GENERATION. 



no aperture in fiich cafes for the difchargo of tlie mcnftrual 

 fLuid, it accumulates in the uterus and vagina, and mull be 

 evacuated bj a furgical operation, confining of a punfture 

 of the hymen. For the various appearances which this 

 part exhibits in different individu;Js, the reader may confult 

 J. G. F. Tolbeng, de varietate hymenum, Hal. 1791, 4to. 

 It his generally been aficrted, that the hymen does not 

 exill in quadrupeds ; but the ilatemcnt of Cuvicr, in his 

 Lc5ons d'Anat. comparee, torn. 5, lc§on 29, fedt. ii. art. 2, 

 renders this point very doubtful. The general opinion of 

 its non-exillence in the other mammalia befides man, and 

 the circumilance of its being found in women only, at a par- 

 ticular period of life, and even then not uuivcrfally, have 

 led many anatomifts to deny its exiftence in the human fub- 

 jeft. But the faft is fo clearly proved by the concurrent 

 tcftimonics of all modern anatomifts, wlio have enjoyed con- 

 iiJerable opportunities of diffcdion, that we wonder to find 

 Buffon ftill contefting the point ; any of his anatomical friends 

 juight furcly have con\-inced him by ocidar proof. Though 

 we are fully convinced, by repeated obfervation, that Buf- 

 fon's opinion is incorrect in point of faft, \ve cannot help 

 admiring the clocjuence with which he inveighs againft the 

 difgraceful opinions and praftices which have prevliiled on 

 this lubjec\. " Les bommes,'' fays he, " jaloux des primautes 

 en tout genre, ont toujours fait grand cas de tout ce qu'ils 

 out cru pouvoir pofTeder excluhvement et les premiers : c'eil 

 cette efpece de folie, qui a fait un etre reel de la virginite 

 des filles. La virginite, qui ell un etre moral, une vertu 

 qui ne confifte que dans la purete du cccur, eft devenue un 

 objet phyfique dont tous les hommes fe font occupes ; ils 

 ont etabli fur cela des opinions, des ufages, des ceremonies, 

 des fuperllitions, et meme des jugemens et des peines ; les 

 abus les plus illicites, les coutumcs les plus delhonnetes ont 

 ete autoril'ces ; on a foumis a I'examen de matrones igno- 

 rantes, et expofc aux yeux de medecins prcvenus, les par- 

 ties les plus fecretes de la nature, fans fonger qu'une pareille 

 indecence eft un attentat contre la virginite; que c'eft la 

 violer que de chercher a la reconnoitre ; que toute lituation 

 honteufe, tout etat indecent, dont une fille eft obligee de 

 ronglr interieurL-ment, eft une vraie defloration. Je nefpere 

 pas reufiir a detruire les prejugcs ridicules qu'on s'eil formes 

 fur ce fujet ; les chofes, qui font plaiiir a croire, feront 

 toujours crucs, quelque vaines et quelque dcraifonnables 

 qu'elles puiffent etre ; cependant, comine dans une hiftoire 

 on rapporte non feulement la fuite des evenemens, et les cir- 

 conftances des fiiits, mais auffi I'origine des opinions et des 

 erreurs dominantes, j'ai cru que dans I'hiftoire de Phcmnie 

 je ne pourrois me diipenfer de parler de I'idole favorite a la- 

 quelle il facrifie, d'examiner quelles peuvent etre les raifoiTs 

 de fon culte, et de rechercher fi la virginite eft un etre reel, 

 ou fi ce n'eft qu'une divinite fabuleufe." 



It is not fo eafy to explain the \\k or purpofes of this 

 membrane, as to eftablifti the faft of its exiftence. The 

 partifans of final caufes have been much puzzled in attempt- 

 ing to difplay the wifdom or goodnefs of the Creator, as 

 evinced, in this part of our anatomy, and have as yet 

 aKigned no rational explanation of it. We fubjoin from 

 lialler a ftatement of the cumm.only received notions, 

 which, however, appear to ourfelves entirely unfatisfadory. 

