THE PELVIS

The internal s.e.x organs are situated in the lower part of the abdominal cavity, the part that is called the _pelvis_, or pelvic cavity. The meaning of the word pelvis in Latin is basin. The pelvis, also referred to as the pelvic girdle or pelvic arch, forms a bony basin, and is composed of three powerful bones: the sacrum, consisting of five vertebrae fused together and const.i.tuting the solid part of the spine, or vertebral column, in the back, and the two hipbones, one on each side. The two hipbones meet in front, forming the _pubic arch_.

The hipbones are called in Latin the ossa innominata (nameless bones) and each hipbone is composed of three bones: the ilium, the ischium, and the os pubis. The thighs are attached to the hipbones, and to the hipbones are also attached the large _gluteal_ muscles, which form the b.u.t.tocks, or the "seat."

The pelvis of the female differs considerably from the pelvis of the male. The female pelvis is shallower and wider, less ma.s.sive, the margins of the bones are more widely separated, thus giving greater prominence to the hips; the sacrum is shorter and less curved, and the pubic arch is wider and more rounded. All this is necessary in order to permit the child's head to pa.s.s through. If the female pelvis were exactly like the male pelvis, a full-term living child could never pa.s.s through it. The two ill.u.s.trations show the differences between the male and female pelvis very clearly.

Note particularly the differences in the pubic arches: in the male pelvis it is really more of an angle than an arch. Also note how much longer and more solid the sacrum (with its attached bone, called the coccyx[2]) is in the male pelvis. The differences in the pelves (the plural of pelvis is pelves) of the male and female become fully marked at p.u.b.erty, but they are present as early as the fourth month of intra-uterine life.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Mucous membrane--briefly a membrane which secretes mucus or some other fluid.

[2] The coccyx consists of three rudimentary vertebrae; it is the vestige of an organ which we once possessed in common with many other animals, namely--a tail.

CHAPTER THREE

THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE FEMALE s.e.x ORGANS

Function of the Ovaries--Internal Secretion of the Ovaries--Function of the Internal Secretion--Number of Ova in the Ovaries--The Graafian Follicles--Ovulation--Corpora Lutea--Function of the Fallopian Tubes--Function of the v.a.g.i.n.a--Functions of the v.u.l.v.a, c.l.i.toris and Mons Veneris--Function of the b.r.e.a.s.t.s--Besides Secreting Milk Breast Has s.e.xual Function--The o.r.g.a.s.m--Pollutions in Women--Secondary s.e.x Characters--Differences Between Woman and Man.

The importance of an organ depends upon its _function_, upon what it does, and not so much upon what it is. It is important to know the size, structure and location of an organ, but it is still more important to know its function; in other words, for our purpose it is more important to know the _physiology_ than the anatomy of the s.e.x organs.

SUBCHAPTER A

FUNCTION OF THE OVARIES

Like the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es in man, so the ovaries in woman are the essential s.e.xual organs. They are the fundamental organs, without which the other s.e.xual organs are useless. Also like the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es in man, the ovaries have two distinct functions, manufacturing two distinct substances. One function is to manufacture eggs; this, called the oogenetic or egg-producing function, is its _racial_ function; without it the race could not perpetuate itself. But the ovary has also an _individual_ function. Besides the ova, the ovary manufactures what we call an _internal_ secretion which is absorbed by the blood, and which is of the greatest importance to the woman herself. While the manufacture of ova begins only at p.u.b.erty, with menstruation, and closes at the menopause, the manufacture of the internal secretion lasts throughout the woman's entire life. This secretion, which consists of various chemical substances, has a tremendous influence not only on the development of the woman's body, but also on her feelings.

