Herma- 
phrodite. 
152 
za 
? 
HERMAP 
may consider all these as more strictly belonging to the 
class of males with malformation. The androgynous 
child of which we speak was born at Mentz in June 
1803.. Its singularity of structure was supposed indi- 
cative of the masculine gender by those present, and it 
was baptised as such. Having died at the age of five 
or six weeks, Ackermann, who had previously inspect- 
ed the external configuration, obtained an opportunity 
of dissection, though the organs had declined along 
with the decay of the body during sickness. He found 
an intermixture of the sexual distinctions, removing 
the infant from a perfect male or female ; the glans im- 
perforate, scrotal labia, an uterine sac, and other doubt- 
ful indications, of which he has given an ample detail, 
illustrated by engravings; and at the same time he ex- 
presses his conviction of the androgynous nature of the 
subject. 
A remarkable case came under the notice of some of 
the most learned continental physicians in the preced- 
ing century, respecting Michael Ann Drouart, a na- 
tive of Paris, born about the year 1734. This indivi- 
dual was baptized, treated, and dressed asa girl, but 
having attained the age of 16, a report was circulated 
of her being a hermaphrodite, which led to a minute 
inspection by M. Moraud, who has presented us both 
with the result in detail, and several engravings. He 
found the external configuration partly masculine, part- 
ly feminine, but the-former predominated. It corre- 
sponded to the age of the person, whereas the female 
characteristics belonged to a period of childhood, or 
early adolescence. An organ denoting virility appeared, 
but the urethra was absent ; neither could he determine 
the exact point of a deep fissure, occupying the scite of 
the scrotum, into which the urine was discharged; and 
other medical men were equally unsuccessful, The 
breast was quite flat, and it always remained so; the per- 
son had the gesture, step, and voice of a youth, some ru- 
diments of a beard on the upper lip, anda decided pro- 
pensity for females.” Yet, says M. Moraud, “ there 
‘was a strange intermixture of the sexes in all respects ; 
for the bason was more enlarged ; and in comparing the 
two thighs together, one resembled that of a male, and 
the other that of a female.” From these and concomi- 
tant circumstances, he formed an opinion that the sub- 
ject was a male. Michel having left Paris some time 
after, underwent another inspection by M. Cruger, prin- 
cipal surgeon to the King of Denmark, who was indu- 
ced, on the other hand, to consider the female character 
predominant; but he concludes on the whole, that in 
strict definition the subject was neither male nor female. 
At the age of 21, some Genevese physicians had an op- 
portunity of making their observations. The principal 
organ now exceeded the ordinary human dimensions 
in every respect ; a thin black beard, nearly such as a 
young man of that age should have, appeared ; and the 
breast and stature were completely those of the same 
sex. But now the propensities for males were sup- 
planted by those formerly entertained ; for at the age 
of 17, those evacuations characterising females of the 
human species had commenced, but experienced many 
irregularities and interruptions ; and in 1761, had cea- 
sed for nearly three quarters of a year. Cotemporary 
observers were then inclined to depart from M. Mo- 
raud’s sentiments, and to believe that there was a predo- 
‘minance of the female,sex.. However, some of the most 
recent authors, and those who have studied the subject 
most profoundly, seem to rank Michel Anne Drouart 
with hermaphrodites, exhibiting an intermixture of the 
sexual organs. M. Ferrein found the appearances in 
HRODITE. 
the more youthful subject above alluded to, completely 
the same. as in the preceding individual in the essential 
parts... The whole external mien, intimately resembled 
that of girls at twelve years of age; the breast was quite 
flat, and the voice rather mabe > The external sex- 
ual organ, which would have indicated a male, was 
much smaller, though of the same structure as before ; 
those of the female were somewhat misplaced, but the 
position of the urethra could be easily ascertained. 
Enough was disclosed, to induce M. Ferrein to declare, 
that this young nobleman was in fact a female, and 
would consequently be deprived of the expected inhe~ 
ritance, If his opinion be correct, the present case 
‘should be removed to the third class of persons design- 
ed hermaphrodites, though, from the doubts of the 
learned respecting the former, we are induced still to re 
tain ithere. It is not the’ structure of the sexual p: 
which is alone to be taken into view, but the total or- 
anization combined, The personal configuration, the 
habit of the body, the presence of a beard, ‘the qua- 
lity of the voice, propensities and dispositions, and 
other characteristics, added to any uncommon structure 
of these parts, shew that some of the male and female 
properties are confounded together. At an early period 
of gestation, human females are frequently mistaken 
for males ; and hence an erroneous opinion has pre- 
vailed, of abortions at certain stages being more com- 
monly of males. Many such foetuses have been exhi- 
bited by Dr Parsons and others in illustration of the 
fact: and Mr — ne oe observations on the 
receding case, with words of the followin, rport : 
te If to Eroatisite a hokoupivoditea what tea Sexes 
are combined, it is necessary to have the distinctive 
character of the male united to the female parts, there 
never was any woman who has not been a male duri 
several months of her existence. In the earlier stages 
of pregnancy, that distinctive organ is prominent, and 
fashioned very nearly after the manner of males, so that 
those unskilful in anatomy, may suppose the embryo 
a male, though truly a female; nor on narrow inspect- 
tion is the difference easily ascertained.” The possibi- 
lity of a complete duplication of the male and female 
organs is questioned, from there being no place in the 
human body which they could occupy, or wherein they 
could be contained. The same difficulty does not oc- 
cur to us, and perhaps it can only be admitted -where 
all the other parts, independent of them, are meant to 
be exactly of the natural structure and proportions, If 
so intimate a resemblance prevails in the sexual parts of 
the male and female embryo, something ofan intermediate 
kind may be produced, should the position and develope. 
ment of either be deranged; and thus exhibitan intermix- 
ture of sex: or, as we have sometimes witnessed a com- 
lete duplication of some essential organ, as the head, 
Perit: or feet, the like may happen to other parts. Among 
animals, very extraordinary instances have occurred of 
some decidedly males, to external appearance, never- 
theless possessing female properties, such as the power 
of secreting milk. This faculty, indeed, is said in rare 
examples to reside in the nipples on the breast of men, 
the use of which is yet unknown by auatomists, A bull, 
which is reported to have generated five calves, had a 
small udder and small teats, which afforded a quantity 
‘of milk that on one occasion is said to have amounted 
to an English pint. In the Philosophical Transactions 
also, there is preserved an account of two wedders gi- 
ving suck tolambs. Yet we cannot be too scrupulous 
in admitting such wonderful deviations from the course 
of nature. At the same time it must be recollected, that 
