ealdus
Columbus actually claimed the honor of discovering it. Columbus was not
its discoverer, for Fallopius speedily showed that Avicenna and Albucasis
had referred to it.[85] The Arabs appear to have been very familiar with
it, and, from the various names they gave it, clearly understood the
important part it plays in generating voluptuous emotion.[86] But it was
known in classic antiquity; the Greeks called it myrton, the myrtle-berry;
Galen and Soranus called it nymphe because it is covered as a bride is
veiled, while the old Latin name was _tentigo_, from its power of entering
into erection, and _columella_, the little pillar, from its shape. The
modern term, which is Greek and refers to the sensitiveness of the part to
voluptuous titillation, is said to have originated with Suidas and
Pollux.[87] It was mentioned, though not adopted, by Rufus.

"The clitoris," declared Haller, "is a part extremely sensible and
wonderfully prurient." It is certainly the chief though by no means the
only point through which the immediate call to detumescence is conveyed to
the female organism. It is, indeed, as Bryan Robinson remarks, "a
veritable electrical bell button which, being pressed or irritated, rings
up the whole nervous system."

The nervous supply of this little organ is very large, and the
dorsal nerve of the clitoris is relatively three or four times
larger than that of the penis. Yet the sensitive point of this
organ is only 5 to 7 millimeters in extent. The length of the
clitoris is usually rather over 2 centimeters (or about an inch)
and 3 centimeters when erect; a length of 4 centimeters or more
was regarded by Martineau as within the normal range of
variation. It is not usual to find the clitoris longer than this
in Europe (for among some races like the negro the clitoris is
generally large), but all degrees of magnitude may be found as
rare exceptions. (See, e.g., Sir J.Y. Simpson, "Hermaphrodites,"
_Obstetric Memoirs and Contributions_, vol. ii, pp. 217-226; also
Dickinson, loc. cit.) It was formerly thought that the clitoris
is easily enlarged by masturbation, and Martineau believed that
in this way it might be doubled in length. It is probable that
slight enlargement of the clitoris may be caused by very
frequent masturbation, but only to an insignificant extent, and
it is impossible to diagnose masturbation from the size of the
clit