Complete absence of the testicles, or anorchism, is a
comparatively rare anomaly, and it is very difficult to
distinguish between anorchism and arrest of development, or
simple atrophy, which is much more common. Fisher of Boston
describes the case of a man of forty-five, who died of pneumonia.
From the age of puberty to twenty-five, and even to the day of
death, his voice had never changed and his manners were decidedly
effeminate. He always sang soprano in concert with females. After
the age of twenty-five, however, his voice became more grave and
he could not accompany females with such ease. He had no beard,
had never shaved, and had never exhibited amorous propensities or
desire for female society. When about twenty-one he became
associated with a gay company of men and was addicted to the cup,
but would never visit houses of ill-fame. On dissection no trace
of testicles could be found; the scrotum was soft and flabby. The
cerebellum was the exact size of that of a female child.
Individuals with one testicle are called monorchids, and may be
divided into three varieties:--
(1) A solitary testicle divided in the middle by a deep fissure,
the two lobes being each provided with a spermatic cord on the
same side as the lobe.
Pages:
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609