244 THE PHYSIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 



That the vesicula- may undergo periodic enlargement in animals 

 which have a rutting season is an unquestionable fact. In the 

 hedgehog the increase in size is enormous. In the winter they are 

 hidden by the bladder and their weight may be only '1 gram. In 

 August the weight of the organs, together with their contained 

 secretion, was found to be 6 grams, and they occupied a consider- 

 able spare in the body cavity. In April they were about one-fifth 

 their full size. In May they had reached their full size which 

 they retained until September or October, when they rapidly 

 diminished. 



As evidence that the vesicula' seminales are undoubtedly secretory 

 glands, Lode l showed that in young animals, in which one of the 

 testes had been removed, the corresponding vesicula continued to 

 grow, and became filled with its characteristic fluid. It was evident, 

 therefore, that the fluid must have been secreted in the vesicula in 

 question, since it could not have been derived from the testis of the 

 other side. (The effects of complete castration on the growth and 

 activity of the vesiculae seminales are briefly referred to below.) 

 Stilling- and Akutsu 3 state that the epithelial cells of the vesicula' 

 seminales change their character according to whether they are in 

 a state of rest or activity. In the former condition they are larger 

 ami contain more plasma substance. Kolster 4 has described des- 

 ( plantation oi' epithelial cells in the seminal vesicles of the elk 



The secretion is formed apparently in considerable quantity. 

 It- character and composition vary somewhat in different Mammals. 

 In man it is gelatinous, and consists chiefly of globulins. 5 It has 

 been investigated in Rodents by Sobotta, 6 Rauther, 7 and others, 8 

 who describe it as a white or yellowish-white gelatinous fluid, which 

 becomes almost solid after ejaculation. This capacity to clot is 



1 Ixxle, " Experimentelle Bt-itriige zur Physiologie der Samenblasen," 

 >'/V ;</,.. /.</<. /. if. /v//x. .{'-ml. d. II Yxx/ //.//"/> //, IIYen, vol. civ., 18!)."). 



'-' Stilling, " Beolwchtungen iiljer die Functionen der Prostata und u'ber 

 die Kntstehungen prostatischer Concremente," JY,v//o/r'x A /</,/'/; vol. xcviii., 

 1884. 



: Akiitsu, " Mikmsropische Untersuchung der Secretionsvorgange in den 

 Saint-ill. las.-ii." /'rt</. , '. . I //, V, vol. xcvi., 1903. Further references are given 

 in this |>;i| i . 



1 Kolster, "Ueber einen eigenartigen Prozess in den Samenblasen von 

 '*"/','' Arrl,. f. M'dr. Aiit.. vol. |.\.. 1902. 



" Kiirl.rini't-i, ''I>i- Sti'.i-ungen des Cieschlechtsfunktion des Menschen," 

 Notlm;iL"-r.s Putkologie ami Tl ///,/., vol. .\i.\., is!>r>. 



6 Sobotta, "hit- iM-friu-htiiiiL; und Fun-hung des Eies der Maus " .l/v//. /'. 

 Mil;: .I//"/., vol. xlv., IMC,. 



7 It.-uitli.i. -I "her den Genitalapparat einiger Nager und Insektivoren, 

 .l--inii#-l,>- '/., ,'/.*,-/,. /; ^ofMrwUMMMO/i. vol. xxxvii., 1903. 



I)c l'>oni>. -Sui Kenonienidi Secrezione nelle Cellule ghiandolari delle 

 nit- S<-iniii;i!.- dcllf (Jhiandole di Co^-per," Arch. Itnl. di Anal, e di 

 '.. v.)l. vii.. 1!X)^. Abstract in .!/'//. Itnl. <!,- /;/,,/., vol. Hi., 1909. 



