340 DR D. BERRY HART. 



breaks down. This is quite an erroneous description, and leads 

 to serious pathological errors in surgery. Adherent prepuce is 

 not an adhesion really, but a hindered central desquamation. 



In one specimen I found the cells passed in not yet des- 

 quamated ; but it was interesting to note that the central cells 

 were Hatter than the others. The glans clitoridis is imperforate 

 in the human female. 



2. The development of the hymen and the changes in the 

 vagina and uterus. — We now take up one of the most interest- 

 ing points in this investigation, as the results under this heading 

 are opposed to current views, and appear to me to clear up 

 several hitherto obscure points. 



These changes occur at the 14th week, and have hitherto been 

 described as a metamorphosis of the lining of the part of the 

 Milllerian ducts forming the Anlage of the vagina. The lower 

 end of the fused ducts, especially, is said to become distended, 

 owing to epithelial proliferation. This proliferation causes per- 

 foration into the urinogenital sinus, thus forming the hymen. 



Klein says : " Der Hymen ist jener Theil des Beckenbodens 

 welcher durch den spiitestens im Anfang des drittens Monats 

 erfolgenden Durchbruch des Milllerschen Ganges und durch die 

 vom drjtten bis fiinften fotal Monat erfolgenden ampulliire 

 Erweiterung des Endtheiles der Vagina abgegrenzt und verdiinnt 

 wurde." Nagel's (p. 100) description is as follows : " Bel 

 Embryonen aus dem 8 Monat beginnt eine Vermehrung und 

 Anhitufung der oberen Schichten des Epithels, welche zuerst dicht 

 oberhalb des Orificium vaginae auftritt, wodurch die Vagina an 

 dieser Stelle (bei Embryonen von 7-10 cm. Rurapflange) eine 

 bauchige Erweiterung erfiihrt. Durch diese Erweiterung ensteht 

 der Hymen." 



Tourneux and Legay state : " Au commencement du 4" mois 

 lunaire, chez le foetus humain (7"5-10'5) la portion inferieure ou 

 vaginale du canal genital (moitie environ) est tapissee par un 

 epithelium pavementeux stratifie qui se continue par uue tran- 

 sition graduelle avec I'epithelium de la portion superieure ou 

 uterine." 



In a very well-preserved female fcetus of the third and a half 

 month which I examined by serial sections, using the Paraffin 

 method and staining with Logwood and Eosin, I found a series 



