THE s.e.x ORGANS
And now, having given these cautionary directions, the way is clear for the making of definite statements and the giving of positive instruction.
Here, then, is a brief description of the s.e.x organs in man and woman.
At first, only the names of the parts will be given, with such slight comments and explanations as are necessary for making this part of the subject clear. A detailed setting forth of the functions and proper exercise of these organs will be given later.
The s.e.x organs in a male human being consists, broadly speaking, of the p.e.n.i.s and the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es. All these are located at the base of the abdomen, between the thighs and on the forward part of the body. The p.e.n.i.s is a fleshy, muscular organ, filled with most sensitive nerves, and blood vessels that are capable of extension to a much greater degree than any of their similars in other parts of the body. In a quiescent, or unexcited condition, in the average man, this organ is from three to four inches long and about an inch or more in diameter.
It hangs limp and pendent in this state, retired and in evidence not at all. In its excited, or tumescent condition (the word tumescent means swelled, and is the technical word for describing the erect condition of the p.e.n.i.s) it becomes enlarged and rigid, its size in this state being, on an average, six or seven inches long, and from an inch-and-a-half to two inches in diameter. It is almost perfectly cylindrical, slightly thicker at the base than at its forward part.
The t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es are two kidney shaped glands, not far from the size of a large hickory nut, and are contained in a sort of sack, or pocket, called the s.c.r.o.t.u.m, which is made for their comfortable and safe carrying. The s.c.r.o.t.u.m hangs directly between the thighs, at the base of the p.e.n.i.s, and in it are the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es, suspended by vital cords that are suspended from the body above. The left t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e hangs a little higher in the sack than the right, so that, in case the thighs are crowded together, one t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e will slip over the other, and so the danger of crushing them will be avoided. This is one of the many ways which the Maker of the human body has devised to insure the proper preservation of the vital organs from harm, a fact which should inspire all human beings with profound reverence for this most wonderful of all life forms, the beautiful human body, the "temple of the Holy Spirit."
The part of the body upon which the s.e.x organs, male and female, are located is known as the pubic region. It is covered with hair, which, in both s.e.xes, extends well up the lower belly. This is known as pubic hair, and in general corresponds in quality and quant.i.ty to the hair upon the individual head, being coa.r.s.e or fine, soft or bristly, to match, the head covering, in each case. This hair is usually more or less curly, and forms a covering an inch or more in depth over the whole pubic region, extending back between the thighs slightly beyond the r.e.c.t.u.m. In occasional cases this hair is straight and silky, and sometimes grows to great length, instances being known, in some women, where it has extended to the knees. A well-grown and abundant supply of fine pubic hair is a possession highly prized by women, of which they are justly proud, though few of them would acknowledge the fact, even to themselves. None the less it is a fact.
The female s.e.x organs, speaking generally also, are as follows: The v.u.l.v.a, or outward portion of the parts; the v.a.g.i.n.al pa.s.sage; the uterus, or womb, and the ovaries. All but the first named lie within the body of the woman. The v.u.l.v.a is made up of several parts which will be named and described later. The v.a.g.i.n.al pa.s.sage is a tube, or ca.n.a.l leading from the v.u.l.v.a to the womb. In length and diameter it corresponds almost exactly with that of the p.e.n.i.s, being six or seven inches in depth, and capable of a lateral extension which will readily admit the entrance of the male organ when the two are brought together. The v.a.g.i.n.al pa.s.sage opens into, and terminates in the uterine, or womb cavity.
The womb is a pear shaped sack which is suspended in the womb cavity by cords and muscles from above. It hangs, neck downwards, and is, in its unimpregnated condition, about two and a half inches in diameter at its upper, or widest part, tapering to a thin neck at its lower end. It is hard and muscular in its quiescent state, filled with delicate and most sensitive nerves and capacious blood vessels. At its lower, or neck end, it opens directly into the v.a.g.i.n.al pa.s.sage.
The ovaries are two in number, and are situated on each side of, and above the womb, in the region of the upper groins. They are small, fan shaped glands, and are connected with the uterus by small ducts which are known as the fallopian tubes.
As already stated, the exterior parts of the body, in which the female s.e.x organs are located, are covered with hair for their adornment and protection.
Such in brief, are the male and female s.e.x organs in human beings. A further description of them and their functions and proper use we are now ready to consider.
V
THE FUNCTION OF THE s.e.x ORGANS
It hardly need be stated here, for it is a matter of common knowledge, that the _primary_ purpose of s.e.x in the human family is the reproduction of the race. In this respect, considered merely on its material, or animal side, mankind differs little from all other forms of animate life. As Whitman says, we see "everywhere s.e.x, everywhere the urge of procreation." The flowers are possessed of this quality, and with them all vegetable forms. In the animal kingdom the same is true. Always "male and female" is everything created.
