brain), and thus increases, in the same measure, the force of all the reflex acts. The importance of the prepuce, in this view, may be estimated by the difference between the sensibility of its mucous membrane and that of the common integument of the penis, or that of such a scar as may remain after circumcision."

Admitting, as I do, that this distinguished physiologist is right in the abstract, I still am of opinion that the prepuce in man (at least in civilized life) is the cause of much mischief, and that we could well spare that organ. As affording an additional surface for the excitement of the reflex action, this fold of membrane, in the present state of society, aggravates an instinct rather than supplies a want. The tenor of all I daily observe, shows that, in the unmarried, it additionally excites the sexual desires, which it is our object to repress. In the act of sexual congress, its existence may, I grant, give additional pleasure; and, as age advances, it may be necessary to copulation. Without it, there might be a difficulty in exciting the flagging powers; but in the present state of society, all tends to prove that we require restraint, not excitement. In animals, the prepuce, I admit, not only protects the delicate glans penis from injury, but enables the intromittent organ of the male to be brought into an erect state by yielding to an extent that is not required in the human being.

Thus I read in the "Description of the Preparations of the College of Surgeons," that "the coitus in the kangaroo, and probably in other marsupials, is of long duration, and the scrotum during that act disappears, and seems to be partially inverted during the forcible retraction of the testes against the marsupial bones." No. 2477, "Physiological Catalogue," by Owen.

That

In monkeys there is no frænum, and this, doubtless, serves some good purpose, although we may fail to discover it. Man, in a state of nature, and the lower classes of civilized society, receive thorough protection from the foreskin; but to the sensitive, excitable, civilized individual, the prepuce often becomes an additional source of mischief. In the East, the collection of the secretions between it and the glans causes irritation and its consequences; hence the origin of circumcision. the existence of the foreskin predisposes to many forms of syphilis, no one can doubt; and, lastly, I am fully convinced that the excessive sensibility induced by a narrow foreskin, and the difficulty of withdrawing it, is often the cause of emissions, masturbation, or undue excitement of the sexual desires, which it becomes very difficult for the sufferer to endure. That Jews, and those who have undergone circumcision, enjoy as much pleasure in the copulative act as the uncircumcised, admits of no decisive proof; but I am assured by those well able to speak upon the subject, that the former do not complain.

Whatever opinion, then, we may entertain on the importance of the prepuce, all will agree that in a very large number of animals, the act of copulation is necessary. In the fish, such congress does not take place, as the female deposits her spawn in favourable places, and the male passing over it, fœcundates the ova by emitting those immense quantities of milt which everybody is acquainted with in the soft-roed mackerel or herring. These fish, in fact, are caught at those times of

the year when they seek the shelter of the shores for the purpose of depositing the heavy burdens borne by both sexes.

We have, at p. 29, noticed the prolonged copulation of the dog. In some other classes of animals it takes place with wonderful celerity-so quickly, in fact, that at one time it was stated, that the coitus of stags had not been observed even by the oldest keepers. Professor Owen tells me, however, that it may be witnessed in Richmond Park, somewhat in the following way:-The buck will be seen to scrape hollows two or three feet deep in certain portions of the park; to these places he leads the does. One by one, they place themselves in these hollows; the buck drives away all other males from the neighbourhood, then, with a rush, mounts the doe; in an instant the act is accomplished, and the female retires, to be replaced by another. Professor Owen says, he cannot explain why these hollows should be made in the ground, as there is nothing in the conformation of the doe to require that she should be placed on a level lower than that which the buck leaps from. It may be, however, that this position is necessary, as noticed at p. 26, with reference to the cat. Now, although the act itself is instantaneous, the premonitory excitement is of long duration. Is it, then, possible that erection lasts but for an instant, and hence the necessity of this preparation and position?

Mr. Thompson, the superintendent at the Zoological Gardens, tells me that he has seen copulation take place in stags both in the wild state and in confinement. A peculiar place is not necessary for the act. He agrees that it is effected in a few moments, and that in the case of the giraffe, also, no peculiar position is necessary.

This gentleman has satisfied himself that in many animals one sexual congress suffices for the perfect fecundation of the female. I believe the mare is not unfrequently put by; and if she will allow the stallion to mount a second time, an hour or two after the first mount a second copulation takes place; but this is done rather as a matter of precaution to ensure a foal, than otherwise.

