THE PAROVAR1UM (NORMAL ANATOMY). 



595 



distinct from the duct of the Wolffian body 

 (JigAQQ.f). In the male, however, lie has been 

 able to detect no vas deferens distinct from 

 the excretory duct of the corpus Wolffianum ; 

 but on the contrary, the testis and the excre- 

 tory duct of the former body seem to become 

 connected by means of vasa efferentia. This 

 is an important point, because it will be found 

 so far to bear out the views of Kobelt re- 

 garding the homologies of these structures. 



In the mammalia generally, and in man, 

 the Wolffian bodies are less extended. They, 

 however, possess the same arrangement of 

 transverse caecal tubes ( fig. 401. a d), ter- 

 minating in the side of a common excretory 

 duct (e), which leads from the lower extre- 

 mity of the oraan to the uro-genital sinus. 



These structures are all formed indepen- 

 dently of the kidneys and supra-renal cap- 

 sules, as well as of the ovaria and testes, 

 which parts occupy the same relative position 

 in mammalia as in birds. 



But here, according to Miiller's researches, 

 a different arrangement is observed in regard 

 to the efferent duct of the generative portion 

 of these structures. At first the oviduct and 

 the vas deferens have each the same confor- 

 mation, and each terminates by a free extre- 

 mity. This, in the female, merely acquires 

 an open mouth, and thus the Fallopian tube 

 is formed, the ovary continuing, as at first, 

 distinct and separate. But in the male the 

 efferent tube and the testis become connected 

 by transverse vessels, which are afterwards 

 converted into the coni vasculosi of the epi- 

 didymis, whilst the rest of that organ is com- 

 posed of the convolutions of the efferent tube 

 itself. " The Wolffian bodies entirely dis- 

 appear in both sexes, and are not converted 

 into any other organ." * 



These views, however, leave unexplained 

 many peculiarities which are observable in 

 the permanent condition of the parts or or- 

 gans developed from the foetal structures ; 

 and it is the great merit of Kobelt's re- 

 searches that they serve to render these in- 

 telligible. 



According to this observer, there exists, in 

 the earliest periods of intra-uterine life, a 

 condition of indistinction of sex in every in- 

 dividual. This depends upon a temporary 

 co-existence in each individual of all the ele- 

 ments of the reproductive structures. For at 

 the highest point of sexual indifference, that 

 is, shortly before the beginning of the division 

 of sex, the Wolffian bodies consist of 



1. The so-called caecal tubes (Jig. 401. 

 a d). 



2. Of the common duct (e) running along 

 the outer side of this body, into which the 

 caecal tubes open. 



3. And of a second longer cord (A), which 

 begins in a blind pouch (i), and takes its 

 course inwards over the Wolffian body, pa- 

 rallel with the excretory duct of the latter 

 (e), in order to enter the uro-genital canal (x), 

 by a separate orifice (&). This last cord, 



* Muller's Physiology, by Baly, p. 1637. 



out 



discovered by John Miiller, is throughout 

 destitute of any connection with the caecal 

 pouches. (See also/g. 400. g.) 



Fig. 401. 



The left JVo/ffian body ut the period of indistinction of 

 sex. {After Kobdt.} 



a a, entire collection of its component tubules 

 divisible into three sets, viz., b, upper ; c, middle ; 

 d, lower set ; e, excretory duct of the Wolffian body 

 into which all the tubules open, subsequently con- 

 verted into vas deferens in the male, and becoming 

 atrophied in the female; /, terminal bulb of the 

 same, becoming afterwards the so-called hydatid, 

 often seen attached, in the male, to the head of the 

 epididymis (Jig. 40'2. /), and in the female to the 

 broad ligament (fig. 403. / and 408. g ) ; g, open- 

 ing of the Wolffian body into x, the uro-genital canal ; 

 //, duct of Miiller, afterwards Fallopian tube in the 

 female, and becoming atrophied in the male ; i, ter- 

 minal bulbof the same, becoming the hydatid of Mor- 

 gagni (fig. 402. t) in the male, and the hydatid often 

 seen depending from the mouth of the Fallopian 

 tube in the female (Fig. 403. i and 368. ee); k, junc- 

 tion of the duct of Miiller with the uro-genital 

 canal ; * shows the subsequent horizontal position 

 of this duct when it has become Fallopian tube. 



The organ destined for the preparation of 

 the reproductive material, the generative 

 gland, (fig. 401. / ), consists of a longish, 

 clearly defined structure, lying upon the inner 

 side of the Wolffian body, so as to cover a 

 portion of the bulbs of the cEecal pouches. 

 Its white colour serves to distinguish it, at a 

 glance, from the yellowish brown Wolffian 

 body. As yet, no material nor actual distinc- 

 tion of sex can be discovered in any one of 

 these parts ; and yet the whole already con- 

 tains all the elements of the male, as well as 

 of the female, reproductive apparatus, without 

 any true exhibition of hi-sexuality. 



The nature of the first impulse towards a 

 division of sex, in one or other direction, is 

 unknown, but the subsequent separation ma- 

 nifests itself with the commencing distinctive 

 development, and correlative retrogression of 

 each several element ; for the cardinal organ, 

 the generative gland (yzg.401./), may be con- 

 verted into testis (fig- 402. /), or ovary (fig. 

 403. /), and through the doubly existing ex- 

 cretory duct of this gland, viz. the duct of 

 Miiller (fig. 401. ), for the female, and the 

 Q Q 2 



