Chapter VIII. 



The Seminal Vesicles and the Prostate Gland 

 in Relation to the Development of the 

 Sex Characters, 



Is there an influence on the part of the seminal vesicles and 

 prostate gland on the somatic sex characters and on the 

 psycho-sexual behaviour? This question was discussed more 

 than thirty years ago by Tarchanoff (1887) in relation to the 

 seminal vesicles; a similar question was recently raised in 

 connection with the prostate gland by various cUnical ob- 

 servations. It seems, however, to have been demonstrated 

 recently that the seminal vesicles and the prostate have no 

 influence on the sex characters, more especially by Steinach 

 (1894) and Lichtenstern (1915, 1916), who performed experi- 

 ments deahng with this question in Steinach' s laboratory. 

 Further, the experiments of KolHker, Fiirbringer, Steinach, 

 Nussbaum, Exner, Hirokava and Wischnewsky have shown 

 that the seminal vesicles and the prostate have distinct 

 functions apart from the production of hormones.^ 



A. PHYSIOLOGY OF THE SEMINAL VESICLES. 

 I. Experiments on Frogs. 



It was already known to Spallanzani (1786) that even 

 serious injuries to the male frog, as, for instance, mutilation 

 of both hind legs, do not necessarily inhibit the clasp reflex. 

 Tarchanoff showed that the male continues to clasp for some 

 time even when internal organs are mutilated or excised. 

 But he claims to have shown also that incision and emptying 

 of the seminal vesicles or extirpation of the latter inhibit the 

 clasp reflex in Rana temporaria. Tarchanoff suggests that the 

 stimulus which makes the male seek the female, and which 

 excites the clasp reflex and causes its persistence, originates 



1 For the literature on this question see the papers of Tarchanoff, Steinach 

 and Lichtenstern quoted above; see also Marshall (1922, ch. VI.), Busquet 

 (1910), Nussbaum (1912), Biedl (1913, vol. 11 of the 2nd ed.), Stigler (1918). 



335 Y 



