Erection

ERECTION (erectio from Latin erigere-to raise) of the male penis consists in an increase in its volume compared to the normal state and its hardening, whereby the penis becomes capable of spreading apart the labia and vaginal walls of a woman and almost completely filling the latter; at the same time, the temperature of the penis increases. The hardening of the cavernous tissue of the penis occurs due to its filling with blood. The volume of the penis during E. increases significantly, approximately threefold. The increase in volume of the glans causes the gaping of the external urethral orifice. The length of the pendulous part of the penis (pendula penis) increases during E. on average from 9-10 cm to 14-16 cm; the circumference of the penis increases from 9 cm to 12 cm. The increased volume of the penis requires more skin covering; the latter is obtained through the elasticity and stretchability of the skin of the penis itself, as well as through the prepuce. The erected male penis represents a dense cylindrical body with a rounded cross-section, somewhat curved upward. The cavernous tissue is most sharply expressed in the cavernous bodies of the penis; in the cavernous body of the urethra, extensive venous plexuses are connected to it; in the cavernous body of the glans, they predominate. In the flaccid, non-erect state of the penis, the mucous membrane of the urethra lies in the form of folds touching each other; during E., these folds are smoothed out, as the urethra stretches in accordance with the enlarging penis. The essence of the process of E. cannot at present be considered fully clarified. The indisputable fact is that E. is caused by increased blood filling of the penis, mainly due to increased blood inflow, to a lesser extent due to its difficult outflow. One can conclude about the increased blood inflow during E. based on the increase in the temperature of the penis at this time. Apparently, E. occurs as follows: due to irritation transmitted through the nn. erigentes, the smooth muscle of the arteries of the penis and cavernous bodies relaxes; simultaneously, the blood pressure reflexively increases, so that the protruding folds into the lumen of the arteries are smoothed out and the lumen itself expands almost twofold. The lacunae of the cavernous bodies fill with blood, which soon overflows the cavernous bodies, since the simultaneous outflow of blood from the veins, although increased compared to the state of rest, does not correspond to the increased inflow; this is explained by the presence inside individual large veins of frequently occurring funnel-shaped constrictions, as well as by the compression of the draining vessels against the outer, tunica albuginea of the penis. At the same time, the ischio-cavernous muscles (mm. ischio-cavernosi), extending from the ischial bones to the dorsum of the penis, and the bulbo-cavernous muscles (mm. bulbo-cavernosi), covering the free surface of the bulb of the urethra, contract. Due to the contraction of the muscular apparatus, the penis is compressed in the region of the symphysis, whereby the outflow of blood from the cavernous bodies through the dorsal vein of the penis (v. dorsalis penis) is hindered. At the same time, probably due to the contraction of the mm. ischio-cavernosi, more precisely certain parts of these muscles acting like a lever, the penis rises, i.e., becomes erect. These muscles can also contract voluntarily and cause phenomena in the penis similar to congestion, but this is in essence not E., but only half-hardening of the penis, and moreover too brief to allow for sexual intercourse. Kiss denies the compression of veins by muscles, since the veins of the cavernous bodies do not pass through the mm. ischio-cavernosi and bulbo-cavernosi and do not pass under them, but are embedded in a special connective tissue cushion wide enough to protect them from compression by muscles. Consequently, the musculature of the perineum and urogenital diaphragm does not participate in E. If venous congestion plays a role in the appearance of E., its cause should be sought, according to Kiss, in front of the musculature of the perineum and diaphragm. Such compression inside the penis during E. is possible, since it seems very probable that due to the strong blood filling of the cavernous bodies, the thin-walled veins are pressed against the outer shell and thus compressed. Furthermore, an obstacle to the outflow of blood are the aforementioned funnel-shaped constrictions inside the large veins, if the amount of blood exceeds the amount that circulates in the non-erect penis. The duration of the hardening of the cavernous bodies and the entire penis is influenced, in addition to the increased blood inflow and its slowed outflow, also by the structural features of the cavernous bodies of the penis. In view of anatomical conditions, the overflow of the penis with blood during E. extends also to the membranous part, the seminal tubercle and the neck of the bladder. During strong E., urination is impossible or occurs with great difficulty due to the spasmodic contraction of the sphincter located at the internal urethral orifice, which is also present in women and completely retains urine in the bladder. Such spasmodic, i.e., involuntary, contraction of the sphincter completely corresponds to the reflexive nature of E. Associated with strong sexual excitement, the nervous inhibitory process usually does not allow the opening of the bladder sphincter by relaxing the sphincter. The relaxation of the penis after E. occurs due to the fact that, due to irritation transmitted through the nn. pudendi, the smooth muscle of the arteries and cavernous bodies contracts again, the vessels and lacunae narrow as a result, and the blood pressure falls. E. and ejaculation represent reflex processes. Clinical observations of Muller and his experiments on animals make one consider the sympathetic plexus in the pelvis as the reflex center of the sexual organs. The important nerve pathways for sexual activity pass through the lower part of the spinal cord. There are probably separate centrifugal pathways for E. and for ejaculation and probably there are separate central organs. The center of E. is characterized by easier excitability and easier exhaustibility; the center of ejaculation is more difficult to excite, but its exhaustibility is more difficult to achieve. Furthermore, one cannot deny the influence of the brain and generally of the higher parts of the central nervous system on E. and ejaculation; this influence has predominantly an inhibitory character. These inhibitory fibers descend from the cerebral cortex through the cerebral peduncles and the pons Varolii; they are brought into action by the associative ability of the cerebral cortex to representations. - Erection in women. The cavernous bodies of the clitoris, like the entire clitoris, are significantly inferior in volume to the cavernous bodies of the penis; histologically, the cavernous tissue of the clitoris represents a much less typical development, contains wide thin-walled cavities and significantly more connective tissue. Nevertheless, the cavernous bodies of the clitoris can come into a state similar to E.; this E. under normal conditions is so insignificant that it is barely noticeable.

L. Yakovozov d'Herelle (d'Herelle; born in 1873), a major bacteriologist from Canada. He graduated from the university in Montreal, then worked in Paris. From 1901 to 1906 he worked in Guatemala, in 1907-08 he was director of a bacteriological laboratory in Merida (Mexico), from 1908 to 1914 he was assistant at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and from 1914 to 1921 he was director of the laboratory there. From 1921 to 1923 he was director of a bacteriological laboratory in Leiden (Holland), from 1923 to 1928 he was director of the Bacteriological Laboratory in Egypt at the Higher Sanitary-Maritime Council in Alexandria. Since 1928 he has been invited for scientific work at Yale University in New Haven (USA), where he still works. In recent years (1931-1934) d'E., at the invitation of the Georgian bacteriological institute, worked for some time in Tiflis. In 1918, d'E. for the first time described the phenomenon of bacteriophagy (see) of dysentery bacilli in cultures obtained from the excreta of patients. d'E. studied bacteriophagy in relation to the most diverse microbes. Contrary to the opinion of the majority, d'E. attributes this phenomenon to a new filtering principle - the bacteriophage that destroys the culture of the corresponding microbe. From his discovery, d'E. soon drew practical conclusions, applying bacteriophage for the prevention and treatment of various infections. In recent years, this application has received quite widespread use. Many scientists seriously dispute the specificity of bacteriophagy. In any case, the works of d'E. have opened a highly interesting area of theoretical and practical applications of this phenomenon. d'E.'s main work has been translated into Russian as well.