OF THE GENITAL FUNCTION IN MAN. 315* 



my account of this subject from the natural appear- 

 ances which I have preserved in a great number of 

 small embryos, dissected by me with this view. 



511. On opening the lower part of the abdomen of a 

 young foetus, there appears in each groin, at the ring 

 of the oblique muscles, a very small opening in the 

 peritonaeum, leading downwards to a narrow passage 

 which perforates the ring and runs to a peculiar sac 

 that is extended beyond the abdominal cavity towards 

 the scrotum, is interwoven with cellular fibres, and 

 destined for the future reception of the testicle. 



512. At the posterior margin of this abdominal open- 

 ing, there is sent off another process of peritonaeum, 

 running upwards, and appearing, in the young foetus, 

 as little more than a longitudinal fold, from the base 

 of which arises a small cylinder, or rather an inverted 

 cone, which terminates above in a globular sac, con- 

 taining the testis and epididymis, so that the testis, at 

 first sight, resembles a small berry resting on its stalk, 

 and appears hanging, like the liver or spleen, into the 

 abdomen. (399) 



513. The vessels which afterwards constitute the 

 spermatic chord, are seen running behind the very de- 

 licate and pellucid peritonaeum ; the spermatic artery 

 and vein descending along the sides of the spine, and 

 the vas deferens passing inwards in the loose cellular 

 substance behind the peritonaeum towards the neck of 

 the bladder. They enter the testis in the fold of peri- 

 tonaeum just mentioned. 



514. After about the middle period of pregnancy, 

 the testis gradually descends and approaches the 

 narrow passage before spoken of (511), (the fold of 

 peritonaeum and the cylinder becoming at the same 



