Hermaphroditism

“ When the generative organs of the two sexes are combined in a single individual, the condition is known as hermaphroditism. True hermaphrodites—possessing the complete genitalia of the two sexes—are not known to occur among human beings. So-called hermaphrodites, however—having the normal organs of one sex and some of the genitalia of the other sex in a rudimentary form—are not rare. They are usually females in whom the clitoris has assumed an extraordinary development, so as to resemble the male penis. ”

“ I was under the impression that hermaphroditism was the usual character of these hybrids; and it has suggested itself to my mind as a possibility, which I have not, at present, sufficient data either to prove or to disprove, that the sterility of hybrids in general (still a somewhat obscure subject) may perhaps be partly due to hybridism having a tendency to produce hermaphroditism. ”

“ Apart from such palpable traces of a primeval hermaphroditism, the fact may be noted that, as Laing writes, “a study of embryology ... shows that in the human higher animal species the distinction of sex is not developed until a considerable progress has been made in the growth of the embryo.” (A Modern Zoroastrian, p. 106.) The Law of Retardation—operative alike in the case of human races, animal species, etc., when a higher type has once been evolved—still preserves hermaphroditism as the reproductive method of the majority of plants and many lower animals. 395. Vehicle. ”

“ All the individuals being alike, it seems probable that they have been derived from one sex, and the general nature of hermaphroditism deduced above may lead us to suppose that that sex was originally male, the female having been suppressed. In certain Cirripedia, e.g. most species of Scalpellum, there exist, besides the hermaphrodite individuals, complemental males, so that here a superficial conclusion might be drawn that the hermaphrodites represent the female sex. ”

“ Thus we see that in the animal kingdom hermaphroditism is always associated with cross-fertilization in some way or other, even though the latter may occur rarely, being usually periodically interpolated, and thus bringing new ids into the germ-plasm which is rapidly becoming monotonous or uniform. ”

“ Such a conception of the existence of different degrees of development in sexuality makes it easy to understand cases of false hermaphroditism or even of the true hermaphroditism, which, since the time of Steenstrup, has been established for so many plants and animals, although not certainly in the case of man. ”

“ Cicero, Aristotle, Strabonius, and Pliny all speak concerning this subject. Martial and Tertullian noticed this anomaly among the Romans. Aetius and Paulus Aegineta speak of females in Egypt with prolonged clitorides which made them appear like hermaphrodites. Throughout the Middle Ages we frequently find accounts, naturally exaggerated, of double-sexed creatures. Harvey, Bartholinus, Paullini, Schenck, Wolff, Wrisberg, Zacchias, Marcellus Donatus, Haller, Hufeland, de Graff, and many others discuss hermaphroditism. ”

“ A monstrosity recalling the cloacal arrangement of the bird is met with as a more extreme defect in the same parts.
Hermaphroditism.—Although this anomalous condition does not fall under defective closure in the middle line, it may be said to be due to a similar failure of purpose, or to an uncertainty in the nisus formativus at a corresponding stage of development. Strictly speaking, a hermaphrodite is a creature containing ovaries and testes—the essential organs of each sex. ”

“ It has been claimed that both human and higher mammalian "hermaphrodites" have actually functioned for both sexes. Obviously, absolute certainty about cause and effect in such cases, where human beings are concerned, is next to impossible, because of lack of scientific, laboratory control. If a case of complete functional hermaphroditism in the human species could be established beyond question, it would indicate that the male secretory balance in man does not inhibit the female organs to the same extent that it apparently does in the Free-Martin cattle. ”

“ In these cases self-fertilization is often absolutely excluded; it may be physically impossible, and hermaphroditism therefore secures cross-fertilization in such cases just as effectively as if the sexes were separate. ”

“ Then comes cross-fertilizing hermaphroditism; and Nature takes much pains and uses many ingenious devices to prevent self-fertilization and insure cross-fertilization. Now, for the first time, we have slight individual differences funded in a common offspring. Then, in order to absolutely forbid self-fertilization, and at the same time allow greater differences in the crossing individuals than could be attained in hermaphroditic individuals, the sex organs are separated in different individuals, and fertilization can only take place by voluntary union. ”