And the chief facts in reproduction are practically the same wherever the phenomena occur. Here, as everywhere else in the world, when a new life-form appears, it is always the result of the union of _two_ forces, elements, germs or whatsoever. These two elements differ in nature and in function, and each is incomplete and worthless by itself. It is only by the combining of the two that any new result is obtained. It is this fact that has led to the most suggestive and beautiful phrase "The duality of all unity in nature."
Many centuries ago an old Latin philosopher wrote the now celebrated phrase, _Omne ex ovo_, which, translated, means _everything is from an egg_. This is practically true of all life-forms. Their beginning is always from an ovum, or egg. In this respect, the reproduction of human beings is the same as that of any other life-form.
Now in this process of producing a new life-form, the female is always the source of the egg, out of which the new creation is to come. This egg, however, is infertile of itself, and must be given life to, by mingling with its germ, an element which only the male can produce and supply. This element is technically known as a sperm, or a spermatozoa. Its function is to fertilize the dormant germ in the egg produced by the female, and thus to start a new and independent life-form. This life-form, thus started, grows according to the laws of its becoming more and more, until, at the expiration of a fixed period, which varies greatly in different animals, it becomes a complete young individual, of the nature and kind of its parents.
The fertilization of the ovum in the female is called conception; its growing state is called gestation, and its birth, on becoming a separate being, is called parturition. In its growing condition, and before its birth, the new young life form is known as the foetus.
Now it is the fertilization of the ovum in the female (and from now on, it is only of the male and female in the human family that mention will be made) by the male, in the woman, by the man, that is of supreme interest and importance to both the parties concerned in producing this result. How this is brought about is substantially as follows:
As already stated, the infertile ovum, or egg, is produced by the woman. Such production begins at what is known as the age of p.u.b.erty, or when the hair begins to grow upon the pubic parts of the female body. The time of the appearance of this phenomenon in feminine life varies from the age of nine or ten years to fifteen or sixteen. The average, for most girls, is fourteen years of age. At this time the formation of ova, or eggs, in the female body begins, and it continues, in most women, at regular intervals of once in twenty-eight days, except during pregnancy and lactation, for a period of about thirty years. During all this time, under favorable conditions, it is possible for the ovum produced by the woman to become fertilized, if it can meet the sperm of the male.
In a general way, this meeting of the infertile ovum of the woman with the sperm of the man can be brought about, as follows:
The ova are produced by the ovaries (the word ovaries means egg producers) where they slowly develop from cells which originate in these glands. When they have reached maturity, or are ready for fertilization, they pa.s.s out of the ovaries and down into the womb, by way of the fallopian tubes. As already stated, such pa.s.sage of the ova from the ovaries into the womb occurs every twenty-eight days, and it is accomplished by a more or less copious flow of blood, a sort of hemorrhage, which carries the ova down through the fallopian tubes, and deposits them in the womb. This blood, after performing its mission of carrying the ova down into the womb, escapes from the body through the v.a.g.i.n.al pa.s.sage and is cared for by the wearing of a bandage between the thighs. This flow of blood continues for about five days, and is known as a menstrual flow; and this time in a woman"s life is known as the menstrual period. It is so named because of the regularity of its recurrence, the word _mensa_ meaning a _month_. In common parlance, these periods are often spoke of as the "monthlies."
After the ovum has reached the womb it remains there for a period of about ten days, after which, if it is not fertilized during that time, it pa.s.ses out of the womb into the v.a.g.i.n.al pa.s.sage, and so out of the body. But if, at any time after it is ripe for fertilization, that is, from the time it begins its journey from the ovaries to the womb, and while it is in the womb, the ovum is met by the male sperm, it is _liable_ to become fertilized--conception is possible. These are facts of the _utmost importance_, to be thoroughly understood and kept well in mind by all married people who would live happily together, as will be hereafter shown.
So much regarding the female part of the meeting of the ovum and the sperm. The male part of this mutual act is as follows:
The sperm, or spermatozoa, originate in the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es. Each sperm is an individual ent.i.ty and _several thousands_ of them are produced and in readiness for use, _at each meeting_ of the male and female generative organs; and if _any one_ of the countless number comes in contact with the unfertilized ovum in the womb, conception is _liable_ to result.
These sperms are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye, but they are readily seen by the use of a microscope. In shape they much resemble tad-poles in their earliest stages.
