On the Sarcocele of Egypt. 291 
symptoms, more or less apparent, of elephantiasis. The 
subject of a case at the end of this memoir is a striking ex- 
ample. All these causes produce their effects on the cellular 
membrane and skin of the scrotum, as being most disposed 
to the attacks of psoric and similar complaints: its laxity, 
its innumerable mucous crypta, and the little sensibility it 
is endued with, predispose it to tumefaction; the vessels 
first are surcharged, become weakened in their tone, the 
scrotum enlarges, and at the same time acquires a density 
like that of the placenta. The testicle preserves its form 
and health, but soon ceases to be distinguished, except at 
the posterior part of the tumour, which continues to in- 
crease in every direction, but particularly downwards. The 
cellular membrane thickens as well as the envelupes of the 
testicle; and the skin also augments in density and size. 
The integument which covers the pubis, the inguina, the 
penis, and the nates, contributes gradually to form the 
enormous tumour which is produced; thus the skin co- 
vered with hair, which protects the pubis, descends consi- 
derably below that region. The extremity of the prepuce 
presents itself in the form of a sort of navel-on the anterior 
surface of the tumour. The urine flows down from the 
aperture without being projected. The external surface of 
this fleshy mass becomes rugous and scaly; it retains but 
little: warmth, and the superficial veins are considerably en- 
larged. Sarcocele may increase to almost any size: a case 
related in the German Ephemeris weighed more than two 
hundred weight. The case of a fellah (agricultor) of Upper 
Egypt, which [ shall hereafter relate, was considered to 
weigh one hundred pounds. I have seen in different parts 
of Egypt ten or twelve different.cases. If these tumours are 
dissected, they seem composed of a dense (cowenneuse) sub- 
stauce, with little vascularity, and harder in some paris than 
in others; these have but little sensibility, and when cut 
do not give much pain. This I was able to remark on ex- 
tirpating a commencing sarcocele in a cook of the Capus 
chin convent at Cairo. At the School of Medicine at 
Paris, there is a model of a sarcoccle, which was not extir- 
pated, but the dissection after death confirms this descrip- 
tion. The testicles. were sound, and the tumour was 
formed by their membranes, then preternaturally distended. 
An old man, at Cairo, consulted me for an enormous 
sarcocele which he had had for twenty years, the size of 
which obliged him to keep his bed. Anxiety to be relieved 
had impelled him to consult the physicians of his country, 
who had exhausted their efforts in vain. Cautery, caustics, 
T2 incisions, 
