, and with but few
medical terms. In collecting this information, the writer has examined
all the different modes ever recommended, discovered or invented, for the
prevention of conception, whether alleged to be secret or otherwise. Some
of them were found to be utterly worthless; others may, in most cases,
be employed successfully by extreme caution and pains-taking, while not
more than two or three are perfectly reliable. These last are subject
to failure, only from prejudice or want of energy; and if adopted with
moderate caution, will be successful. In these discoveries the French
physicians appear to be the most ingenious, and some of the plans given
are consequently of French origin.
The Physiology of Generation, which comprises all medical knowledge
relative to the reproduction of offspring, is a subject of intense
interest to the adult portion of mankind. It has been zealously
investigated by learned men of all ages—physicians, philosophers and
theologians—and numerous conflicting theories have been advanced, books
written, and ideas inculcated, which have presented the subject in
various phases for popular reading. One class denounces all attempts to
prevent conception and child-bearing as immoral, unnatural, and hurtful
to health, while others hold more liberal views, and consider that
married people have a perfect right to decide for themselves whether they
shall breed a family or not. The writer takes no part in these arguments.
He is content to impart to his readers, in a brief and matter-of-fact
form, reliable physiological information which could only be obtained by
long study from other sources. With this explanation, he trusts that the
object of his little treatise will be appreciated by the public.
THE BOOK OF NATURE.
MALE GENERATIVE ORGANS.
The Generative Organs of man consists of two distinct outward members,
called the Penis and the Testes, or Testicles—both together being
frequently called the Genitals. The Testes are inclosed in a sac or bag
hanging from the pubic bone called the Scrotum, and their functions
are to produce the male principle or Semen, as the Ovaries in the
female ripen the Ovum or Egg. The Testes are a curious work of Nature.
On dissection they are found to be composed of fine blood vessels
intermingled with small tubes called the Seminal Tubes, in which the
Semen is generated. Some very knowing physicians say that there are sixty
thousand of these Seminal Tubes; but we doubt if anybody ever counted
them. These tubes, as they leave the Testes, gradually join together
until finally a single tube only goes from each Testicle. These are
called the Vas Deferens, and they ascend to the abdomen through a larger
tube, (which also contains arteries, nerves, lymphatics, &c.,) where
they connect with two small organs called Seminal Vesicles. From these
vesicles the Semen passes downwards through a tube called the Ejaculatory
Canal, which is connected with the Prostate Gland, and from whence it is
forced to the Urethra or urinal passage, and so out of the body. This is
a brief outline of all the organs connected with the generative system
of man: the Testes have the peculiar property of making the Semen—the
Vas Deferens and the Ejaculatory Canal carry it into the abdomen to the
Prostate Gland, from whence it is conveyed, by a peculiar but spasmodic
effort, through the urinal passage in the Penis into the body of the
female. It is supposed that the Seminal Vesicles and Prostate Gland
impart a vital principle to the Semen, and that the peculiar pleasurable
feeling experienced during connection with the female springs from these
organs.
The Scrotum, in a healthy state, is contracted so as to draw its skin
into folds and keep the Testes close to the body. But when a person is in
ill health, or greatly fatigued, the skin relaxes and the two Testes hang
low, the Scrotum being then supported in the middle by a membrane or cord
called the Septum Scroti, which acts as a sort of partition. The Scrotum
of old men is permanently relaxed in this manner; but in children it is a
sure indication of ill health.
The size of the Testes vary in different persons. The average of mankind
have them each about the bigness of a pigeon’s egg; but sometimes they
are larger. It seldom makes any difference in the actual power of
procreation whether these organs are large or small, though persons
with large Testes can generally perform the act of copulation oftener,
and with less exhaustion. A man with large Testes generally has a large
Penis, as the size of the one usually governs the growth of the other;
but it is by no means certain that sexual connection thereby affords him
any more pleasure. Such men should marry with great caution. Many females
are incapable of affording them pleasure from the comparative smallness
of their private parts; and they suffer much pain and ill health from
such intercourse. On the contrary, men whose genital organs are not fully
developed, though they may impregnate, yet they cannot always give full
satisfaction to the female. If it could so be that people about to marry
were properly matched in their private parts, it would prevent a great
deal of unhappiness in the world.
[Illustration: MALE PRIVATE PARTS ... EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL.
Explanation of the Engraving.
