then said to be hooded, and it is desirable to cut this fold of skin—a very slight and painless procedure in the hands of a surgeon or gynecologist. The operation has a similar purpose to circumcision in the male. If this condition is neglected it is sure to cause nervous irritability or abnormal sexual stimulation, and is a cause of excessive masturbation among girls.
The labia minora are formed of a peculiar kind of skin-tissue, in which are numerous sebaceous glands producing a whitish secretion with a penetrating odor. It is the function of these secretions to keep the tissue moist and supple, and also to destroy foreign substances which may enter the vulva, so that they will not get into the womb and cause injury to that delicate organ.
The vulvo-vaginal glands, or glands of Bartholin, are reddish-yellow bodies about the size of an apricot stone, situated on either side of the entrance to the vagina. They open by a long, single duct on the inner side of the labia minora, just outside of the hymen. Bartholin's glands correspond to Cowper's glands in the male. They secrete a clear fluid which is discharged during sexual excitement. This secretion is of acid reaction, and is the only ejaculation of the woman.
The Pelvis. All the genital organs proper, which have been described, are situated in the pelvis (meaning basin), also called the pelvic arch or girdle. It is made up of three bones, the two hip-bones, and the sacrum. The latter is a wedge-shaped bone, formed by a fusion of five vertebræ, therefore constituting a part of the vertebral column. Below this solid portion of the vertebræ is the coccyx, consisting of three rudimentary vertebræ—the vestige of the missing link—the tail, which the progenitors of mankind lost somewhere in the long biological climb. The hip-bones are
