103 



Fred. J. Taussig 



a hymen in atresia vaginas can be readily explained. We know that, at 

 some places, portions of the vagina may remain obliterated while at 

 other points a lumen is formed. If the extreme lower end of the vagina 

 be the only portion that so develops it might readily present the picture 

 of a hymen in absence of the vagina. 



r Ep 



S Ep 





Fig. 8a. Detail drawing ot the tip of the vulvo-vaginal fold seen in Fig. 8 

 to show the difference in character between vaginal epithelium and sinus 

 epithelium. C. T., connective tissue ; Y. Ep., vaginal epithelium ; S. Ep., sinus 

 epithelium. Magnified 100 X. 



A few cases have been reported in which a single hymen was found 

 with double vagina. This fact is brought forward by the upholders of 

 the vulvar theory as proof of their contentions, in spite of the fact that 

 here, too, the rule is that the hymen is double, one for each vagina. The 

 burden of proof is here likewise against them. The unusual cases of 

 single hymen can, moreover, be readily explained on the basis of an 

 incomplete vaginal septum, that is, one in which the septum dividing 

 the two vaginas does not fully reach to the hymeneal ring. 



From the anatomical dissection of 190 specimens of fetal hymens 

 Schaeffer ('90) concluded, as already stated, that this structure was 

 composed of two folds. Gellhorn ('04) has raised the objection to these 



