THE PENIS. 87 



perficialis abdominis. Posteriorly, it is lost insensibly on the 

 fascia of the thighs, covering the adductor muscles. At its ori- 

 gin it is occasionally furnished with muscular fibres; one strong- 

 ly marked instance of which has been presented to me indny 

 own dissections. 



The Corpus Cavernosum of the penis, forms by much the 

 most considerable portion of the whole organ. Externally, it is 

 a white fibrous membrane, of a dense structure, enjoying exten- 

 sibility and an extreme degree of contractility. Its external 

 fibres pass, for the most part, longitudinally, except about the 

 root, where they are blended with the periosteum of the bone, 

 and with the tendons of the muscles. This coat of the penis is 

 occasionally called its elastic ligament. It arises by two conical 

 crura, from the internal face of the crura of the pubes and ischia, 

 to within a little distance of the anterior part of the tuber ischii. 

 At the lower part of the symphysis pubis these crura join and 

 form a body; which, when stripped of its connexions, resembles 

 two cylinders united, lying alongside of each other; and which 

 terminate in common, anteriorly, by a truncated cone, covered 

 obliquely by the glans. At the posterior part of the corpus ca- 

 vernosum, in its centre, there is a septum, almost complete, also 

 of the same elastic substance, which separates the two halves 

 from each other; but, anteriorly, this septum is more imperfect, 

 having an arrangement like the teeth of a comb, whence the 

 term Septum Pectiniforme has been given it. This septum is 

 continued at its margins into a layer of circular fibres, consti- 

 tuting the internal coat of the corpus cavernosum. 



In the middle of the corpus cavernosum, above, is a longitudi- 

 nal depression for lodging the veins of the penis, and, in the same 

 manner, there is another below, for the corpus spongiosum ure- 

 thras. The cavity of this membrane is filled by a spongy tis- 

 sue, that arises from its internal face, and is formed of filaments 

 and little laminae; they, by crossing each other, make a multitude 

 of cells, which have a perfectly free communication with one 

 another, and generally are somewhat occupied by blood. A fine 

 injection through the artery of the corpus cavernosum will fill 

 these cells and return through the veins ; from which cause the 

 cells may be considered as intermediate to the two orders of 



