The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1870-11-11

Some Curious Anatomical fnqui-
ries.

Prom the Medical and Surgical Reporter
Conhning ourselves 10 a strictly anat-
ionical examination OF this most inter-
lesiing question, we find ourselves car
ricd back to an early period in fetal life,
when the embryo is q neutcr. apparently
capable OF becoming male or female un-
der impulses which are as yet obsenre.
The epitheliuIu Of the WoIffian passage
is the point Of development of the male
or urino-genitary apparatus; while the
female organs can be traced to another
lepithelial tract adjacent.
But " hat are the impulses-in other
words. " hat are the theological reasons
which lead To the development of the
one or the other. and thus decide upon
the sex of the future child?
Only two theories are possible either
each ovum, before or through impregna-
ltion, has the element of sexuaiity i'm
pressed upon it. and thus must develop
to specific sex; or being really neuter
up to certain period of fetal life, the
lembryo assumes the one or the other sex
under the influence of some fortuitous
circumstance.
The former theory is that advocated
BY Prof Thury, who holds that the sex
lis determined by the period Of impreg-
nation of the ovum: that when this oc-
ours soon after the menstrual change,
tie embryo is female; when later, male.
The anatomical objection to this theo-
rv is. that in the apparently ncuier con-
Idi,ion OF the embryo, before the genital
apparatus has been at all developed. the
lepithelial tracts snited TO The growth Of
Ieither male or female organs are present.
But then this apparent neutrality is to a
certain extent preserved during life, As
the mammary and prostate glands Of
the male testify. They may be present
out of that tendency to preservation of
similarity in structure of which we find
examples in the appendix verniformis,
and other rudimentary organs.
The second theory, that temporal and
accidental conditions lead To the decision
of sex, has lately received q remarkable
lclucidation by The botanical researches
of Mr.. Thomas Mechan. This gentle
man. at the meeting or the American
sociation fer the Advancement OF
Science. last year, read paper on the
laws governing sex in plants, in which
the theory was propounded that only
the highest grades Of vitality produced
the female sex. This year he has shown
how imperfect nutrition affected the
Hover vitality in favor Of the male sex.
lie exhibited specimens of the common
sweet chestnut, showing that there were
1.-TWO classes of male blossoms on this
tree. One class appeared in the axis OF
,he leaves on the weak branches. These
" ere the numerous white catkins we are
all SO familiar with on the chestnut tree.
They usually fall before the last class
lopcned. and probably had little to do
with the fertilization of the female flow
lers. The female flowers only appeared
from very vigorous branches. These
bore only two or three female flowers
land then IL any matter was to be spared,
'lcontinued on weak male spike. If the
tree i weakened in any manner this last
Iclass of male flowers is not formed, all
lof this material then being required 10
form the chestnuts. When weakness j
lstill greater, no female flowers are az all
borne, but all male ones. This is the
reason why chcstnuts are scarce III some
wears. lie exhibited leaves from large
'Ichestnm tree which had always borne
heavily, but only male flowers TINS year.
THE leaves were of mottled yellow and
green tint, showing that its nutritive
Epowers were out Of order.
This we regard a. q most significant
lobscrvation. 1t is, of course, large
Jump, and one not authorized, from
vegetable TO the highes vertebratcs. =
'lBut the laws Of sexs are singularly
alike throughout organic nature. and
as we write a number Of facts occur
to us in confederation Of the view that
Imperfect nutrition leads TO male, and
perfect nutrition to female, offspring. -
The inferior viability Of the male frtns
j. Of itself singularly striking fact in
rievidcnce.
II would seem as if Burns was right
when lie says that nature
! Tries her prentice hand on man.