1. The Bladder.
2. Spermatic Cords composed of Arteries, Veins, and Nerves.
3. Vas Deferens, or Tube which conveys the Semen from the Testicle.
4. The Ureter, or Tube which conveys the Urine from the Kidneys to the
Bladder.
5. Left Seminal Vesicle.
6. The Prostate Gland, which connects the Ejaculatory Canal through which
the Semen passes into the Urethra.
7. Bones of the Pelvis.
8. The Scrotum.
9. The Penis.
10. The Glans, or head of the Penis.
11. Vas Deferens—detached views.
12. Right Seminal Vesicle—interior cells.
13. Left Seminal Vesicle—detached outside view.
14. Ejaculatory Canal through which the Semen passes to the
Penis—detached view.
15. The Bladder comes in here, the Seminal Vesicles and Vas Deferens
being each side of it.]
Some curious cases are reported in the books of ill-matched couples in
this respect. One of the Princes of the Royal Family of England (a son
of George III.) died without legitimate issue because he could not have
connection with his wife—she being too small, or he being too large for
the purpose. It is true, he was entitled to a divorce by law, but it was
said he respected his wife too much to resort to such a measure. Another
curious case was that of Baron Brunner, whose wife claimed a divorce on
the ground that her husband was a sort of eunuch, who could afford her no
pleasure during connection. But in this case, as Madame was the mother of
a daughter, to whom she dared not deny the paternity of the Baron, her
petition was rejected.
The Penis is the principal generative organ of man. It is usually from
five to seven inches in length, hanging pendant, and extending from the
Pelvic Bones to the glans at the end, and is divided into two parts
called the Cavernosum and the Spongiosum. There is a groove underneath
and between these two parts, through which runs the Urethra, or urinal
passage. The head of the Penis is called the Bulb, and is of a spongy
nature, being filled with little cells or cavities communicating with
each other, and which extend into blood vessels which run the whole
length of the organ, and are finally connected with an artery and a
vein in the body. When no excitement of the part exists, these cells
and blood vessels are nearly empty; but when excited by sexual desires,
they rapidly fill with blood, when the Penis stands erect and enlarges
to one-third greater size. The erection is also assisted by a number
of muscles which only act when the blood rushes into the part. These
are called the Cavernosus Muscles. In some persons the erection is
very sudden, while in others it is the reverse—all depending upon the
temperament and construction of the parts. The time for the erection
to subside is also different in different persons. The causes of this
difference depend upon certain vital actions of the blood vessels not
fully understood. In old age this organ will often become hard and erect,
though it requires more time, and the erection subsides almost instantly
after connection with a female. The Penis is often destroyed by accident
or by disease, and sometimes it is naturally deformed. A case is stated
by Dr. Hollick of a young man 19 years old, whose Penis was only a
quarter of an inch long! By a protracted and careful course of treatment,
however, it was made to grow several inches. Some male children have been
born with no Penis at all—a slight swelling, like the top of a small
tumor, being the only mark of the spot where it ought to have grown. In
some cases of deformity like this, men have been known to beget children,
the flow of Semen being ample; and it only requiring, for the purpose of
impregnation, that the Semen shall be placed within the external lips of
the private parts of the female, as will be shown hereafter.
There are frequent malformations of the Penis. Sometimes it will grow
in such a way that, when erect, it turns one side or the other, so that
association is painful and very difficult. This is generally caused
by contraction of the skin or muscles, and is very easily remedied by
carefully cutting them in the proper place. Sometimes a one-sided Penis
is the result of aneurism, swelling of the veins, or unnatural erections.
These causes generally form tumors, which must first be reduced before a
proper action can be restored. Cold astringent lotions, used constantly,
will generally cure these tumors, though it is sometimes necessary to
bind some smooth, hard substance firmly on to them—a piece of horn or
ivory being the most suitable. Frequently the cord at the end of the
Penis, which binds the prepuce, will be so short as to pull down the end
of the Glans and thus prevent a proper connection with the female. This
cord, when too short, will often break; but the best way is to cut it
carefully either with a sharp knife or a pair of scissors. A Penis with a
head too large is a malformation caused by boyish pranks in handling the
organ during its growth.
The causes of a non-development of the Penis are various. Sometimes a
general torpor of the Testes retards its growth. Disease or excess will
frequently make it wither and decrease in size; and many a youth by early
masturbation prevents the full development of the organ. Injuries to the
Testes, during early childhood, will often stop the growth of the Penis.
