Male and Female Plasmas
The first thing expected of a book like this, the avowed object of which is a
complete revision of the facts hitherto accepted, is that it should expound a
new and satisfactory account of the anatomical and physiological characters of
the sexual types.
. . . Those who know little of Biology may scan this section hastily, and yet
run little risk of failing to understand what follows.
. . . Many phenomena, amongst which may be noticed specially experiments on
the regeneration of lost parts and investigations into the chemical
differences between the corresponding tissues of nearly allied animals, have
led the investigators to conceive the existence of "Idioplasm," which is the
bearer of the specific characters, and which exists in all the cells of a
multi-cellular animal, quite apart from the purposes of reproduction. In a
similar fashion I have been led to the conception of an "Arrhenoplasm" (male
plasm) and a "Thelyplasm" (female plasm) as the two modes in which the
idioplasm of every bisexual organism may appear, and which are to be
considered, because of reasons which I shall explain, as ideal conditions
between which the actual conditions always lie. . . . I apologise for the new
terms, but they are more than devices to call attention to a new idea.
. . . Investigations into the sex-differences in the weight of the brain, have
proved very little, probably because no care was taken to choose typical
conditions, the assignment of sex being dependent on baptismal certificates or
on superficial glances at outward appearance. As if every "John" or "Mary"
were representative of their sexes because they had been dubbed "male" and
"female!" It would have been well, even if exact physiological data were
thought unnecessary, at least to make certain as to a few facts as to the
general condition of the body, which might serve as guides to the male or
female condition. . . .
This source of error, the careless acceptance of sexually intermediate forms
as representative subjects for measurement, has maimed other investigations
and seriously retarded the attainment of genuine and useful results. . . .
Until the exact degree of maleness or femaleness of all the living individuals
of the group on which an investigator is working can be determined, the
investigator will have reason to distrust both his methods and his hypotheses.
If he classify sexually intermediate forms, for instance, according to their
external appearance, as has been done hitherto, he will come across cases
which fuller investigation would show to be on the wrong side of his results,
whilst other instances, apparently on the wrong side, would right themselves.
Without the conception of an ideal male and an ideal female, he lacks a
standard according to which to estimate his real cases, and he gropes forward
to a superficial and doubtful conclusion. . . .
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