The ancients
considered the birth of hermaphrodites bad omens, and the
Athenians threw them into the sea, the Romans, into the Tiber.
Livy speaks of an hermaphrodite being put to death in Umbria, and
another in Etruria. Cicero, Aristotle, Strabonius, and Pliny all
speak concerning this subject. Martial and Tertullian noticed
this anomaly among the Romans. Aetius and Paulus Aegineta speak
of females in Egypt with prolonged clitorides which made them
appear like hermaphrodites. Throughout the Middle Ages we
frequently find accounts, naturally exaggerated, of double-sexed
creatures. Harvey, Bartholinus, Paullini, Schenck, Wolff,
Wrisberg, Zacchias, Marcellus Donatus, Haller, Hufeland, de
Graff, and many others discuss hermaphroditism. Many
classifications have been given, as, e.g., real and apparent;
masculine, feminine, or neuter; horizontal and vertical;
unilateral and bilateral, etc. The anomaly in most cases consists
of a malformation of the external genitalia. A prolonged
clitoris, prolapsed ovaries, grossness of figure, and hirsute
appearance have been accountable for many supposed instances of
hermaphrodites. On the other hand, a cleft scrotum, an
ill-developed penis, perhaps hypospadias or epispadias, rotundity
of the mammae, and feminine contour have also provoked accounts
of similar instances.
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