About the year 1859 Fichstedt seems to have done something to
overthrow this theory by declaring his belief that the uterus was
not, as commonly supposed, a passive organ in coitus, but was
capable of sucking in the semen during the brief period of
detumescence. Various authorities then began to bring forward
arguments and observations in the same sense. Wernich,
especially, directed attention to this point in 1872 in a paper
on the erectile properties of the lower segment of the uterus
("Die Erectionsfahigkeit des untern Uterus-Abschnitts," _Beitraege
zur Geburtshuelfe und Gynaekologie_, vol. i, p. 296). He made
precise observations and came to the conclusion that owing to
erectile properties in the neck of the uterus, this part of the
womb elongates during congress and reaches down into the pelvis
with an aspiratory movement, as if to meet the glans of the male.
A little later, in a case of partial prolapse, Beck, in ignorance
of Wernich's theory, was enabled to make a very precise
observation of the action of the uterus during excitement. In
this case the woman was sexually very excitable even under
ordinary examination, and Beck carefully noted the phenomena that
took place during the orgasm. "The os and cervix uteri," he
states, "had been about as firm as usual, moderately hard and,
generally speaking, in a natural and normal condition, with the
external os closed to such an extent as to admit of the uterine
probe with difficulty; but the instant that the height of
excitement was at hand, the os opened itself to the extent of
fully an inch, as nearly as my eye can judge, made five or six
successive gasps as if it were drawing the external os into the
cervix, each time powerfully, and, it seemed to me, with a
regular rhythmical action, at the same time losing its former
density and hardness and becoming quite soft to the touch. Upon
the cessation of the action, as related, the os suddenly closed,
the cervix again hardened itself, and the intense congestion was
dissipated." (J.R. Beck, "How do the Spermatozoa Enter the
Uterus?" _American Journal of Obstetrics_, 1874.) It would appear
that in the early part of this final process of detumescence the
action of the uterus is mainly one of contraction and ejaculation
of any mucus that may be contained; Dr. Paul Munde has des