The Mumps, Scarlet Fever, Measles, Rickets, and Scrofula—each of these
diseases will also more or less affect its perfect development. It is
nearly impossible to prescribe a remedy for this evil, as much depends
upon the temperament of the person affected. In persons of little sexual
feeling, I would recommend a rational and moderate use of the organ
as Nature intended. The healthy excitement thus produced will tend to
its growth. In some men, however, this plan would rather do harm than
good—a frequent tepid bath, with brisk rubbing of the muscles, being
the proper treatment. A stimulating ointment of some kind might be used
to advantage with this latter treatment. A tube to fit over the Penis,
with an air-pump, is frequently used by physicians in connection with a
shampooing of the muscles, and in some cases this acts beautifully.
The lascivious practices of boys, who learn of one another the habit of
onanism—their too early connection with females—these and other habits
affect the growth and full development of the Penis.
The Penis should be fully developed in a boy fourteen or fifteen years
old. At that age the seminal fluid, destined for the perpetuation of the
species, begins to be secreted by the Testicles, and not only excites the
sexual organs, but affects every part of the body. The power of the mind,
too, is improved; the digestion becomes more vigorous; the circulation of
the blood is more rapid; indeed, every organ is abundantly nourished by
it, and they perform their functions with much more energy than before
this period of life. But the sexual organs, notwithstanding they may be
of full size, have not yet matured, as will be shown hereafter.
THE SEMEN.
The Semen is a yellowish-white liquid substance secreted in the Testes
of the Male, and which contains the animalculæ that grow to be future
human beings. A microscopic examination shows it to consist of two
substances, one fluid and the other little white globules. These globules
soon dissolve when exposed to the air. The composition of the Semen is
nine-tenths water—the remaining tenth being 10 soda, 30 phosphate of
lime, and 60 animal mucilage containing a peculiar principle which is
unknown. The living animalculæ of the Semen can be plainly seen with a
microscope. They look like little eels with large heads, or pollywogs,
and are supposed to be the germ of the brain and spine. They are called
Zoospermes, and the microscope enables us to study their habits, and
describe them with correctness. These animalculæ first grow in the little
globules or eggs. Their extreme smallness may be imagined when we state
that one of these globules, which are not visible to the naked eye, but
can be seen only with a microscope, contains thirty of them. After the
globules break open, the Zoospermes grow and become developed before they
are in a fit state to enter the female Ovum. Attached to their head is
a sort of sucker which fastens itself on to anything it can take hold
of. By the aid of the microscope we are enabled to study the habits of
these animalculæ so closely that it is known they cast their skins as
they grow larger, like some insects. A French physiologist writes that
he easily distinguishes their sex, male and female, but we doubt the
truth of his assertion. They are apparently very playful and active, but
it appears to be their nature to move only in one direction, and that
straight forward—which movement has a connection with impregnation that
is explained elsewhere in these pages. In watching the motions of these
curious little creatures, we find that combats frequently occur among
them. They fight very fiercely, and sometimes the fight lasts until only
one or two out of a dozen or more are left alive, showing a pugnacity of
disposition peculiar to mankind in the primitive or half-civilized state.
They will live for several hours in warm water, and it is thus that their
manœuvres are more easily seen. The Semen of a boy, before puberty,
contains no Zoospermes; and hence females of amorous propensities have
indulged with them without becoming impregnated. Diseases of a certain
character, and also some kinds of drugs, will destroy the vitality of the
Semen.
[Illustration:
1. Zoosperme magnified.
2. Highly magnified.
3. Undeveloped Zoospermes in the Semen.
4. Female Ovum burst open for impregnation.
5. Zoospermes darting in to impregnate the Ovum.]
The animalculæ of the Semen are not developed in the Testes. While there,
it contains only the granules, which ripen as they proceed, and it is not
until they reach the Prostate Gland that they burst open. It is therefore
necessary to a healthy connection, that some time should elapse between
the acts of coition. It frequently happens, when people first marry, that
months will pass before impregnation takes place. This is because of too
frequent connection. The Semen does not have time to be fully developed
on its passage from the Testes.
We have stated that it is a habit of the Zoospermes to move only in
one direction, and that straight forward. It is this peculiarity which
enables them to make their way up into the Womb, even from the Labia or
external lips of the female. It is found, also, that Zoospermes will live
twenty-four hours in the private parts of the female, during which time
she may become impregnated by them. It seems to be of little consequence
_how_ Semen is deposited in the female organ. Conception may take place,
even without sexual connection, if the Semen is fresh from the male, and
healthy. The sexual feeling of the female, though it may conduce certain
favorable conditions of the part, and thus promote the result, is not, in
most cases, necessary.