“ Evidence accumulates, however, that at least in all the higher vertebrates, including man, the sex is predetermined in the fertilized ovum, and it is more than doubtful if true hermaphroditism occurs. ”

“ But it is believed that these complemental males are really arrested hermaphrodites. At any rate, if it so be noted that with some of the Barnacles, as with some other Crustacea, the larvæ are males, but 308when adult life is attained female glands appear and hermaphroditism is established. Such hermaphrodites have the singular distinction of being males which have acquired female attributes, true females being unknown among them! ”

“ Hence Androgyni or Hermaphrodites spring up.’
Tho’ Lemnius [52] has made so large a Comment upon that Sentence, which he would have us take for Avicenna’s Opinion, [51] he is fond of giving another Opinion of his own, which he supposes to account for Hermaphroditism, and that is, any unusual or indecent Execution of the Coition. ”

“ There is a considerable amount of evidence that all the higher animals are the descendants of hermaphrodites; and it is a curious problem whether such hermaphroditism may not have been the result of the conjugation of two slightly different individuals, which represented the two incipient sexes. On this view, the higher animals may now owe their bilateral structure, with all their organs double at an early embryonic period, to the fusion or conjugation of two primordial individuals. ”

“ Schrell describes a case in which, independent of the true penis and testicles, which were well formed, there existed a small vulva furnished with labia and nymphae, communicating with a rudimentary uterus provided with round ligaments and imperfectly developed ovaries. Schrell remarks that in this case we must notice that the female genitalia were imperfectly developed, and adds that perfect hermaphroditism is a physical impossibility without great alterations of the natural connections of the bones and other parts of the pelvis. ”

“ Hermaphrodites, or Fricatrices, nor was it ever known, and it is impossible, that a Woman should be transformed into a Man. But a Male Child at it’s Birth being thought a Female, as was said before, when his Parts begin to come out which lay hid, may, indeed, become a Man.’
Hence it is plain, that our Author would make Use of the Word Hermaphrodite, not as crediting such an Existence, as it expresses, in human Nature; but as thinking it a Term fit only to serve him in his Explication of some of the Diseases of the Parts of Generation. ”

“ These are the several Sorts of Hermaphrodites, mentioned by Monsieur Venette; and the four first of them, tho' they have the Name, yet Nature has not refus'd them the Advantage to make use of their Genital Parts, and to Engender as others. The Male Hermaphrodite may get Children, and the Female conceive; so that neither the one nor the other differ from Men or Women, but only by a superfluity or a deficiency of Parts, and such as does not disturb the business of Generation. ”

“ And indeed, were we to have regard to the Notions of some of the Ancients concerning Generation, as, that the Male and Female Semina meeting form’d a Child of either Sex, according to the Predominance of the Strength or Quantity of either Semen, and if both were equal in Quantity and Quality, a Child of both [8] Sexes was begotten, I say, were we to have regard to this, we might still be liable to be borne away by this Hypothesis, as Authors have been hitherto, which would inevitably seduce us to believe, that there are Hermaphrodites in human Nature. ”

“ But we are, according this Hypothesis, at a terrible Loss to know (if the Males had no seminal Matter) how a Female could be produced, tho’ the latter were never so well stored with such female seminal Matter; because, the former being without it, there could be no consummate Coitus, and consequently no Female; so that, to sum up this Opinion, we must conclude, if both contribute, Hermaphrodites must ensue; if the Males only, Males must only be born; but if Males have nothing to emit, neither Male nor Female could [57] be begotten, and Generation must drop by Degrees. ”

“ The fifth Sort are call'd perfect Hermaphrodites, because they are incapable of using either of the Sexes; but some Persons fancy there are a sort of Hermaphrodites which can make use of both Sexes, and Engender both ways, though this is easily confuted, when we consider that one of the privy Parts of an Hermaphrodite is generally useless, as being contrary to the Laws of Nature, and what confusion would it be, to find in one and the same Person a Man's and Woman's Testicles, a Womb and a Penis? ”

