Essays In Pastoral MedicineWalsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Religion
Essays In Pastoral Medicine
Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
First aid in illness and injury; Medicine
Of the next group, the Hermaphroditic, it may be said that a true
hermaphrodite, in the full sense of the term, has not been found; but
there have been several examples of individuals who had an ovary and a
testicle, and other rudimentary sexual organs that belonged to both
male and female. Forms of apparent doubling are common, and in case of
doubt as to sex the probability leans toward the {75} masculine side.
As to marriage in such cases, questions may arise that are to be
settled by the anatomist. In dealing with double monsters it is
sometimes difficult or impossible to determine whether we have to do
with one or two individuals, and this difficulty has serious weight,
especially in the administration of baptism. It is improbable that
there is a doubling of personality in hermaphrodites. A striking
characteristic of compound terata is that the individuals are always
of the same sex; moreover, the embryonal development of reproductive
organs in general is such as almost to preclude a question of duality
of personality.
Terata, more properly so called, are divided into single, double, and
triple monsters. Single monsters may be autositic, or independent of
another embryo or foetus; or they may be omphalositic, that is,
dependent upon another embryo or foetus, which is commonly well
developed, and which supplies blood for both through the umbilical
vessels. When an omphalosite exists, the other foetus is called, in
this case also, the autosite.
The first order of autositic single monsters contains four genera with
eight species, and under these species are thirty-four varieties. They
may have imperfect limbs, no limbs, one eye in the middle of the
forehead (_cyclops_), fused lower limbs (_siren_), and so on. Some of
these monsters show a strong resemblance to lower animals, but there
is no record that is in any degree scientific of a hybrid between a
human being and a lower animal.
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