The first edition of Ploss and Bartels' notable work appeared in Germany in 1885, the second was published in 1887, and the ninth edition appeared in 1908. In 1927 an eleventh edition was issued in which much supplementary material and photographs were added. Thus the book becomes a well established source book of information on the anthropology, gynecology and ethnology of women.
In the present edition E. J. Dingwall has slightly modified the text in the interest of new evidence and has introduced new material. More space is devoted to anatomy, to crime and to the social sciences than was given in any of the German editions. In preparing this text the author has had the assistance of many competent British scholars.
The book is developed now in three volumes. The first volume discusses the anthropology, psychology and anatomy of the female as they are distinguished from the male. The