THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HYMEN. 



FRED. J. TAUSSIG, M.D. 

 From the Anatomical Laboratory of Washington University, St. Louis. 



With 14 Figures. 



Observations thus far collected concerning the origin and develop- 

 ment of the hymen may broadly be divided into clinical and embryo- 

 logical. The clinical evidence is based on the study in adult life of the 

 congenital anomalies such as hymen duplex with double vagina, hymen 

 with absent vagina, etc. The interpretation of these anomalies is very 

 difficult, and their value in an embryological study is really only of a 

 confirmatory nature. Consideration of them alone can never result in 

 a solution of the problem of hymeneal development. The embryological 

 evidence on the development of the hymen is based on gross anatomical 

 dissections, single microscopic sections, and on serial sections of the 

 hymen and its surrounding structures. Accurate conclusions must be 

 based on a correct valuation of these three sorts of evidence. For the 

 proper study of so minute a structure as the fetal hymen, the last named 

 method — serial sections — is of paraniount value. 



An extensive review of the various opinions on hymeneal development 

 has recently been made by Gellhorn ('04). From the standpoint of 

 time, we may distinguish a convaginal theory, according to which the 

 hymen is formed at the same time as the vagina, and a postvaginal 

 theory, according to which the hymen is formed after the development 

 of the vagina. It is, however, better to classify the various views from 

 the standpoint of origin. They may be grouped under four heads : 



(1) Vulvar Theorjr, Pozzi ('84). 



(2) Bilamellate Vulvo-vaginal Theory, Schaeffer ('90). 



(3) Uni-lamellate Vulvo-vaginal Theory, Nagel ('97). Budin ('79), 

 Webster ('98), Klein ('94). 



(4) Vaginal Theory, Dohrn ('75), Veit ('99), Gellhorn ('04). 



American Jourxal of Anatomy. — Vol. VIII. 