In

In certain birds, the copulative act is only requisite once in the season. Thus, I am told that in many parts of the country, where old women keep but one turkey hen, she is sent distances to the cock only once in the season, yet all the eggs she lays during the year are fertile ones. such cases all the eggs must be impregnated at once, or the spermatozoa be hoarded up in the cloaca till they are required. I can see no reason why spermatozoa might not live some time on the mucous membrane, which is not exposed to the air. Birds, I may here state, have no spermatheca, such as is found in the bee.*

There is a class of animals called hermaphrodite, which, in one and the same animal, have perfect male and female organs, yet are not selfimpregnating, but, as in the leech, require for fecundation the sexual congress of two animals. This same peculiarity is found in snails, and the act is thus described by Rymer Jones:

"The manner in which snails copulate is not a little curious, their union being accompanied by preparatory blandishments of a very extraordinary kind, that to a spectator would seem rather like a combat between

* See Appendix G.

mortal foes than the tender advances of two lovers. After sundry caresses between the parties, during which they exhibit an animation quite foreign to them at other times, one of the snails unfolds from the right side of its neck, where the generative orifice is situated, a wide sacculus, which, by becoming everted, displays a sharp dagger-like speculum, or dart, attached to its walls. Having bared this singular weapon, it endeavours if possible to strike it into some exposed part of the body of its paramour; who, on the other hand, uses every precaution to avoid the blow by steadily retreating into its shell. But at length having received the love-inspiring wound, the smitten snail prepares to retaliate, and in turn uses every effort to puncture its assailant in a similar manner. The darts are generally broken off in this encounter, and either fall to the ground, or else remain fixed in the wounds they have inflicted. After these preparatory stimulations, the snails proceed to more effective advances. The sac of the dart is withdrawn into the body, and another sacculus is, by a like process, protruded from the common generative aperture (every individual is hermaphrodite, possessing perfect male and female organs). Upon the last-named organ two orifices are seen, one of which leads to the female generative system; while from the other a long and white-like penis is slowly unfolded, being gradually everted, like the finger of a glove, until it attains the length of an inch or more; and then each of the two snails, by inserting its penis into the female aperture of the other, impregnates its partner and is itself impregnated at the same time."

It

Most, if not all, who live in London must be cognisant of the caterwauling which frequently takes place at night or early in the morning in our streets and squares. Few, perhaps, are aware of the cause. arises, I am told by those who have watched the animals, from cries during the act of copulation. The noise proceeds from the she-cat, and arises probably from the torture she experiences. Mr. Quekett showed me, in the College of Surgeons' Museum, the penis of the young tomcat. It is described by Owen in the catalogue as "penis of cat, showing the retroverted callous papillæ of the glans," and is covered with spinouslooking elevations, which, in connexion, must give the female much pain. They disappear in the old tom. It is supposed, as in the guineapig, described at p. 30, that this rugous state of the male organ excites, if not anger, the greatest pain in the she-cat, and hence the speedy separation of the lovers which always ensues.

Mr. Thompson corroborates the statement that in the feline race it is the female that makes the noise. He notices it as occurring constantly in the leopards, tigers, lions, &c.; and as presaging the conclusion of the sexual act. He agrees with me that the female requires to lend herself to the act, which is prolonged in this class more than in some others, in consequence of the position of her sexual organ.

I should mention that, although animals have only a season of rut or heat, they will allow copulation a good many times, whilst in this excited state, by different males. They appear to suffer from a sort of nymphomania, which sexual congress merely alleviates. Thus, a bitch will allow herself to be lined very frequently-so will a cat. A few days later, they snap at the male, and refuse his attentions.

In speaking of spiders, Owen says, "The young and inexperienced

male-always the smallest and weakest of the sexes-has been known to fall a victim, and pay the forfeit of his life for his too rash proposals. The more practised suitor advances with many precautions, carefully feels about with his long legs, his outstretched palpi much agitated. The female indicates acquiescence by raising her fore feet from the web, when the male rapidly advances: his palpi are extended to their utmost, and a drop of clear liquid ejected from the tip of each clavate end, where it remains attached, the tips themselves immediately coming in contact with a transverse fleshy kind of teat or tubercle, protruded by the female from the base of the under side of the abdomen. After consummation, the male is sometimes obliged to save himself by a precipitate retreat. The ordinary savage instincts of the female-etiam in amoribus sæva-are apt to return, and she has been known to sacrifice and devour her too-long tarrying or dallying spouse.'