First of all it is necessary for the development of the woman's special characteristics, or _secondary s.e.xual characters_. Without that internal secretion of the ovaries, a woman would look more or less like a man; she would not develop her beautiful rounded form, her pretty long hair, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her broad pelvis, her feminine voice, etc. _Second_, the secretion is necessary to the proper development of her other s.e.xual organs; if the ovaries are cut out, then the uterus and the v.a.g.i.n.a and even the v.u.l.v.a shrivel up. _Third_, it is that internal secretion that excites in woman s.e.xual desire and makes her enjoy relations with the male s.e.x. If the ovaries are cut away, particularly if it is done early in life, the woman has no s.e.xual desire and no enjoyment. _Fourth_, it contributes to the general health, wellbeing, energy, and mental alertness of the woman.

You see the importance of the internal ovarian secretion, and you will readily understand why, when the ovaries are removed by operation, the woman, particularly if she is young, undergoes such marked changes. It is because we recognize now the great importance of the ovaries that we always, when operating on diseased ovaries leave at least a small piece of ovary, if at all possible.

=Number of Ova.= When the female infant is born, her ovaries contain as many ova or eggs as they ever will contain. In fact, they contain more than they will at p.u.b.erty. For it is estimated that at birth each ovary contains about 100,000 ova; the majority of these, however, disappear so that at the age of p.u.b.erty each ovary contains only about 30,000 ova. As only one ovum ripens each month from the time of p.u.b.erty to the time of the menopause (i.e., about 300 to 400 ova at the utmost during a lifetime), and as only a dozen or two ova would be necessary for the propagation of the race, it seems a superabundance of ova, an unnecessary lavishness. But nature _is_ lavish where the propagation of the species is concerned. A portion of an ovary or of both ovaries might become diseased, and thousands of ova might become unfit for fertilization; nature therefore puts in an extra reserve supply. We see a still more striking example of this extreme extravagant lavishness in man; only one spermatozoon is necessary to impregnate the ovum, and only one spermatozoon can penetrate the ovum; nevertheless each normal e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n of s.e.m.e.n contains between a quarter and half a million spermatozoa.

=The Graafian Follicles.= Each primitive or primordial ovum[3] is imbedded in a little vesicle or follicle, which is generally known as _Graafian follicle_, and there are as many Graafian follicles as there are ova. (The Graafian follicles were first described about 250 years ago--in 1672--by a Delft physician named De Graaf, hence the name.) Until p.u.b.erty, that is the commencement of menstruation, the Graafian follicles with the oocytes or primitive ova are in a more or less dormant condition. But with the onset of p.u.b.erty there commences a period of intense activity in the ovaries. This period of activity is repeated regularly once a month, and it const.i.tutes the process of _ovulation_ and _menstruation_. The two processes are closely though not causally connected. Ovulation consists in the monthly maturation and extrusion of a ripe ovum; menstruation, which will be further discussed in a separate chapter, consists in the monthly discharge of blood, mixed with mucus from the inside lining of the uterus. Every twenty-eight days, from the time of p.u.b.erty to the time of the menopause, a Graafian follicle bursts and an ovum is extruded from the ovary. Before the follicle bursts, it swells and enlarges and reaches the surface of the ovary; the whole follicle is congested with blood, but at one point near the surface of the ovary it is pale and thin, and here the rupture takes place.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SECTION OF OVARY.

1. Graafian follicle in the earliest stage. 2, 3, 4. Follicles in more advanced stages. 5, 7. Almost mature follicle. 6. Follicle from which the ovum has escaped. 8. Corpus luteum.]

=Corpora Lutea.= After the Graafian follicle has burst and the ovum has been pushed out, the cavity that is left does not remain empty and functionless; there is a further process going on there; there is a growth of cells, of a yellowish color, and the follicle becomes filled with a yellowish body, which on account of its color is called the _corpus luteum_ (plural--corpora lutea; luteum in Latin--yellow, corpus--body). This corpus luteum grows in size until it sometimes occupies as much as one-third of the ovary. But there is considerable difference between the corpora lutea of non-pregnant and pregnant women. Up to the end of about a month the corpora lutea are the same, but after that the corpus luteum of the non-pregnant woman begins to get smaller, to shrink, so that at the end of two or three months it is reduced to a small scar and later cannot be noticed at all. The corpus luteum of the pregnant woman keeps on increasing until the end of the second month, remains about the same size until the end of the sixth month, and only then begins gradually to diminish. The corpus luteum of the non-pregnant woman, that is, the one following menstruation, is called false corpus luteum; the corpus luteum following pregnancy is called a true corpus luteum. The corpus luteum acts like a gland and elaborates a secretion which has an influence on the circulation in the uterus and on menstruation. It probably possesses other properties, with which we are not yet quite familiar.