At the base of the p.e.n.i.s, well up in the man"s body, there is a large gland which surrounds the p.e.n.i.s like a thick ring, and which is called the prostate gland. It secretes a mucous fluid which looks much like, and is about the consistency of the white of an egg. Close to this gland, and almost a part of it, is a sack, or pocket, into which the mucous secretion from the prostate gland is poured, and where it is kept, ready for use, in performing its part of the germinal act.
Now it is the business of this mucous fluid, which comes from the prostate gland, to form a "carrying medium" for the spermatozoa which originate in the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es. There are small ducts leading from the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es into the pocket which contains the prostate fluid. These are known as the seminal ducts, and through them the spermatozoa pa.s.s from the t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es into the prostate pocket. Here they mingle with the prostate fluid, in which they can move about freely, and by means of which they can be carried wherever this fluid goes. The combination of prostate fluid and spermatozoa is called "s.e.m.e.n."
Seen under a microscope, a single drop of s.e.m.e.n reveals a mult.i.tude of spermatozoa swimming about in the prostate-carrying medium. It is in this form that the vitalizing male element meets the female infertile ovum. This ma.s.s of live and moving germs is poured all around and about the region in which the ovum lies waiting to be fertilized, and every one of them seems to be "rushing about like mad" to find what it is sent to do, namely, to meet and fertilize the ovum. The manner of depositing the s.e.m.e.n where it can come in contact with the ovum is as follows:
In order that this mingling of the male and female sources of life may be possible, it is necessary that there be a union of the male and the female generative organs. For such meeting, the p.e.n.i.s is filled with blood, all its blood vessels being distended to their utmost capacity, till the organ becomes stout and hard, and several times its dormant size, as has been already told. In this condition it is able to penetrate, to its utmost depths, the v.a.g.i.n.al pa.s.sage of the female, which is of a nature to perfectly contain the male organ in this enlarged and rigid condition. Under such conditions, the p.e.n.i.s is inserted into the widened and distended v.a.g.i.n.al pa.s.sage. Once together, a mutual back and forth, or partly in and out movement, of the organs is begun and carried on by the man and woman, which action further enlarges the parts and raises them to a still higher degree of tension and excitement. It is supposed by some that this frictional movement of the parts develops an electrical current, which increases in tension as the act is continued; and that it is the mission of the pubic hair, which is a non-conductor, to confine these currents to the parts in contact.
Now there are two other glands in these organs; one in the male and one in the female, which performs a most wonderful function in this part of the s.e.xual act. These are the "glans p.e.n.i.s" in the male and the "c.l.i.toris" in the female. The first is located at the apex of the male organ, and the other at the upper-middle and exterior part of the v.u.l.v.a. These glands are covered with a most delicate cuticle, and are filled with highly sensitive nerves. As the act progresses, these glands become more and more sensitized, and nervously surcharged, until, as a climax, they finally cause a sort of nervous explosion of the organs involved. This climax is called an "o.r.g.a.s.m" in scientific language. Among most men and women it is spoken of as "spending."
On the part of the man, this o.r.g.a.s.m causes the s.e.m.e.n, which till this instant has remained in the prostate pocket, to be suddenly driven out of this place of deposit, and thrown in jets, and with spasmodic force, through the entire length of the p.e.n.i.s, and, as it were, shot into the v.a.g.i.n.al pa.s.sage and the uterine cavity, till the whole region is literally deluged with the life-giving fluid. At the same time, the mouth of the womb opens wide; and into it pours, or rushes, this "father stuff," entirely surrounding and flooding the ovum, if it be in the womb. This is the climax of the s.e.xual act, which is called "coitus," a word which means, going together.
With the myriads of spermatozoa swarming about it, if the vital part of the ovum comes in contact with some one of them, any one of which, brought into such contact, will fertilize it, conception results. The woman is then pregnant, and the period of gestation is begun.
This is a brief description of the act of coitus and of the means by which pregnancy takes place. It is, however, only a small part of the story of the s.e.x relations of husbands and wives; and, be it said, a _very_ small part of that, as will now be shown.
As has already been said, this use of the s.e.x organs, merely to produce progeny, and so insure a continuance of the race, is a quality that mankind shares with all the rest of the animal kingdom. In all essentials, so far as the material parts of the act are concerned, the beginnings of the new life in the human family differ not a whit from that of any other mammals. In each case the ovum is produced by the ovaries of the female, pa.s.ses into the womb, is there met by the s.e.m.e.n from the male, fertilized by the spermatozoa, and so the foetus gets its start. This is the universal means by which the beginnings of all animal reproductive life takes place.
But there is another phase in the s.e.x life of human beings, which is _entirely different_ from that of all other animals, and which must therefore be considered beyond all that needs to be said regarding the act of coitus for reproductive purposes only. This we are now ready to consider and study.
