114 Historical Sketch of Improvements in [Aug. 



and the last two volumes of the Medical and Physical Journal, 

 and of the London Medical Repository. 



Oftlie Senses. New Theory of Vision. — Dr. Reade has pxib- 

 11 shed a paper, the object of which is to show, that a minute 

 inverted image of external objects is not formed on the retina of 

 the eye, as commonly maintained, but a magnified erect image. 

 <See Annals of Fhilosopki/, vol. xv. p. 260.) 



IV. Generation. — The difficulties attending the investigation of 

 the generative function have caused differences of opinion among 

 physiologists respecting many important circumstances con- 

 nected with it ; some, for example, maintaining that corpora lutea 

 are the result of impregnation, and that the absolute contact of the 

 semen masculinum with the ovum is not necessary to conception; 

 others, the reverse. We beheve, however, that for some time the 

 most eminent physiologists have agreed on these two im- 

 portant points ; viz. that in the mammalia, as in the bird tribe, ova 

 may be formed and even expelled, independently of the male; and 

 that the actual contact of the male semen with the ovum is 

 necessary to impregnation. Dr. Blundell has lately made some 

 experiments on this subject, which, though they possess no 

 novelty, confirm both these points. These experiments were 

 made upon rabbits, and consisted chiefly in cutting off the com- 

 munication of the male semen from one or both of the ovaries by 

 obliterating the communications between the vagina and uteri. 

 The results were in these cases that " young animals were inva- 

 riably found in the sound womb, but not in the interrupted." In 

 other experiments, the vagina was obliterated. In this case no 

 conception took place ; but it was found that by connexion with 

 the male, corpora lutea were generated, and the uteri developed,, 

 and also rendered probable," that the "rudiments were trans- 

 ferred to the uterine cavity by the play of the fallopian tubes." 

 <Mcd. Chirurg. Trans, vol. X. p. 245.) 



In a paper read before the Medicinisch-Chirurgische Gesell- 

 schaft, of Berlin, by Dr. Stein, a case was related in which on 

 performing the operation for imperforate vagina no uterus could 

 be found. This occurred in a young married lady 24 years of 

 age, of the most perfect female ibrm, slender and delicate, with 

 full breasts, a fair complexion, and an animated countenance 

 expressive of the finest sensibility. She had never menstruated, 

 although the orgasm generally accompanying the appearance of 

 the menses, with some distress about the pubes, recurred at the 

 ordinary periods. From the peculiarity of her situation, she 

 was mduced to sub\i\it to an examination, when a firm membrane 

 completely closing the vagina was found. This being cut 

 t'nrougn, the absence of the uterus was discovered ; its place 

 being supplied by a soft mass of cellular tissue. The wound 

 united, and fortunately no serious accident occurred. From this 

 and other similar cases related by the author, he infers that it 

 is the ovaria and not the uterus in which the menstrual orgasm 

 originates, and which, by their influence, give to the woman her 

 characteristics in respect to form and manners. 



