540 SCROTUM SPERMATIC CORD. 



of the deep perineal fascia, where they ramify in two small tabulated and 

 somewhat compressed glands, of about the size of peas. These are Cow- 

 per's glands ; they are situated immediately beneath the membranous por 

 tion of the urethra, and are enclosed by the lower segment of the com- 

 pressor urethrse muscle, so as to be subject to muscular compression. 

 Upon the whole of the internal surface of the spongy portion of the urethra, 

 particularly along its upper wall, are numerous small openings or lacunae, 

 which are the apertures of mucous glands situated in the submucous areo- 

 lar tissue. The openings of these lacunae are directed forwards, and are 

 liable occasionally to intercept the point of a small catheter in its passage 

 into the bladder. At about an inch and a half from the opening of the 

 meatus, one of these lacuna? is generally found much larger than the rest, 

 and is named the lacuna magna. In a preparation of this lacuna, made 

 by Sir Astley Cooper, the extremity of the canal presents several large 

 primary ramifications. 



TESTES. 



The testes are two small glandular organs suspended from the abdomen 

 by the spermatic cords, and enclosed in an external tegumentary covering, 

 the scrotum. 



The SCROTUM is distinguished into two lateral halves or hemispheres 

 by a raphe, which is continued anteriorly along the under surface of the 

 penis, and posteriorly along the middle line of the perineum to the anus. 

 Of these two lateral portions the left is somewhat longer than the right, 

 and corresponds with the greater length of the spermatic 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 muscular fibre and elastic 

 tissue ; it forms the proper tunic of the scrotum, and sends inwards a dis- 

 tinct septum (septum scrotij, 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 abdomen 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 investing 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 some- 

 what longer than the right, and permits the left testicle to reach a lower 

 level than its fellow. 



The Arteries of the spermatic cord are, the spermatic 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 plexus, which 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 obtained for them 

 trie name of vasa pampiniformia. The lymphatics are of large size, and 

 terminate in the lumbar glands. The nerves are the spermatic plexus, 



