GENERATION. 



funftions of the vagina, as well as the direft evidence of 

 facts, Ilroiigly oppofe the opinion. 



Whether the menfes .come from the arteries or veins of 

 the uterus has been a point of difcuffion with pliyfiologiits ; 

 ■^d alfo whether it be a fimple cfHiix of blood from the 

 vclTels or a fecretion. The ftruiflure of the organ rcfembles 

 tliat of glands, and the appearance of the fluid, on many 

 occafions, differs widely from mere blood ; which indeed it 

 never refembl cs entirely in the healthy ftate ; fo that we are 

 difpofedto confider it as a fecretion performed by the uterus 

 likefluidsthatareformedbyany other glands. A circumft^nce 

 is fomrtinics obferved in this proeefs, which mull be referred 

 to the fecretory adlion of the uterine veffels. This is the 

 difcharge of a membranous fubllance, of the figure of the 

 uterine cavity, fmooth on one furface, and flocky on the 

 other, and much refembling the d..-cidua on the whole. The 

 fiirt is mentioned by Dr. Denman, who firll faw it in mar- 

 ried women, and afterwards in unmarried ones vmdercircum- 

 llances which proved undoubtedly that it was formed inde- 

 pendently of connubial couununication. The menftruation 

 has been paiufvd in all thefe cafes, and conception has never 

 occurred while the habit remained. 



The efficient caufe of menftruation has afforded an ample 

 field for thofe who delight in fpeculations and hypotheies. 

 As the periods of the moon agree nearly with thofe of the 

 difcharge, the influence of this body has been reforted to in 

 explanation of the occurrence. If we admit the folution, 

 the effcCl of lunar attraftion ought to be very different in the 

 various relative politions of the moon and earth : but the 

 obiervation of feveral individuals will immediately fhew that 

 there is no day of the month in which feveral do not begin to 

 menftruate, and that the moon's apugee or perigee has no in- 

 fluence :u all in this refpect. We fliall fee, too, that the dif- 

 charge begins in fome, is diminifhedor entirely ended in others, 

 at the very fame time ; confequently that the moon can have 

 notliing to do with the matter. Moreover, as the menftrual 

 period rather follows folar time, the fame woman menftruates 

 at one time in the new moon, and at another in the full moon. 

 Theexiftence of fome ferment, caufing an inteftine motion 

 in the veffels of the part, meets now with no advocates. 

 Local or general plethora have been affigned as the reafons of 

 the menfes, and many of the circuniilances which accelerate 

 or increafe, or on the contrary retard and diminifli the flow, 

 favour thefe opinions. But we ftill cannot adopt the opinion ; 

 the lofs of feveral times the quantity of blood previous to 

 or in the very aCl of menft:ruation, from the arm, or any 

 other part of the body, does not prevent or interrupt the flow- 

 ing of tb.e menfes ; and in thofe complaints which arife from 

 their obftrutlion, greater relief is afforded by a few drops 

 of blood from the uterus itfelf, than by ten times the quan- 

 tity from any other part. A curious circumftance muft be 

 noticed refpedling the effefts fometimes produced by obftruft- 

 cd menfes ; I'iz. that their place is fupplied by periodical 

 emifllons of blood from various other parts of the body, as 

 the nofe, lungs, ears, eyes, breafts, and almoft every other 

 part. Thefe probably ihould be deemed in many cafes rather 

 as difcharges belonging to fome difeafe under which the pa- 

 tient may labour, than as connetled with menftruation. He- 

 morrhages of every kind, in either fex, are frequently ob- 

 ferved to be periodical. 