 '•' Vix tamen dubites, cum folo in hornine fit rcpertus, etiain 

 ad morales fines ei cfTe concefi'um fignum pudicitire, quo et 

 vitium illatum cogcofcatur, et piira virgo decus fuum poflit 

 tueri, et ipfe maritus de caftitate.fponfa: facile convincatur, 

 CO facilius, quod prxterea in iliibata virgine vagina angufia 

 fit. Etfi enim poffit fieri, ut laxus, ut parvus fit hymen,, 

 atque prima venus aliquando abfque fanguine abfolvatur, 

 iieque hymen rumpatur ; etfi artificii porro in parum pv.dica 



femina fanguis pofiit elici ; etfi tcnefx virgines aliquando 

 etiam in altero coitu fanguiucm reddant, et menfes fiuentes 

 vaginam laxant ; tamen in univerfem debet prima venus 

 cruenta effe, coque figno pudor virgineus adferi, cum vix 

 poflit plena venus obtineri, quin fuperior margo partis nia- 

 joris hymenis laceratnr. Quare et mofaicK leges, et mul- 

 "torum populorum conruetudo, hoc fignum fervata; callitatis 

 et requirunt ct oftentant, et de exemplis in virginibus etiam 

 pene trigenariis certus fum, quae infignem in prima venere 

 ianguinis jacturam funt pafts." Elem. Phyfiol. lib. 28, 

 fed. 2, §. 27. 



After the hymen has been torn, the entrance of the vagina 

 prefents fome flelliy prominent tubercles, called carunculs 

 myrtiformes, and varying in number and fize. Thefe are 

 generally confidered to be the remains of the lacerated mem- 

 brane ; " et corruptee adeo pudicitias indicia." The 

 carunculae are generally largeft at the fides of the vagina, 

 where the li-,'men is narroweft ; . fo that all thefe prominences 

 cannot well be referred to the origin juft mentioned. Some 

 are found behind the hymen, and exift previoufly to the 

 laceratitm of tliat membrane : thefe are the prominent, 

 obtule, and callous apices of the columns of the vagina. 

 Laftly, there are proje<Elions at the terniination of the mu- 

 cous ducts, v.-hich may be enumerated among thefe carun- 

 cula; : and warts are fometiir.es formed in tJiis fitnation. 

 Whatever their origin may be, we find from two to five or 

 fix rounded and firm, or thin and loofe prominences, of a 

 red or livid colour, about the entrance of the vagina. 



The frenulum, or fourchette, is a cutaneous fold of a cref- 

 ccnt (liape, with the concavity upwards, placed behind and 

 be'ow the entrance of the vagina, vifible in the virgin ftate, 

 when the fides of the vulva are drawn apart, but not well 

 marked when the parts are cqllapfed. It lies between the 

 two labia, not quite at the lower extremities, and is ex- 

 tended almoil to the nympha:, protefting in fome degree the 

 entrance of the vagina. It is near to tlie hymen, which it 

 rcfembles In fome refpefts. The aft of copulation does not 

 injure it, but repeated parturitions entirely efface it. A 

 very manifefl tranfverfe cavity, named tlie foffa navicularis,. 

 is intercepted between the frenulum, the hymen, and the 

 labia ; and this cavity is loft of courle ivhen the frenulum 

 difappears, fo that it may not be recognizable in married, 

 women. 



A mucous membrane, by wliich the [^enital and urinary 

 organs are united in the female, is continued over all the 

 parts contained in the vulva, and even fonns many of them.. 

 It arifjs on the loofe convex edges of the labia, and at their 

 commiffures ; covers the internal furface of thefe folds, the 

 fpace below their anterior commiffure, and th.e foffa navi- 

 cub.ris, then forms the nymphae and preputir.m clitoridis, 

 covers the veftibulum, is continuous with the lining of the 

 urethra, and with that of the vagina, after forming the 

 hymen or caruncvdae myrtiformes. It is connected to the 

 fubjacent parts by a copious and loofe cellular texture, in- 

 v.-hich, gei-erally fpeaking, there is very little fat. Its 

 colour is of a tolerably bright red in young women ; but it 

 affumes darker fhades in more advanced ages, particularly 

 when the fexual funftions have been much exercifed. The 

 texture of the integuments changes graduidly into this mu- 

 cous furface, fo that there is no abrupt line of dlftindion,'. 

 and an epiderrais can be diftiniilly demonftrated at its origins. 

 The colour proves that it is copioufiy lupplied with blood.' 

 The membr.-me is foft on its furface, and plentifully bedewed 

 with a mucous fluid, poured out from fmall tubes, which 

 commence by opc.i orifices, and run into the fubllance of 

 the membrane, where they terminate by cul-de-facs. , Thefe, 

 wliich are called lucunsp, are fimilar to what we have de- 



fcribcd 