The corpora lutea of various animals are now prepared in powder or tablet form and used in medicine in the treatment of certain diseases of women.

SUBCHAPTER B

FUNCTION OF THE OTHER GENITAL ORGANS

=Function of the Fallopian Tubes.= The function of the Fallopian tubes or oviducts as they are sometimes called is to catch the ovum as it bursts through the ovary and to conduct it from the ovary into the uterus. It is while the ovum is in the narrow lumen of the tube that the spermatozoon which has travelled up from the uterus usually finds it, and it is in the tube, near its entrance to the womb, that impregnation usually takes place. After the ovum is impregnated or fecundated, it slowly moves down to the uterus, where it attaches itself and remains and grows for nine months, until it is ready to come out and start an independent life.

The uterus or womb is the house of the embryo almost from the moment of conception to the moment of birth. Within the thick warm sheltered walls of the uterus the child grows, develops, eats and breathes, until all its organs and functions have reached such a stage of perfection that it can live by itself and for itself. And this may be said to be the sole function of the uterus, or at least its sole useful function. For the other function of the uterus, menstruation, cannot be said to be a necessary or a useful function. It is a normal function because it occurs regularly in every healthy woman during her child-bearing period, but not every normal function is a necessary or useful function. Not everything that is is right or useful.

=Function of the v.a.g.i.n.a.= The v.a.g.i.n.a is the ca.n.a.l in which s.e.xual intercourse takes place. It receives the male organ (p.e.n.i.s) during the s.e.xual act, and serves as a temporary repository for the male s.e.m.e.n.

After the spermatozoa have reached the uterus, the v.a.g.i.n.a has no further function to perform.

=Functions of the v.u.l.v.a, c.l.i.toris=, and =Mons Veneris.= The v.u.l.v.a and the c.l.i.toris have no special functions to perform; but in them, in the c.l.i.toris particularly, but also in the l.a.b.i.a minora, resides the feeling of voluptuousness, the pleasurable sensation experienced during the s.e.xual act. Another seat of voluptuousness in the woman is located in the cervix of the uterus.

The mons Veneris has no special physiological function to perform, but it as well as the v.u.l.v.a serve as strong points of attraction for the male s.e.x. While the entire female body is attractive to the male, and vice versa, there are certain zones which are especially attractive or exciting. Such zones or areas are called _erogenous zones_--the word erogenous means love-generating. The v.u.l.v.a and the mons Veneris are the strongest erogenous zones; other erogenous zones are the lips, the b.r.e.a.s.t.s, etc.

=Function of the b.r.e.a.s.t.s.= The function of the b.r.e.a.s.t.s is to nurse or suckle the young on the mother's milk until they are able to live on other food. The other name for b.r.e.a.s.t.s is mammary gland (in Latin, mamma--breast), and all animals who suckle their young are called mammals or mammalia. Besides its milk secreting function, the b.r.e.a.s.t.s const.i.tute a strong erogenous zone; they are a point of strong attraction for the male s.e.x, many men being more attracted by well-developed b.r.e.a.s.t.s than by a pretty face. There is a good biological reason for this. Well developed b.r.e.a.s.t.s indicate that the other s.e.xual organs are well developed and that the woman will make a satisfactory wife and satisfactory mother. Considering then the importance of the b.r.e.a.s.t.s in attracting a husband and their function in nursing the young, also their erogenous properties, it is perfectly proper to cla.s.s them among the reproductive organs.