The celebrated John Hunter reported the case of a patient of his who had
entirely lost his penis by syphilis. It was sloughed off half an inch
into his body. Yet this man could eject his semen from the orifice; and
he married after his misfortune, and became the father of a child. His
wife was impregnated by means of a small glass syringe, with which the
semen was injected into the proper place.
The Parisian doctors make preparations of various drugs to destroy
the animalculæ of the Semen, and thus prevent conception. This plan,
if thoroughly adopted, produces the desired effect, as will be shown
hereafter. Iodine, Strychnine, Prussic Acid, or even Opium, will
instantly kill the Zoospermes. Alcohol will likewise generally destroy
them, or render them powerless until they die. An electric shock kills
them instantly, and so will cold water, in very many cases, though not
always.
Modern science enables us to speak with certainty relative to a cause of
childless couples, which is a want of vitality of the Semen. Formerly it
was supposed that barrenness was a peculiarity of women alone; but it is
now known that the fault is more frequently in the husband. The Semen
of these barren men contains the usual globules, which never ripen or
come to maturity. Such men may experience a certain degree of pleasure
in connection, but they cannot become fathers. The Semen is undeveloped,
like that of a boy of ten years. The sexual desires of such men are
never very strong, and quickly subside; nor can they excite the female
to any great degree of ardor. Long continued excesses in venery, whether
with women or by means of onanism, is a frequent cause of barrenness or
impotence in men. In these cases the Semen loses its prolific power.
Frequently this impotence cannot be remedied, though I have cured many
persons of it who had daily involuntary emissions of the spermatic fluid
without erections or amorous impulse. The treatment consists in avoiding
its causes, restoring the general health by proper diet and exercise, and
in invigorating the affected organs by the internal and external use of
such remedies as have a direct influence upon them.
THE OVARIES.
The Ovaries, or egg-vessels of a human female, are two bodies situated on
each side of the Pelvis just within the lower edge of the hip bone. They
vary in size, averaging about the same as the male testicle, but of a
different shape, being flat and oblong, like an almond. When in a healthy
state, they are of pale red color, and have a rough exterior. Every Ovary
consists of a large number of cells about the size of a buck-shot, called
the Graafian Vesicles, and which contain a transparent fluid. On looking
at this fluid with a glass, the Ovum, or germ of the human being, can be
plainly seen in each cell. It is very small—not much larger than a grain
of sand. A healthy and perfectly formed female has some thirty or more of
these vesicles. It is impossible to tell the exact number, because all of
them are not fully developed at the same time. In fact, they ripen and
become perfect in succession, from month to month, and one is expelled at
each menstrual flow, as described below, beginning at the age of puberty,
and so continuing until the turn of life, when all have been expelled and
the Ovaries then become barren. The Ovum generally comes from each side
alternately—the right ovary expelling its egg one month, and the left the
next, and so on. But where disease or any cause has disabled one Ovary,
the other one, if healthy, expels its egg monthly. Such are the curious
workings of Nature.
When an Ovum, or egg, is fully developed, it leaves the Ovary, and
passing through a very curious hollow ligature called the Fallopian
Tube, is thus conveyed into the Womb. This occurs once in four weeks in
a healthy female. In order to detach this ripe egg from the Ovary, real
inflammation is experienced, which causes a discharge of blood and mucus,
called the menstrual or monthly flow. This constant action of the Ovaries
has a most extraordinary influence upon the whole being of woman. It
not only absorbs a large portion of her nervous power, but it actually
affects her mind to a considerable extent. It is the principal cause
of hysteria, fickleness, gayety, peevishness, and other eccentricities
peculiar to female character.
The Ovum usually reaches the Womb from one to two days after the monthly
flow ceases. After being retained a certain time by a thin membrane
called the Decidua, the membrane loosens and passes out of the body,
taking the Ovum along with it. While it remains in the Womb, it is of
course liable to be impregnated by the semen from the male; but the
moment it is expelled, no impregnation can take place until another
monthly flow. Many French females, who have studied this subject closely
and attentively, are enabled to tell with certainty when the Ovum leaves
them, and they avoid contact with the other sex except during the
interval between its expulsion and their next monthly turn. In this way
they avoid child-bearing.
