THE ABDOMEN. 245 



mucous membrane lining tlie prej)uce is darkened bj pig- 

 ment, and presents many glands, cjlandulce odoriferce, which 

 secrete a peculiar unctuous lubricating matter. It is con- 

 tinuous with that of the glans penis. Between it and the 

 skin is a layer of yellow elastic tissue, reflected from the 

 faschia superficialis abdominis, which, forming a sling be- 

 neath the anterior part of the penis, is termed the suspensory 

 ligament. From the central part of the under surface of 

 symphysis pubis a fibrous ligament extends, composed 

 of two diverging portions, one of which runs to either 

 side of corpus cayernosum ; this is the triangular ligament 

 of the penis, between its two parts runs a vein. This organ 

 serves to direct into the vagina of the female the semen or 

 tnale fecundating fl.uid. Semen is produced by certain organs, 

 testes or testicles, which are suspended from the upper part 

 of the abdominal cavity in certain special cavities, vaginal 

 cavities, situated at the posterior lateral and inferior part 

 of the belly. These cavities are covered by layers con- 

 tinuous with those of the floor of the abdomen which form 

 the 



Scrotum, or "jji^r^e," situated just behind the sheath, which 

 presents externally a layer of thin skin, along the central 

 line of which running from before backwards is an irregu- 

 lar ridge or raphe. This covers the dartos muscle, com- 

 posed of unstriated muscular fibres, continuous with faschia 

 superficialis abdominis, which throws across the cavity a 

 septum (septum scroti), whereby the right scrotal cavity 

 is separated from the left. It is contraction of this 

 which causes corrugation of the scrotum under the in- 

 fluence of cold, by means of the inter collumnar faschia 

 (derived from obliquus abdominis externus), its inner sur- 

 face is attached to the cremasteric faschia. 



The cremaster muscle is but a portion of the internal 

 oblique of the abdomen. Arising from the psoas faschia, 

 or from the antero-inferior spinous process of the ilium, it 

 passf s through the inguinal canal and the external abdo- 

 minal ring, externally situated to the spermatic cord, and 

 on approaching the scrotum its fibres form a species of 

 sling serving to support the testis. To this portion the 

 name cremasteric faschia is applied, and its internal surface 

 is connected by the infundihuliform faschia (occasionally 

 connected with transversalis abdominis) to the external 

 surface of tunica vaginalis scroti or propria, a continuation 