SUBCHAPTER C

THE o.r.g.a.s.m

The culmination of the act of s.e.xual intercourse is called the o.r.g.a.s.m.

It is the moment at which the pleasurable sensation is at its highest point, the body experiences a thrill, there is a spasmodic contraction in the genital organs, and there is a secretion of fluid from the genital glands and mucous membranes. This fluid in women is not a vital fluid like the s.e.m.e.n in man; it is merely mucus, and in some women it is very slight in amount or altogether absent. Adult women who live without s.e.xual relations occasionally have s.e.xual or erotic dreams; that is, they dream that they are in the company of men, playing or having relations with them. Such dreams are usually accompanied by an o.r.g.a.s.m or an orgastic feeling, and by a discharge of mucus, the same as in s.e.xual intercourse. Such a discharge of mucus during sleep is called an emission or pollution.

In the male s.e.x pollutions play an important role (see the author's "s.e.x Knowledge for men"), because the s.e.m.e.n is a vital fluid, and if it is lost too frequently the system is put under a heavy drain. In boys and men the pollutions or night losses may occur several times a week or even every night, or several times a night. When they occur with such frequency the man may become a wreck. Not so with women.

First, pollutions or night dreams in women are much more rare than they are in men; and second, as just mentioned, the fluid secreted by woman during intercourse or during an erotic dream is not of a vital character, as the s.e.m.e.n is in man; it is mucus, and the secretion of a mucous fluid, even if somewhat excessive, does not const.i.tute a drain on the system. For this reason women can stand frequently repeated s.e.x relations and emissions or pollutions much better than men can.

SUBCHAPTER D

THE SECONDARY s.e.x CHARACTERS

The s.e.x organs const.i.tute the primary s.e.x characters. It is they that distinguish primarily one s.e.x from another. But there are numerous other s.e.x characters or s.e.x differences which while not so important serve to differentiate the s.e.xes, at the same time forming points of attraction between one s.e.x and another. For instance, the beard and mustache are a distinct male characteristic and const.i.tute one of the secondary male s.e.x characters. The secondary s.e.x characters are very numerous; one might say that each one of the billions of cells in the body bears the impress of the s.e.x to which it belongs.

First, the skeleton. The entire female skeleton differs from the male skeleton; all the bones are smaller and more gracile; the pelvis, as we have seen before, is shallower and wider. Then the muscles are smaller and more rounded. The entire contour of the body is rounded rather than angular as in man. The skin is finer, softer, more delicate. The hair on the head is longer and of a finer texture, while over the body the hair is also finer and less abundant. The voice is finer, more pleasant, and of a higher pitch (soprano). The b.r.e.a.s.t.s are well developed, and serve an important purpose, while in men they are rudimentary. The breathing is also different; woman breathes princ.i.p.ally with the upper part of the chest, man with the lower. The brain is smaller and its convolutions somewhat less complex in woman.

Woman differs considerably from man not only physically, as we have seen, but also mentally and emotionally. But into this phase of the subject we will not enter, except to remark that it is foolish to speak of the superiority or inferiority of one s.e.x to another. In some respects man is greatly superior to woman, in others he is inferior; on the whole the s.e.xes balance one another pretty well, and while the s.e.xes are not and never will be exactly alike, we have no right to speak of the inferiority of one s.e.x to another. We recognize that the s.e.xes are different, but they complement one another, and the claim of the reactionary and of the woman-hater that woman is an inferior creature is just as senseless as is the claim made by some ultra-militant feminists that woman is the superior and man the inferior.

FOOTNOTES:

[3] The ovum is really the fully mature egg ready for fecundation; before maturity it should not be called ovum but oocyte; and in advanced treatises it is so referred to. But here ovum will do for both the unripe and ripe egg.

CHAPTER FOUR

THE s.e.x INSTINCT