hand, he has found spermatozoa in the semen of a boy aged only
twelve or thirteen years. I have myself examined the emissions of boys
in a considerable number of cases, and have repeatedly found that, even
in the case of boys of sixteen, the ejaculated secretions contained no
spermatozoa. The reports of other investigators also show that as
regards this point very wide individual variations occur. Hofmann[28]
has contributed some data to this discussion. A case published by Klose,
in which pregnancy is alleged to have resulted from intercourse with a
boy aged nine years, is, indeed, regarded by Hofmann as probably
apocryphal. But he had personal knowledge of a case in which a woman was
impregnated by a boy fourteen years of age. He assumes that when a boy's
general development is advanced (masculine habit of body, large penis,
&c.), his reproductive capacity will also make its appearance at an
earlier age. But he has met with exceptions to this generalisation.
Thus, in the post-mortem examination of the body of a boy aged fourteen,
whose physique was still quite infantile, he found well-developed
spermatozoa both in the testicles and in the seminal vesicles. In the
case of two boys aged fifteen years, in whom the genital organs were
powerfully developed, he found in one abundant spermatozoa, but in the
other none at all. In two other boys, also fifteen years of age, in whom
the pubic hair had not yet appeared, spermatozoa were present. They were
absent, again, in a young man of eighteen years. Similar variations were
found by Haberda. Thus, for example, in two boys aged fifteen and
seventeen years, respectively, he found no spermatozoa, notwithstanding
the fact that in both the pubic hair had grown. On the other hand, in a
boy aged 13-3/4 years, with an abundance of pubic hair, numerous
well-developed spermatozoa were present. Haberda is of opinion that,
speaking generally, the first formation of the spermatozoa is associated
with the appearance of the other indications of puberty. The earliest
authenticated age at which spermotozoa have been known to appear is
13-1/2 years; they have been found at this age by two separate
investigators, one in Paris, the other in Berlin. Notwithstanding the
fact that, as we have seen, such extensive variations occur, we are
justified in making the general statement that in the case of children
in our own country no spermatozoa are developed; if exceptions ever
occur, they can relate onl