45i THE TESTICLES AND THEIR DUCTS. 



deferent artery, or artery of the vas deferens. It ramifies on the coats 

 of the duct, and reaches as far as the testis, where it anastomoses with 

 the spermatic artery. 



The spermatic veins commence in the testis and epididymis, pnss 

 out at their posterior border, and unite into larger vessels, which freely 

 communicate with each other as they ascend along the cord, and form 

 the pampmiform 2)Iexus. Ultimately two or three veins follow the 

 course of the spermatic artery into the abdomen, where they unite into 

 a single trunk, that of the right side opening into the vena cava, and 

 that of the left into the left renal vein. 



The lymphatics accompany the spermatic vessels and terminate in 

 the lumbar lymphatic glands, which encircle the large blood-vessels in 

 front of the vertebral column. According to Ludwig and Tomsa, as 

 previously stated, they begin fi*om intercommunicating lymph spaces 

 which occupy the intervals between the tubuli seminiferi. 



The nerves are derived from the sympathetic system. The sper- 

 matic plexus is a very delicate set of nervous filaments, which descend 

 upon the spermatic artery from the aortic plexus. Some additional 

 filaments, which are very minute, come from the hypogastric plexus, 

 and accompany the artery of the vas deferens. It is affirmed by Let- 

 zerich (Virchow's Archiv, vol. xlii., p. 510), that the axial filaments of 

 the nerves penetrate the external wall and membrana propria of the 

 seminal tubes, and terminate within in " shining granular protoplasmio 

 masses." These observations, however, have not been confirmed on 

 examination by La Valette St. George. (Strieker's Handbuch, p. 543.) 



The vesiculas seminales receive branches from the inferior vesical and 

 middle htemorrhoidal arteries. The veins and lymphatics correspond. 

 The nerves belong to the sympathetic system, and come from the 

 hypogastric plexus. 



The Semen. — The semoi, is a thick whitish fluid, which consists of a liquor 

 seminis, the seminal granules, and the spermatic filaments. It is the combined 

 product of the testes and the accessory generative glands. 



Fig. 323. ^^S- 323. — Spermatic Filaments from the Human Yas 



g_ Deferens (from Kolliker). 



1, magnified 350 uiameters ; 2, magnified 800 diameters ; 

 a, from the side ; b, from above. 



The liquor seminis is coloui'less, transparent, and of 

 an albuminous natui-e. It contains floating in it, besides 

 squamous and columnar epithelium cells, oil-like globules 

 and minute granular matter, se?>iinal grannies (Wagner), 

 and the .yx'rmnfozoa or spermatic filaments. 



The seminal granules are rounded colourless cor- 

 puscles, having a granular aspect. They have an average 

 diameter of about ^^th of an inch, and may 1)6 allied 

 to mucus-coiimscles. 



The Spermatic filaments or Corpuscles (Spermatozoa, 

 . 1 spemiatic animalcules.) are peculiar microscopic bodies 

 * \ which constitute the essential element for fecunda- 

 \ tion of the ovum. During life, and for some houi-s after 



being removed from the testicle, they perform rapid 

 vibratoiy or lashing movements. Each consists of a flattened oval jjart or so- 

 called body, and of a long slender filiform tail. The body is about j^th of 

 an inch long and jQ^ggth broad, and the entii-e corpuscle is from g^th to ^th of 



