602 SCROTUM. SPERMATIC CORD. 



the anus. Of these two lateral portions the left is somewhat longer 

 than the right, and corresponds with the greater length of the sper- 

 matic cord on the left side. 



The scrotum is composed of two layers, the integument, and a proper 

 covering, the dartos ; the integument is extremely thin, transparent, 

 and abundant, and beset by a number of hairs which issue obliquely 

 from the skin, and have prominent roots. The dartos is a thin layer 

 of contractile fibrous tissue, intermediate in properties between muscu- 

 lar fibre and elastic tissue ; it forms the proper tunic of the scrotum, 

 and sends inwards a distinct septum (septum scroti), which divides it 

 into two cavities for the two testes. The dartos is continuous around 

 the base of the scrotum with the common superficial fascia of the ab- 

 domen and perineum. 



The SPERMATIC CORD is the medium of communication between the 

 testes and the interior of the abdomen ; it is composed of arteries, 

 veins, lymphatics, nerves, the excretory duct of the testicle and invest- 

 ing tunics. It commences at the internal abdominal ring, where the 

 vessels of which it is composed converge, and passes obliquely along 

 the spermatic canal ; the cord then escapes at the external abdominal 

 ring and descends through the scrotum to the posterior border of the 

 testicle. The left cord is somewhat longer than the right, and per- 

 mits the left testicle to reach a lower level than its fellow. 



The Arteries of the spermatic cord are the SDermatic artery from the 

 aorta ; the deferential artery, accompanying the vas deferens, from the 

 superior vesical ; and the cremasteric branch from the epigastric artery. 

 The spermatic veins form a plexu^pwhich constitutes the chief bulk of 

 the cord ; they are provided with valves at short intervals, and the 

 smaller veins have a peculiar tendril-like arrangement which has ob- 

 tained for them the name of v^^janjpiniformia. The lymphatics are 

 of large size, and terminate in the lumbar glands. The nerves are the 

 spermatic plexus, which is derived from the aortic and renal plexus, 

 the genital branch of the genito-crural nerve, and the scrotal branch of 

 the ilio- scrotal. 



The Fas deferens, the excretory duct of the testicle, is situated along 

 the posterior border of the cord, where it may easily be distinguished 

 by the hard and cordy sensation which it communicates to the fingers. 

 Its parietes are very thick and tough, and its canal extremely small 

 and lined by the mucous membrane continued from the urethra. 



The Coverings of the spermatic cord are the spermatic fascia, cre- 

 master muscle, and fascia propria. The spermatic fascia is a prolonga- 

 tion of the intercolumnar fascia, derived from the borders of the exter- 

 nal abdominal ring during the descent of the testicle in the foetus. 

 The cremasteric covering (erythroid) is the thin muscular expansion 

 formed by the spreading out of the fibres of the cremaster, which is 

 likewise carried down by the testis during its descent. The fascia 

 propria is a continuation of the infundibiliform process from the trans- 

 versalis fascia which immediately invests the vessels of the cord, and 

 is also obtained during the descent of the testis. 