That the catamenia are a fecretion from the m-icous lining 

 of the uterus, of which we cannot underftand the dirett 

 Tnechanifm, any more than the method in which any 

 other fecretions are performed ; and that we are ignorant of 

 the caufes which determine their appearance to the monthly 

 period, lecm to b tnearly tb« furn of our knowledge on this 



fubjeft. It is clear that the proeefs, being a part of the 

 healthy operations of the organ, and therefore indicating itj 

 general condition, is neceflary to preferve the uterus in a 

 ftate fit for conception. Obiervation has fully proved that 

 women, who do not menftruate from the uterus, or who are 

 not in a ftate difpofed to menftruate, cannot conceive, even 

 though they fliould have a periodical difcharge of blood from 

 anv other part of the body. All animals, at the time of 

 their being falacious, or in a ftate fit for the ] ropagation of 

 the fpecies, have a difcharge, analogous and perh:.ps equi- 

 valent to menftruation, which is generally mucous, but in fome 

 inllances, inany hotfeafons and climates, becomes fanguineous. 

 That the menftruous blood contributes to the formation 

 or nutriment of the foetus may be rcafoiiably doubted. 

 The time of the difchaige is not the raoft favourable to 

 conception, v.'hich occurs moft i-eadily juft after the period. 

 Since all animals, whether they menftruate or nat, fupply 

 the offspring of conception with nouriibment of a proper 

 kind, and in a fufficient quantity to bring it to perfeftion, 

 we may conclude that the end is accompliftied by fome 

 more common principle. The mucous difcharge from the 

 generative organs of animals, proves that they are in a ftate 

 favourable to the propagation of their fpecies, and the cata- 

 menia prove the fame circumftance in women. 



From the time when the phenomena of puberty announce 

 the aptitude of the female for the exercife of her fexual 

 funftions, the generative organs exert an influence which 

 modifies the whole organization, andbeftows on woman the 

 moft ilriking traits of her phyfical and moral charafter. 

 The various revolutions to which her cohftitution is fubjeft, 

 the nervous affeftions, the frequent returns of indifpofition 

 and fuffering, the ftrange and unaccountable anxieties and 

 caprices, and fometimes the increafed aeutenefs of the im.a- 

 gination and judgment ; all depend on this influence ; and if 

 it be true that man is male only at certain times, while 

 woman is female during her whole life, it muft be attribu- 

 ted chiefly to this caufe. It is this that conftantly recals 

 woman to her fex, and marks her whole exiftence with fo 

 charafteriftic a ph"fiognomy. We fliall not be furprifed to 

 find, that a caufe of fuch power and extenfive influence is, 

 liable to irregularities which have very marked effefts on the- 

 conftitution. When the new powers with which- the organs 

 are endowed exceed the iuft ftandard, and deviate into 

 a kind of unnatural irritability, they affeft fympathetically 

 the whole frame, and particularly the nervous fyftem. This, 

 in an extreme degree, conftitutes furor uterinus. Generally, 

 however, this exceflive vitality of the fexual organs^ without 

 going to fuch an extent, produces various fpafmodic and 

 nervous fymptoms, conftituting what are called hyfterical 

 difordcrs, and arillng evidently from the artificial and forced 

 ftate of celibacj. Thefe affe&ions are removed by marriage, 

 which re-eftablifties the balance of the various funftions 

 by giving its natural employment to an organ, whofe excef- 

 five fenfibility deranged the whole fyftem. Other and very 

 various phenomena may be referred to tlio fame caufe ; and 

 thofe phyficians wlio have coUetted, in particular works, 

 obfervations on the difeales oecafioned by celibacy, or by 

 the imperfeiT: and unnatural enjoyments of the cloiftcr, pie- 

 fent us with an alarming catalogue. " Ut reliqui ftimuli a 

 natura dati inobfequiofos puniunt, ita et veneris abftinen- 

 tiam, ut naturae inimicam, hxc ipfa ulcifcitur. Ipfa ^ani- 

 malia ex defiderio veneris languent et pereunt. Cyprini ex 

 retentis ovis laborant. In lacris ^dibus, de quibus fevera 

 religio venerem arcet, multa, parum cognita, neque fanabilia 

 morborum genera vigere iduneus auftor exttat. Frequenter 

 cje potiflimum, quce veneris dulcedinem deguftarunt, qua 

 nunc privantur, in chlorofin, in hyfterica mala, in convul- 



fioncs, 