The usual healthy time during which the Ovum remains in the Womb, is
fourteen days. In some females it remains as long as sixteen or seventeen
days. Cases of supposed barrenness are frequently those where the ova
are expelled from the womb very soon after lodging there. It is then
necessary for the husband, if he desires children, to cohabit with his
wife immediately after the menstrual flow ceases. On the contrary, those
who would avoid having offspring, (unless they use the means pointed out
in another part of this book,) should refrain from sexual indulgence
until the Ovum has been expelled, which is generally the third week after
the menstrual flow has ceased.
By a curious provision of Nature, the blood and vital energy required
to ripen and expel the monthly Ovum in a female, is turned in another
channel during pregnancy, and tends to secrete the milk and the fluids on
which the growing fœtus subsists. Thus the ova lie dormant during that
period, and they seldom begin to ripen again until the new-born infant is
weaned.
[Illustration: FEMALE ORGANS CUT IN HALF ... SECTION OF INTERNALS.
Explanation of the Engraving.
1. The Clitoris.
2. The Outer and the Inner Lips of the Private Parts.
3. Meatus Urinarius, and Mouth of the Bladder.
4. The Vagina, or Passage towards the Womb.
5. Mouth of the Womb.
6. Thick Walls of the Womb.
7. The Rectum.
8. The Bladder.
9. Pubic Bone.
10. Right Ovary and Fallopian Tube.]
[Illustration: FEMALE ORGANS OF REPRODUCTION AS THEY LIE IN THE BODY.
Explanation of the Engraving.
1. The Clitoris.
2. Right Outer Lip.
3. Right Inner Lip.
4. Entrance to the Vagina, or Passage towards the Womb.
5. Urinary Passage, or Mouth of Bladder.
6. Intestine of the Rectum.
7. Covering, or Wall of the Vagina.
8. The Bladder.
9. Covering of the Womb.
10. The Ovaries, showing their connection with the Womb by the Fallopian
Tubes.
11. The Abdomen.]
It will be understood, from the foregoing facts, that no female can
produce more than a certain number of ova. When all are exhausted,
the turn of life takes place. It is, therefore, desirable that girls
should not become sexually excited before the full age of puberty, as
such excitement is sure to hasten that period. The sooner they begin to
menstruate, the sooner they become old women. In the same way maiden
ladies usually reach the turn of life sooner than child-bearing women.
In some women, the Ovaries being originally weak, or diseased, they are
irregular in their menstrual periods, or have frequent flooding from the
debilitated state of the organs. Deformity of children is supposed to
arise from imperfect ova, and want of sufficient vital force to fully
develop them. The ripening of the Ovum, or egg, is in many respects
like unto the ripening of an apple on the tree. Some are perfect and
beautiful, while others are deformed and ungainly in appearance.
The two Fallopian Tubes, which connect the ovaries with the Womb, are
very curious. They are hollow ligaments, a little larger at one end than
the other. On dissection they are found to be lined with fine thread-like
points, which point towards the smallest end of the tube, adjoining the
Womb. These points are in perpetual motion, like small worms, and this
operation is what causes the egg to pass through the tube. For the same
reason nothing can go back in these tubes from the Womb to the Ovaries.
These tubes also afford a passage for the secretions and fluids, which
would otherwise accumulate in the Ovaries of women in ill health. A
considerable portion of the discharges from the Vagina, to which some
females are subject, come from the Ovaries through the Fallopian Tubes
into the Womb, and thence to the lower passage. Sexual or amative
feeling on the part of the female affects these tubes, by causing them
to straighten and relax, thus working the points on the inner surface,
and hastening the passage of the Ovum, should one be in the passage.
This feeling also hastens the ripening of the Ovum, to a certain extent.
The usual length of the Fallopian Tubes is from three to four inches. A
woman may be made perfectly barren by tying ligatures round these two
tubes, an operation which would be attended with but little pain. It is
obvious, however, that her health might seriously suffer in consequence.
In France, animals are frequently served in this manner in preference to
the painful process of spaying.
The Uterus, or Womb, is suspended mid-way between the lower edges of the
hip-bones. Its upper part goes up between the bladder and the rectum,
and lies upon the bladder. Its lower part joins the passage called the
Vagina, which is usually about four or live inches in length. In fact,
the neck of the Womb hangs down into the Vagina, and is the cause of
an indescribable delightful feeling on the part of the female when in
connection with the male. Many women say that they experience very little
sexual feeling, and that the act of copulation is to them a matter of
indifference. This is because the mouth of the Womb is not reached or
touched by the glans of the male organ; and the pleasurable sensation of
the female is then confined to a slight irritation of the Clitoris and
Nymphæ, in the private parts. When the amorous sensations of the female
are excited during connection, the Womb becomes engorged with blood, and
moves up and down in the Vagina, bringing the neck in contact with the
glans of the male organ, and this contact, if not too violent, is the
perfection of sexual indulgence for both parties.
