THE TESTES. 653 



convoluted coni vasculosi, presenting an arched form, the 

 larger end of which is above, and called the globus major; 

 the lower end is the globus minor, while the intermediate 

 portion constitutes the body. 



The epididymis can be unraveled into a single conro- 

 luted tube, having an estimated measure of twenty-one 

 feet, and receiving at intervals of about three inches the 

 coni vasculosi. At the lower part of the epididymis this 

 tube is less convoluted, and ends in the vas defer ens, the 

 excretory duct of the testicle. 



The vas deferens is a large tube of cartilaginous density, 

 proceeding from the globus minor to the vesiculae semi- 

 nales, and designed to conduct the semen into the latter 

 from the testis. It ascends parallel with the epididymis, 

 and above the head of the latter becomes one of the con- 

 stituents of the spermatic cord, along the back part of 

 which it ascends to the internal abdominal ring ; here it 

 leaves the vessels of the cord, and dipping into the pelvis, 

 is enclosed in the lateral fold of the peritoneum, along 

 which it proceeds to the side and inferior fundus of the 

 bladder, where it converges towards its fellow on the in- 

 side of the vesictilae seminales, at the angle of their junc- 

 tion, and at the base of the prostate each vas deferens joins 

 the corresponding duct of the vesiculas seminalis, forming 

 the ductus ejaculatorius , which passes through the prostate, 

 and opens into the urethra near the neck of the bladder 

 on the side of the caput gallinaginis. 



The vas deferens consists of two coats, an external, 

 which is thick, hard, and firm, and regarded as fibrous ; 

 the internal is thin, pale, and mucous. 



Just before the commencement of the vas deferens, a 

 second tube is seen to leave the epididymis and run for a 

 short distance parallel with the vas deferens, which it 

 either joins or ends in a cul-de-sac. It is called vasculum 

 aberrans (or blind duct) of Holler. 



The spermatic cord consists of the vas deferens just de- 

 scribed, the spermatic artery and veins, nerves, and lymph- 

 atics covered by cellular membrane, and the cremaster 



