Page:A Treatise on the Diseases produced by Onanism, Masturbation, Self-pollution, and other excesses.djvu/23

 Rh organization, influenced by a different genital apparatus, presents a different mode of existence, action and sensation. Thus the sexual characters are slightly marked at birth, become distinct as the genital organs develope [sic] themselves, suddenly enlarge at the period of puberty, exist in the greatest degree when these parts have come to their perfect state, and lose their energy in old age. The destruction of the testicles in the male and of the ovaries in the female prevents the regular development, or even alters the special distinctions of sex. We have already seen that this destruction renders man effeminate: we will add that it renders the female more masculine, and gives her characters, which in the natural order of things belong exclusively to the male. This conclusion is drawn from facts which seem authentic, and it is strengthened too by the fact that when the activity of the genitals is destroyed by age, the voice becomes rough, resembling that of the male, the upper lip and chin are covered with hairs, the moral character acquires more firmness, the taste and habits are much modified and approximate those of the male. A similar thing occurs in animals according to Dumeril. (Dict. des sc. med., art. continence, p. 118.

It is not only by comparing the sexes that we see that different genital organs have a different action, but it follows also from observing those doubtful beings termed hermaphrodites. In these individuals the genital organs disturbed in their regular development, present doubtful appearances and belong at the same time to the two sexes. In these individuals the organization being influenced in another manner is developed differently. Faithful to these organs which generally impress in the body the seal of sex, the general state of the body becomes equivocal like them and presents a mixture in different proportions of the male and female attributes. Thus in a girl whose history is stated by Beclard, and who among other imperfections of the external genital organs which rendered her sex doubtful, presented a complete closure of the vulva, and a clitoris so much developed