The Vagina is a curved passage from the Womb to the lower private parts
of the female called the Vulva. It is a tubular passage, the diameter
of which varies from one and a half to two inches, and is usually from
four to five inches in length. This curved tube possesses some curious
powers, which are in action only during connection with the male. It is
lined with a mucus membrane throughout, and underneath is thick cellular
membrane which is spongy and fills with blood during sexual excitement,
the same as the head of the penis in the male. This is the erectile
tissue. On each side are certain little openings where are secreted a
thickish gray fluid of a peculiar smell, which is discharged copiously
during connection. Some uninformed persons erroneously think this to be
a kind of Semen; but it is merely a fluid provided by Nature to assist
in the nuptial act. Some females have the erectile tissue imperfectly
developed, and for this reason are liable to a lax-vagina, which leads to
a falling of the Womb, and other diseases that render the marriage state
necessary to restore them to health. Mothers are apt to attach too little
importance to this disease.
The entrance to the Vagina, a small oval opening, easily seen by parting
the lips of the private parts, is usually closed in virgins by a thin
membrane, or skin, which grows over it. This is called the Hymen; and
in ancient times its presence was considered necessary at marriage to
establish the virginity of the bride. If in reality such proof was
demanded, we think that very many brides must have been pronounced lewd,
for there is scarcely one woman in a hundred at the present day who
preserves her Hymen intact until she is twenty years old. In some, it is
broken at the first menstrual flow—in others, any debilitating disease
of the parts destroys it—and many girls who constantly bathe and wash
their private parts, unconsciously wash away this membrane. These are
cases where it is very thin; but where it has strength to resist such
accidents, it may even then be quickly destroyed by any attempt of the
female to produce sexual excitement. Some curious facts are related in
the medical books of the toughness of the Hymen in certain cases. Dr.
Wakley, of London, was applied to by a woman who alleged that though her
husband regularly performed his marital duties, yet she herself could
not enjoy the nuptial act. On examination, it was found that the Hymen
had not been broken, though the woman had been married eight years. The
membrane was a tough, calloused substance, and it was deemed necessary
to cut it out entirely. This lady became a mother in less than eleven
months from the time of the operation. Dr. Bostwick, of New York, had
a case where a thick piece of flesh grew over the mouth of the Vagina;
and though the woman had the menstrual flow regularly through a small
opening, yet her husband could have no sexual pleasure with her. A very
painful and dangerous operation relieved this lady, and she is now the
mother of a family. As a general rule, a girl loses her Hymen before she
is twenty, and it is seldom that she knows when it is destroyed.
In some women the mouth of the Vagina is so small that a first connection
is painful, tearing the part and causing a flow of blood. When such women
become widows, or refrain from sexual intercourse for a long period, the
same tearing and flow of blood may again occur on resuming connection.
The external appearance of the private parts of a female, as given in
the engraving, we will here particularize. The peculiar round and plump
prominence at the lower extremity of the abdomen, is a thick layer of
fatty matter over the pubic bone, called the Mons Veneris. This is
usually covered with hair at the age of puberty. In some cases the hair
grows very profusely, and to the length of six or eight inches. Others
have but little hair, and some none at all. The growth of hair is usually
considered the sign of womanhood, though it is really no proof of that
condition. Many girls have a growth of hair over the Mons at the age of
ten or eleven years, while the menstrual flow will not commence until
some years after. The two outer lips of the part are also covered with
hair. These are called Labia, and inside they have little glans or
follicles which discharge a mucus of a peculiar smell, which is provided
by Nature to keep the parts in health. Within these external lips or
Labia, are smaller ones called the Nymphæ. In infants the Nymphæ can be
plainly seen outside, as the Labia do not cover them; but as the child
grows, the external lips gradually close, and in a perfectly-formed
female, at the age of puberty, nothing can be seen but the outer lips,
which are, or should be, hidden by the hair.
