OVARY (FUNCTIONS). 



561 



in infancy, or which may continue to form 

 during life, undoubtedly perish. No sexual 

 influence is needful to the production of any 

 of these changes. The whole occur sponta- 

 neously, whatever may be the condition of 

 the female. 



How far the influence of the male may assist 

 in hurrying on to maturity any of these pro- 

 cesses is a question which will be considered 

 hereafter, when the proofs of the statements 

 now made as to the independence of these 

 processes will also be investigated. But it is 

 sufficient here to refer to the fact of the spon- 

 taneity of these occurrences, in order to place 

 under one category all the changes which the 

 ovary suffers, up to a certain point, independ- 

 ently of any sexual influence. 



Two circumstances here also may be more 

 especially noticed : the one is, that the yel- 

 low colour which the proper ovisac or inner 

 coat of the follicle exhibits towards the term 

 of its ripening is distinctly recognisable for 

 some time anterior to the occurrence of the 

 rupture. It occurs in all follicles at this stage 

 alike, both in Man and animals, and under all 

 circumstances, whether coitus be permitted or 

 not ; but even when coitus is permitted, it is 

 found at a period long anterior to that at which 

 the act of coition could by any possibility be 

 influential in its production. 



The other circumstance which it may be 

 important here to notice is, that the yellow 

 structure is no new nor superadded part, but 

 is the ovisac itself, altered by the gradual de- 

 posit in its texture of a yellow oil, which at 

 length accumulates to such a degree as to con- 

 vert this previously translucent wall of the 

 follicle into an opaque yellow membrane or 

 coat. But neither in any of these stages, nor 

 in any subsequent ones, is there interposed 

 either between the walls of the follicle or be- 

 tween these latter and the surrounding ova- 

 rian stroma, any new substance or body of 

 any kind. The yellow colour is confined to 

 the inner coat of the follicle, nor have I ever 

 seen it in any one instance penetrating to 

 the outer coat or covering of the ovisac. 

 There is only one new coat formed, which will 

 be hereafter described ; and that coat, often 

 of considerable thickness, is a part entirely 

 superadded, which, after a certain stage in the 

 metamorphosis of the follicle, is applied in the 

 inner side again of the yellow coat, to which it 

 forms a lining. This, although a new forma- 

 tion, is also, as will be presently shown, con- 

 structed out of materials existing in the fol- 

 licle before its rupture. 



The final purpose of the Graafian follicle 

 being now accomplished, it may seem a matter 

 of comparatively little interest or importance, 

 in a physiological point of view, to trace its 

 ultimate conditions ; for the changes which 

 this structure next undergoes have for their 

 object solely its obliteration. But the process 

 of obliteration or retrogression does not, like 

 the process of development, take place under 

 all circumstances alike. Here the influence 

 of impregnation is exhibited in a degree so 

 remarkable as to have given rise to a general 

 Supp. 



belief that the changes experienced by the 

 follicle, when impregnation has accompanied 

 or followed its rupture, are essentially different 

 in their nature and character from those which 

 ensue when impregnation has not taken 

 place ; whereas these differences, it will be 

 shown, are differences chiefly of degree; and 

 yet they are so considerable as to have called 

 forth almost as great a share of attention as 

 has been given, perhaps, to any structure in 

 the human bod}'. 



But great as is the interest attached to this 

 structure on account of the evidence which it 

 may afford of the previous occurrence or non- 

 occurrence of impregnation, yet, so various 

 are the views and statements of those who 

 have specially directed their attention to the 

 subject, that neither among physiologists, pa- 

 thologists, nor medical jurists, can it be said 

 that there is at present any concord of opinion 

 or common ground of understanding. 



Admitting, however, for the present that 

 there is a marked difference observable in the 

 changes which the Graafian follicle undergoes, 

 according as impregnation has or has not ac- 

 companied or followed the escape of the 

 ovum, we thereby obtain a starting-point, or 

 rather a point of divergence, from which we 

 may follow out these changes in two dif- 

 ferent series : the one series will include 

 the alterations in the follicle which ensue 

 when impregnation fails, or does not oc- 

 cur ; the other, those which it experiences 

 in consequence of impregnation having taken 

 place. 



Fourth S/age. Period of Decline and Obli- 

 teration of the Graafian Follicles. 



A. Without Impregnation. This constitutes 

 the first degree of the descending scale in the 

 hi.story of development of the follicle. Im- 

 mediately after the escape of the ovum, the 

 inherent contractility of the tunica albugi- 

 nea of the ovary occasions a diminution 

 in the prominence of the lacerated vesicle. 

 The margins of the opening become approxi- 

 mated in consequence of the collapsing of the 

 walls, and from the edges of the laceration there 

 occurs a slight fibrmous exudation which causes 

 them to become agglutinated. If the aper- 

 ture has been of considerable size, and no c.ot 

 remains in the cavity to keep its walls from 

 collapsing, the process of obliteration may 

 proceed rapidly ; but if a clot remains, and 

 especially if it is of considerable size, it will 

 serve to support the walls, and prevent them 

 from quickly shrinking. 



These different conditions will for a time 

 affect the new disposition which the inner 

 membrane of the follicle takes soon alter the 

 rupture is complete. In proportion as the 

 cavity is empty, the elasticity of the outer 

 fibrous coat will, by its retraction, occasion 

 a diminution of the cavity; but the inner coat, 

 having already increased during the growth 

 of the follicle in a greater degree than its 

 outer covering, will now, in this collapsed 

 and nearly empty condition of the sac, suffer 

 the same change that would result from en- 

 closing a large bladder within a smaller one. 

 o o 