Now in all animals, except human beings, the act of coitus is only permitted by the female, (it would seem is only _possible_ for her) when the ovum is present in the womb and ready to be fertilized. _At all other times, all female animals, except woman, are practically s.e.xless_. Their s.e.xual organs are dormant, and _nothing can arouse them_ to activity. Not only do they fail to show any desire for coitus, but if an attempt should be made to force it upon them, _they would resist it_ to the utmost of their strength.
But when the ovum is present in the womb, these same female animals are beside themselves with desire for coitus. They are then spoken of as "in heat." And until they are satisfied, by meeting the male and procuring from him the vitalizing fluid which will fertilize their infertile ovum; or, failing in this, until the ovum pa.s.ses away from them, out of the womb, they know no rest. At such times they will run all risks, incur all sorts of danger, do every possible thing to secure pregnancy. The thousand-and-one ways which female animals use to make known to their male mates their s.e.xual desire and needs, when in heat, is a most interesting and wonderful story, a record made up of facts which would be well worth any student"s knowing. But as all such knowledge can readily be procured from books which are within the reach of all, there is no need of noting the data here.
But now, _in woman, all these things are different!_ As a matter of fact, the presence of the ovum in the womb of a normally made woman _makes little, and, in many cases, no difference whatever_ as regards her status concerning the act of coitus! That is, women are never "in heat," in the same sense in which other female animals are. To be sure, in some cases, though they are rare, some women are conscious of a greater desire for coitus just after the ceasing of the menstrual flow; that is, when the ovum is in the womb. But such cases are so infrequent that they may well be counted atavistic, that is, of the nature of a tendency to return to a previous merely animal condition.
For the most part, it is true of all normal women that the presence of the ovum in the womb makes little difference, one way or another, in regard to their desire for, or aversion to, the act of coitus.
Now the fact of this remarkable difference in the s.e.x-status of women and the same quality in all other female animals leads us to a great number of interesting, not to say startling, conclusions, some of which are as follows:
In the first place, the phenomenon clearly establishes the fact that s.e.x in the female human being _differs, p.r.o.nouncedly_, from that of all other female life. For, whereas, among all females except woman, coitus is _impossible_, except at certain times and seasons, among women the act can not only be permitted, but is as much possible or _desired_ at one time as any other, regardless of the presence or absence of the ovum in the womb. That is (and this point should be noted well by the reader) there is a _possibility_, on the part of the female humanity, for coitus, _under conditions that do not at all obtain in any other female animal life_.
This is a conclusion which is of such far-reaching importance that its limits are but dimly recognized, even in the clear thinking of most married people. The fact of such difference is known to them, and their practices in living conform to the conditions; but what it all means, they are entirely ignorant of, _and they never stop to think about it_.
And yet, _right here is the very center and core of the real success or failure of married life_! Around this fact are grouped all the troubles that come to husbands and wives. About it are gathered all the joys and unspeakable delights of the happily married--the only truly married. It is these items which make a knowledge of the real conditions which exist, regarding this part of married life, of such supreme importance. If these conditions could be rightly understood, and the actions of husbands and wives could be brought to conform to the laws which obtain under them, _the divorce courts would go out of business_, their occupation, like Oth.e.l.lo"s, would be "gone indeed."
The first conclusion, then, one that is forced upon the thoughtful mind by the fact of this difference in the s.e.x possibilities of women and other female animals, is, as already stated, but which is here repeated for emphasis, that coitus _can_ be engaged in _by women_ when _pregnancy_ is _not_ its purpose, on her part; and that _this never occurs in any other form of female life!_
In view of this fact, is it too much to raise the question whether or not s.e.x in woman is designed to fulfill any other purpose than that of the reproduction of the race? True it is, that the _only_ function of s.e.x in all other females is merely that of producing offspring--of perpetuating its kind. Under no circ.u.mstances does it _ever_ serve _any_ other end, fulfill any other design. _There is no possibility of its doing so_!
But one can help wondering if it is not true that, with the existence of the _possibility_ of engaging in coitus _at will_, rather than at the bidding of _instinct_ alone, there has also come a _new_ and _added_ function for the s.e.x-natures that are capable of engaging in such before-unknown experiences? To a fair-minded person, such conclusion seems not only logical, but irresistible! That is in view of this conclusion, it naturally follows that s.e.x in the human family is _positively designed to fulfill a function that is entirely unknown to all other forms of animal life_. And from this, it is but a step to the establishment of the fact that _s.e.x exercise in the human family serves a purpose other than that of reproduction_!