At the upper junction of the Nymphæ is the Clitoris, a very curious
formation which resembles a miniature male penis. This is an organ
which, when irritated, causes sexual desires. It is usually about the
size of a pea, though in some cases it is larger. The growth of the
Clitoris to an unnatural size is what has given rise to a belief in the
existence of hermaphrodites, or persons of double sex. I can easily
understand how these reports originated. A female infant with a Clitoris
of a very large size would naturally induce such a belief by persons
ignorant of physiology—for the Clitoris is always proportionably a great
deal larger before puberty—and particularly so when the child is first
born. In an unnatural growth, then, of this member, the private parts
of an infant would certainly present a hermaphroditic appearance. It
is almost unnecessary to say that no such human beings ever existed as
hermaphrodites. Those that have been so called were females with an
enlarged Clitoris. This enlargement being a source of some mortification
to the girl as she grows to womanhood, it should be partially amputated,
an operation which can be performed with perfect safety. Young girls of
amorous desires get up a sexual excitement, and produce masturbation, by
rubbing the Clitoris; and in boarding schools they often practice the
habit upon one another until they cause repeated Orgasms, and in this
manner injure their health. Many of the diseases of after life may be
traced to such unnatural pranks—particularly the weakness which causes
miscarriage and excessive flooding.
PHILOSOPHY OF SEXUAL DESIRES.
The sexual organs of man and woman are wonderfully adapted to each
other, and have a perfect power of mutual attraction. Nature sacrifices
every thing to reproduction: it is thus that we enjoy all strength,
vigor and beauty, so as to excite us to contribute to the procreation
of our species; and thus that such exquisite pleasure is associated
with the copulative act. It is for this reason also that we experience
so many sweet illusions in the brilliant season of our amours, and that
we give way to others when our reproductive powers have failed. In a
word, Nature always regards the species, and never the individual; and
whatever we may say or think of our superiority over inferior animals,
we cannot conceal from ourselves the fact that, like the brutes, we
are influenced in our unions by the pleasure of sexual intercourse. It
is useless to deny that the majority of marriages which are apparently
based on the sentiment called love, are nothing more than the result of
an involuntary obedience to the imperious voice of our sexual organs. A
man admires the graceful figure, the voluptuous form, and the general
female graces of a woman, and he at once desires to possess her person.
This induces him to cultivate her acquaintance, and unless he finds
something in her disposition positively disagreeable, ten to one he will
offer her marriage. Who will deny that sexual desire was the moving
cause of this connection? A woman meets a man of fine figure, noble gait
and manner, broad chest, and elevated head, furnished with a luxuriant
growth of hair. His eyes are full of fire, and he is amiable, gallant and
polite. She at once feels a thrilling desire to become better acquainted
with him. What is that but a sexual yearning? Thus far, certainly, no
sentimental collusion can have occurred between them.
The philosophy of sexual desires has been frequently discussed by learned
men, and interesting experiments have been made to test whether the
attraction of the two sexes was not precisely the same in human beings as
in the minor animals. These tests proved that our animal natures are not
directed altogether by the intellect. We see young persons of opposite
sex mutually caress and embrace each other by some mysterious influence,
even before they are of sufficient age to experience sexual desires. This
mutual attraction is attributed by some people to Animal Magnetism—the
male being the positive, and the female the negative principle. We,
however, believe it to be an instinctive sympathy; for experiments have
been made which prove that the Generative Organs of either sex exercise a
certain mysterious influence one upon the other. A French physiological
writer says that two vigorous young persons were put in a semi-insensible
state by the use of certain drugs. Being stripped and their private
parts placed slightly in contact, (their heads being fully covered,)
this slight touch instantly excited the sexual feeling. This experiment
is reported in detail, and we do not doubt that it was _bona-fide_. The
peculiar instinctive attraction in this case was so delicate that it
acted almost like electricity to the male organ. Besides this instinctive
attraction, the nervous sensibility is so constituted as to aid in the
union of the sexes. In the present state of society, however, young
people do not usually wait the slow process of Nature’s teachings, but
gain their knowledge by a precocious association or under the instruction
of their seniors. The sexual impulse, under such circumstances, is forced
and unnatural, and is frequently the parent of incurable disease.
Coition, or sexual union, may be compared to a fit of epilepsy, or to
an electrical shock. It entirely engages both the mind and the body;
we neither hear nor see, but the soul is entirely absorbed in the act.
When a man is performing this act, if his thoughts wander, the product
will be feeble, and if his wife become pregnant the offspring will be
inferior. This fact is applied to the offspring of great geniuses, who
are supposed to be thinking of something else when they beget their
children, and hence their descendants are often much below them in
intellect. In further confirmation of this theory, history informs us
that some of the greatest men the world ever saw were bastards—children
begotten with vigor, and when the minds of the parents are supposed to
have been absorbed in the one idea of a loving sexual embrace. Aristotle
believed that the causes of deformed children, of monstrosities, and of
all defective offspring, were in consequence of imperfect connections,
or acts of generation when the minds of the parents were depressed by
passion, anxiety, trouble, or any difficult or abstract matters.
