148 



STRUCTURE OF THE TESTICLE, ETC. 



Mercury will pass into these vessels from the excretory duct 

 of the testicle ; and hy means of an injection in that way, the 

 structure of the testicle can be unraveled. 



This structure is as follows : the cavity formed by the tunica 

 albuginea is divided into a number of apartments by the very 

 thin septa or partitions above mentioned. The filamentary or 

 tubular matter which fills each of these chambers, consists of a 

 seminiferous duct convoluted .so as to form a lobule. Three 

 hundred of these, according to Monro, may be counted in each 

 testicle : from each one proceeds a number of small tubes or 

 vessels, which observe a straight course : they are, therefore, 

 called Vasa Recta. These vasa recta unite with each other 

 and form a net-work on the back of the testis, within the tunica 

 albuginea, which is called Rete Testis. Fig. 159.* 



From this net-work other vessels, from 

 twelve to eighteen in number, de- 

 nominated Vasa Efferentia, proceed 

 through the albuginea to the epididy- 

 mis. These vessels are convoluted in 

 such a manner as to form bundles 

 of a conical form, which are called 

 Coni Vasculosi. The number of these 

 corresponds with the number of the 

 vasa efferentia, and they compose about 

 one-third of the epididymis, viz. all the 

 upper part of it. The single tubes 

 which form each of these cones, succes- 

 sively unite into one duct, which is con- 

 voluted so as to form all the remainder 

 of the epididymis and is turned up- 

 wards on the back of the testicle ; the 

 tube gradually enlarges and is less convoluted, and finally becomes 



* Anatomy of the testis. 1, 1. The tunica albuginea. 2, 2. The medias- 

 tinum testis. 3, 3. The lobuli testis. 4, 4. The vasa recta. 5, 5. The rete, 

 testis. 6. The vasa efferentia. of which five only are represented in this dia- 

 gram. 7. The coni vasculosi. constituting the globus major of the epididymis. 

 8. The body of the epididymis. 9. The globus minor of the epididymis. 

 10. The vas deferens. 11. The vasculum aberrans. 



