Treatise on the Diseases of Women

large amount of energy the woman expends in the bearing of children, and by both sexes in the care and education of

road, involving not only the immediate questions of individual reprodu

into the world are given life as the result of chance rather than by careful des

nce. And yet, whether strong or weak, refreshed or exhausted, healthy or diseased, sober or intoxicated, sweet or ill-tempered, yielding or resistin

ng something of the wretchedness of womankind, and the fearful slavery she often has to endure, I can only hope, with all my heart, that the coming generation m

roduction of the race, the male and the female. Each contributes some particul

zoa, and those of the female, ova. The reproductive process is

part of the semen, or sperm. They are peculiar shaped bodies, having a head, body, and tail, as illus

are six spermatozo

he right is an ovum,

hly mag

ng about with considerable activity, and

cell, or egg, with life. It is another illustration of how nature does everything possible to increase the chances of pe

their existence, yet they have been known to maintain their full life in the vaginal canal for more than eight days after their discharge; another remarkable provisio

the female germ-cell is also known as the ov

stops in the cavity of the uterus, where it forms an attachment. Here it remains until perfectly deve

ces between the two. It is a very interesting fact to note that there is only one egg given off at a time; while there are many thousands of the male elements. Thi

female elements takes place is not definitely known, although it is

se the whole length of the uterine cavity, out along the course of t

uterus. Here some most remarkable changes immediately take place whereby the egg is held firmly to the inner wall of the uterine cavity; while the unimpregnated egg, as I have sa

s minute size, a magnifying glass being necessary to detect it, even under favorable conditions. At just what time during t

ady to be fertilized each month. As it is the ripened egg which is thrown off at each menstrual period, ther

the nursing of the child, although there are certain exceptions to this rule; for menstruation occasionally t