“ Agreeable to the list mention'd Opinion, some Naturalists will have it, that an Hermaphrodite, which is very vigorous as to both Sexes, may Engender within himself, without the Company of another Person, having Matter to form a Child, a Place to conceive it, and proper Liquid for Nourishment: In the same manner as Jack Hares engender once in their Lives, and that Stags do the same, which is maintain'd by the learned Langius: But these Generations are both impossible and ridiculous, the Naturalists must certainly be deceiv'd, in taking some Parts of the Female for the Testicles of the Male ”

“ But if a Man's Seed dispos'd to determine the temperate Seed of a Woman to one of the two Sexes has not a sufficient quantity of Spirits to effect it, and the Seed of the Woman prevails for the contrary Sex, then an Hermaphrodite is form'd, who has relation to one and the other according to the different Endeavours of the animated Seed of the Man or Woman.
The Intelligence whose Business it is to compose the little Body of Hermaphrodites, is very much disturb'd to meet with a Matter that is intractable for the regular forming of the Genital Parts. ”

“ All female Fœtus’s, during the greatest Part of the Time of Gestation, have the Clitoris as large in Proportion to their [147] Sizes, and sometimes larger, than the Angolan Woman before-mentioned, which is evident from several then shewed together to the Society; this, I am inclined to believe, is Nature’s common Rule all over the World. Now it is impossible that so many Hermaphrodites should be found at once, since we have so very few Instances among the European Nations of those so reputed ”

“ Shall we, for Example, sit down with some Authors, and say, that Hares [2] are always of both Sexes; that the Rhinoceros [3] is always Male; that the Vulture [4] is always Female; that of all Animals [5] , Goats, Sheep, Horses, Men, and Hares, are most liable to become Hermaphrodites? ”

“ If, from Custom, Women cannot succeed in a Feude or Copyhold, so an Hermaphrodite [xliv] cannot; which is to be understood of those only in whom the female Sex is most apparent; where such Hermaphrodites, who are more Female, are compared to Females, and those more masculine to Men, therefore the Law is to be determined accordingly. ”

“ It is to be much fear’d, something absurd must be the Consequence; for allowing that Hypothesis held and receiv’d by Hypocrates, Galen, and many of the Learned that followed them, that the Fœtus is always form’d of both these Semina mingled together, it must follow, from the Notion held by Empedocles, that no other than a Child of [56] two Sexes could be produced, and consequently the entire Race of Mankind must have been Hermaphrodites, since it was necessary both should contribute something, in order to consummate the Act of Generation. ”

“ This Division of Hermaphrodites differs in some measure from that of Manardus and Laurentius, but is of as little account as either. This first Part of it declares a perfect Male, which he owns to be capable of Procreation; and because he finds (or supposes) an accidental Mark like a Slit or Hole in the Perinæum, he makes this Male an Hermaphrodite in an instant, though at the same time he confesses the Hole to be always superficial, as not at all penetrating into any Part of the Body, and that neither Urine nor Seed can pass thro’ it. ”

“ We have said that two kinds of cells represent reproduction, namely, sperm and germ-cells. These may be furnished by different individuals, or both may be found in one. When both are found in the same individual, the parent is said to be a natural hermaphrodite. A perfect hermaphrodite possesses the attributes of both male and female—uniting both sexes in one individual. Natural hermaphroditic reproduction occurs only among inferior classes of animals, and naturalists inform us that there are a greater number of these than of the more perfect varieties. ”

“ Now from this Manner of accounting for Masculinity and Femineity, or the Production of Males and Females, there arises a third Doctrine to which this Author seems to assent, and by which he accounts for the rise of Hermaphrodites; and tho’ he confesses that some say so; which signifies he has it from others, yet he delivers it with an Air of Approbation, and consequently was not displeased with the Hypothesis [45] .
[43]
‘And some say, that if it runs from the Right-side of the Man to the same of the Woman, it produces a Male; and from their Left-sides a Female ”