Persons of moderate and regular habits, with strong and sound
constitutions, beget healthful infants; while those whose habits are
excessively mental, generally produce feeble offspring, though their
constitutions and general health may be good.
Another cause of feeble children is the abuse of the function of
generation by too frequent intercourse. In such cases the semen is thin
and watery, being too suddenly secreted. Harvey says that to produce
vigorous offspring, the spermatic fluid ought to remain two or three days
in its receptacles for its thinner parts to become absorbed, when more
vitality will be imparted to it, and hence the more vigorous will be the
offspring.
It will be thus seen that the proper union of the sexes is at that
moment when the mind and body are at rest, and when both parties are in
a mood for mutual caresses. Certain moral and intellectual perceptions
undoubtedly govern their feelings under such circumstances, and aid in
producing that intense pleasurable feeling which a healthy and proper
connection will always promote.
As to the times when sexual union should be avoided, I would say that
during five or six days after the monthly turn of the female commences,
it is absolutely unhealthy to both. Married men of cleanly habits will
religiously observe the Jewish law in this respect, and wait seven
days. It was formerly thought that connection with a female during
the menstrual flow, was the origin of a certain sexual disease called
gonorrhœa; but such is not the fact. Connection during that period is,
however, unnatural, hurtful, and often painful to the female. Neither
should there be any intimacy of this kind when the female is troubled
with fluor albus, or whites, as then there is danger that the male may
contract gonorrhœa. When a girl appoints her wedding day, she should
reckon as near as possible a time when she will be fully over her monthly
turn. If subject to fluor albus, she should first seek the most efficient
means of cure; and if possible, a cure should be effected before she
marries. Girls subject to this complaint seldom enjoy the constant
sexual intercourse incident to married life. Medical science can manage
this disease so easily and effectually by the aid of the Truss, or
Abdominal Supporter, that there is no excuse for neglecting it. Unless
the strictest cleanliness is practiced by the wife while she has the
whites, she may give her husband the disease called gonorrhœa. She should
never have any connection with him in the morning until she has risen
and washed the part thoroughly. Suspicious men have often believed their
wives unfaithful because they have contracted gonorrhœa from the whites.
But the fact is well known to medical men that that alone is the original
cause of the disease.
In Persia, and indeed in most Mahomedan countries where a plurality of
wives is allowed, it is considered indecent to approach a woman for
sexual intercourse during pregnancy, or when she is suckling her child.
This custom is highly commendable, and if observed among Christians it
would tend to promote the health of both the mother and her offspring,
for Nature never intended that the nuptial act should be performed
solely for the gratification of our passions. Nevertheless, I do not
say that a moderate indulgence during pregnancy would be hurtful to a
robust woman; though to a weak and nervous one it surely is. But after
the child is born, sexual intercourse should cease until it is weaned, to
insure its health. Many sucking children die in consequence of the sexual
indulgences of their parents, and none are wholly unaffected thereby.
TIME AND MANNER OF IMPREGNATION.
We have stated elsewhere that there are certain times during the month
when it is impossible for a woman to be impregnated by sexual connection.
This is a fact that may be relied upon with the utmost certainty, and we
will discuss it more in detail. The Vesicles of the Ovary are constantly
growing and ripening, as we have shown. Once in four weeks one or more of
them is ready to leave its cell. Inflammation commences—which is called
the Menstrual Flow—the Vesicle then begins to enlarge, and by the time
the flow ceases, it bursts open, when the Ovum or Egg within escapes and
is taken up by some very curious little membranes and drawn into the
Fallopian Tube. It passes through this tube into the Womb, and it is
generally two days, and often longer, in making the passage. Meantime
a thin, delicate membrane, called the Decidua, forms in the Womb, and
is ready to receive the Egg and detain it there, otherwise it would
pass out and be lost. This membrane will generally last about a week,
when it gradually loosens and passes out, taking the Egg along with it.
If, however, the Egg be impregnated—in other words, if the female have
connection with a man, and the Semen comes in contact with the Egg during
this period, the Decidua from that moment begins to grow fast to the
Womb, and becomes one of the coverings that protect the new being during
the fœtal state.