Borellus, Testa, and
Cruveilhier have reported similar instances. Instances of double
penis have been discussed under the head of diphallic terata,
page 194.
Hypospadias and epispadias are names given to malformations of
the urethra in which the wall of the canal is deficient either
above or below. These anomalies are particularly interesting, as
they are nearly always found in male hermaphrodites, the fissure
giving the appearance of a vulva, as the scrotum is sometimes
included, and even the perineum may be fissured in continuity
with the other parts, thus exaggerating the deception. There
seems to be an element of heredity in this malformation, and this
allegation is exemplified by Sedgwick, who quotes a case from
Heuremann in which a family of females had for generations given
birth to males with hypospadias. Belloc mentions a man whose
urethra terminated at the base of the frenum who had four sons
with the same deformity. Picardat mentions a father and son, both
of whom had double urethral orifices, one above the other, from
one of which issued urine and from the other semen--a fact that
shows the possibility of inheritance of this malformation.
Patients in whom the urethra opens at the root of the penis, the
meatus being imperforate, are not necessarily impotent; as, for
instance, Fournier knew of a man whose urethra opened posteriorly
who was the father of four children.
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