iv THE GENERATIVE SYSTEM OF THE MALE 131 



Their epithelial cells are secretory like those of the deferent 

 duct. They serve as canals to convey into the urethra the 

 spermatic secretion, as well as the secretion from the epididymis, 

 the vas deferens, and the vesiculae seminales. 



Budge described peristaltic movements in the deferent duct 

 of the rabbit and cat. These observations were confirmed by 

 L. Tick, who saw, however, in the dog, instead of peristalsis, a 

 diffuse contraction along the whole of the canal. In respect to 

 the deferent duct of man, let 

 us record an observation made 

 conjointly by Kolliker and 

 Virchow in 1852 on a man 

 who had been executed. Elec- 

 trical stimulation produced a 

 strong contraction without 

 peristalsis. But this does not 

 exclude, according to Exner, 

 the probability that in man 

 also, under normal conditions 

 the deferent duct and the 

 ejaculatory duct empty them- 

 selves by peristalsis. He is 

 certain that when one experi- 



ments with the isolated defer- 

 ent duct the mere cooling of 

 it occasions a very great con- 

 traction of the canal, which 

 prevents observation of the 

 peristaltic contractions. 



With isolated vasa defer- 

 entia of the rabbit and cat in 



Warm Ringer's Solution, Nagel FlG . 27 ._ Se ction through the beginning of the vas 



(1905) Was able tO Observe deferens. (Klein.) a, epithelium; 6, tunica 



' , propria and submucosa ; cde, internal, middle, 



accurately the response to and external strata of the muscular coat; /, 



!-.<. j I'll.' fasciculi of the internal eremaster muscle; g, 



electric and mechanical stimu- section of biood-vessei. 



lation, and sudden warming 



and cooling. The result of all his observations is that the 



contraction of the entire canal, without any sign of progressive 



contractile waves, is the only effect to be seen on artificial 



"stimulation. 



The structure of the ampulla of the vas defereus is essentially 

 similar to that of the vesicula seminalis, which is a lateral diverti- 

 culum in the form of a little sack placed immediately under the 

 ampulla, before this is continued into the ejaculatorij duct. The 

 volume of the vesicula seminalis varies with age and with the 

 degree of its fulness; its capacity is 1'5 to 2'5 c.c. The vesicula 

 is in the form of a tube 10-12 cm. long, with a blind end, from 



