THE ACCESSORY REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 247 



THE PROSTATE GLAND 



The prostate in man and other Mammals is a tubular gland 

 which surrounds the urethra at the base of the bladder, and opens 

 into it by a number of small ducts situated close to the apertures of 

 the ejaculatory ducts. It is usually described as consisting of three 

 lobes, two lateral and one median, the former comprising the chief 

 mass of the organ. Associated with the glandular substance is a 

 considerable quantity of plain muscular tissue. The prostate is 

 provided with lymph-vessels and blood-vessels. The arteries arise 



FIG. 65. Section through part of human prostate, 

 from Schafer.) 



(After Heitzmann, 



< '., Concretions, often found in old subjects ; E, epithelium ; 

 J/, muscular tissue. 



from the vesical, hsemorrhoidal, and pudic arteries. The veins 

 communicate with the dorsal vein of the penis and with the internal 

 iliac vein. 1 The innervation of the gland is described below in 

 dealing with the mechanism of ejaculation (p. 268). 



The prostatic secretion is a viscid, slightly acid liquid (sometimes 

 neutral or even alkaline), containing proteins and salts 2 (see p. 301). 

 The characteristic smell of the ejected seminal fluid is said to be 

 partly due to the prostate secretion, which also contributes to the 

 formation of Bottcher's crystals described below (p. 299). 



of the Prostate <H<ti><l, 



1 See Richardson, The Development ami A 

 London, 1904. 



2 Poehl, Dii- I'hysiol.-chem. (Irnnillny der Spermintheorie, St. Petersburg. 

 1898 ; Fiirbringer, Die Xtorungen der Getchlechtsfunktion d>'s Mumies, Wien, 

 1895 ; ]}''i-Iin>'r Km. WocheMchnft, vol. xxiii., 1886. 



