DEVELOPMENT OF THE GENITO-URINARY SYSTEM, DEFECTS OF FORMATION, HERMAPHRODITISM fact that organs of such different physiological importance F49 are represented by the suprarenal glands, the urinary apparatus, and the sexual organs, form one evolutionary unity is shown, not only by their pathology, but by their topographical relations. It seems necessary, therefore, to discuss in one common section the diseases of these three systems.
The disorders of development (defects of formation, anomalies) have not only a theoretical interest, to which they are eminently entitled because their study helps our understanding of the mechanism of evo lution, but the practical physician, too, should not undervalue their importance. This will be shown—among other things—by the dis cussion of hermaphroditism, and of those deformities whose early diagnosis provides a life-saving therapy It is probable that the greatest number of congenital deformities result from arrest of development; their mode of origin can there fore be understood only by a knowledge of the normal process of devel opment. This will be illustrated by the following table taken front Neugebauer, the comprehension of which will facilitate the understand ing of the sketch drawn by Hertwig.
The deformities involve either the whole complex of the genito urinary apparatus, including the terminal portion of the bowel, or they are restricted to a single organic system or organ. The first are of rare occurrence and of little practical interest, as they are generally found in still-born children. The following cut gives an illustration of such a total deformity.
Of greater practical importance are those defects of formation that are limited to a single organ or organic system. We recognize those of the kidney, of the urine-conducting tracts, of the male and female sexual organs, and of the terminal portion of the bowels. They will be described in speaking of the pathology of these organs. For the present it will be convenient to appreciate the theoretical and practical importance only of that deformity of the genital apparatus which conststs in a persistence of the male and female organs in the same indiyidual—the so-called HERNIAPHRODITISM.
PathOlOgy betWeCH TRUE and FALSE HERMAPHRODI