But man, unlike the brute creation, is cited as prepared to copulate at all seasons of the year. This, in the abstract, is true, and may follow if a man marries a sterile woman. But what do we notice in the usual course of married life? If the female conceives every second year; during the nine months that follow conception, she experiences no great sexual excitement. The consequence is, that sexual desire in the male is somewhat diminished, and the act of coition takes place but rarely. And again, while women are suckling, there is usually such a call on the organs secreting milk, that sexual desire is again almost annihilated. Now, as all that we have read and heard tends to prove that a reciprocity of this desire is, to a great extent, necessary to excite the male, we must not be surprised if we learn that excesses in fertile married life are very rare, and that the passion in the man becomes gradually sobered down. For the opposite reasons, excesses take place in the commencement of married life. Hence it happens that conception often fails during the first few months of wedlock, when probably the semen of the male contains but few perfect spermatozoa; and in such cases it is only when the ardour of first love has abated, and the spermatozoa have been allowed the time requisite for their full development, that the female becomes impregnated.

Judging from its results, copulation in man is by no means an haphazard act, but follows the laws which obtain among animals. Thus, Dr. Farr finds that the spring conceptions throughout England average an excess of seven per cent. over those of any other quarter of the year; while M. Villermé gives a somewhat similar return from France for the month of May. It is, however, no less certain that, in cities of the North -such as St. Petersburg-there is no peculiar period of conception. Here, perhaps, civilization disturbs the law of statistics; as, in winter, the male may derive as great a supply of excitement and animal spirits from festivities and dissipation as he can from atmospheric influences during the most genial period of his northern summer.

The same author has found, from criminal statistics, that charges of rape generally occur in the spring and summer months; and this as a corroboration of one class of statistics deduced from population, by another deduced from crime—is additional testimony to the value of the

* Lectures on Invertebrate Animals, p. 462.

science, and confirms our proposition that man has his rutting season as well as the lower animals.

The SUBSEQUENT EFFECTS of copulation on the flesh of the human subject we have no great opportunities of knowing, but those on animals must not be passed over in silence, as they are important. We prefer our buck-venison in June and July, when we can have it fat and in good condition—not strong, lean, and ill-flavoured, as it would doubtless be about the rutting season. At this time, we are told, the flesh becomes soft and flabby, the hair looks "unkind ;" and, in birds, the feathers, after the season of breeding, are in a ruffled state, and droop. The horns of stags (see p. 40) fall off, and the blood is occupied in supplying the consequent demand for new osseous matter.

It is before the spawning season has passed that we prefer the herring; and it is only while it is filled with roe that we care to eat the mackerel. A spent salmon is food not fit for man; and, at this period, the vivid colours of the trout, all fishermen are aware, disappear; and they retire, exhausted and impoverished, until the vital forces are regained. We are told, too, that insects perish as soon as the fecundating office has been performed. (See p. 34.)

Sexual congress of the human being is by no means so simple an act as many suppose. It comprehends some very complicated actions, which interest the physiologist no less than the surgeon; for the latter is perfectly incompetent to treat the functional affections of the sexual organs, unless he thoroughly comprehends the normal functions which ought to minister to this important act-the propagation of the human species.

To the due performance of copulation, three things are indispensable -namely, 1st, erection of the penis; 2nd, the power of emission or ejacu lation; and 3rd, a due amount of well-formed semen; all which it will be necessary to treat of.

I. ERECTION.

Buffon calls erection "the external sign of virility." It may be produced by local irritation, or it may take place as a result of certain emotional conditions of the mind, the influence of which is probably transmitted through the sympathetic nerve, as it may be experienced even in cases of paraplegia.*

Carpenter says, "Under the influences spoken of under the head of sexual desires (see p. 5), we first notice the erectile tissue of the penis turgid with blood; this occurs particularly in the corpora cavernosa of the penis, which is made up of a plexus of veins with varicose enlargements, inclosed in a fibrous envelope, with tubercular partitions. This envelope, according to Professor Kölliker, contains a large amount of

*There are authors who assert that erections depend wholly on the presence of wellformed semen in the vesiculæ seminales. This, however, is incorrect, as Sir A. Cooper states, that a patient of his, from whom he had removed both testes, was able, some time after ablation of the organs, to have connexion, accompanied with the feeling of ejaculation; and even, at a later period, erection of the penis took place, but without the sensation of emission (see p. 32). In the East, the value of a eunuch is much enhanced by ablation of the penis, as removal of the testes alone does not suffice to prevent erection.