438 



REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT 



willingness at least to be sexually loved, whereby alone, speaking generally 

 fertilization of her ova is possible. This function, coitus, is a very com- 

 plex series of activities differing somewhat in the two sexes, but in each 

 homologous to that of the other. Strictly speaking, the muscular actions 

 are of the voluntary sort, but they tend under the perfectly normal condi- 

 tions of sexual vigor to become practically reflex in nature, as are plainly 

 the secretory processes and the emotional accompaniments. For a 

 detailed description of these important events the reader is referred to the 

 various scientific discussions in the more elaborate treatises on physiology, 

 psychology, and obstetrics. 



FIG. 250 



The erectile bodies of the vulva: 1, symphysis; 2, pubic bone; 3, ischium; 4, ischial' tuber- 

 osity; 5, vestibule, including the mouth of the urethra and the vaginal entrance; 6, anus; 7, 

 glans of the clitoris; 8, suspensory ligament of the same; 9, dorsal plexus of the same; 10, cor- 

 pus cavernosum; 11, Bartholin's glands; 12, crus of the clitoris; 13, bulbo-cavernosal muscle. 

 The erectile parts are injected, and the four labia are cut away. (Rauber.) 



SEMEN is the term given to the complex viscous fluid poured out by 

 the male during the orgasm. It has long been known that the sperma- 

 tozoa are its only essential elements, the other parts being but physical 

 and chemical menstrua for the conveyance and continued vitality of these 

 sperms. Each cubic centimeter of semen contains about fifty millions 

 of these male cells. This substance is an opaque, whitish, streaky 

 fluid with a quite characteristic odor, and wholly insoluble in water. 

 Chemically it contains nuclein, the base protamine, proteids, lecithin, 

 cholesterin, inorganic salts, and fat (Miescher). Crystals found in dried 

 semen are supposed by some to be a phosphate of a base called spermin, 

 and to cause the odor of semen. Camus and Gley found an enzyme 

 in the prostate's contribution to this liquid, the function of which is 

 apparently to partly coagulate the ejaculated semen, a process which 

 occurs also when semen is placed in water. The respective functions of 

 all the various liquid constituents of the semen are as yet, however, by 



