232 SPECIAL HISTOLOGY. 



81), the vas deferens within the pelvis is surrounded by 

 numerous, but fine nerves, which are in connexion with those 

 of the lateral and median, vesical and rectal nerves, as well as 

 with those of the hypogastric plexuses. I have myself also seen 

 these nerves, which contain fine fibres, and " fibres of Remak," 

 but have been unable to trace them in the interior. 



The structure of the ejaculatory ducts and vesicula seminales 

 appears to be the same as that of the vasa defer -entia ; the 

 seminal vesicles, as is well known, being nothing more than 

 appendages of the latter, furnished with wart-like, saccular, or 

 even branched processes. The ejaculatory ducts, in their upper 

 portions, present the same muscular structure as the spermatic 

 canal, only that their walls are more delicate. As they ap- 

 proach the prostate, their membranes become still thinner; 

 but nevertheless, even at the ultimate extremity, exhibit mus- 

 cular fibres, mixed with a considerable quantity of connective 

 tissue and elastic fibrils. The walls of the vesicula seminales 

 are much thinner than those of the vas deferens, although they 

 possess the same structure, except that the manifestly vascular 

 mucous membrane is furnished throughout with reticular 

 fossae. Externally, the vesicula seminales are invested with a 

 membrane, in part composed solely of connective tissue, in 

 part, as on the posterior surface, distinctly muscular, which 

 is continued between the separate convolutions of its canal, 

 connecting them together ; and, at the inferior end, passes 

 from one vesicula seminalis to the other, in the form of a broad 

 muscular band. The contents of the vesicula seminales are, 

 normally, a clear, rather viscid fluid, which after death acquires 

 a soft gelatinous consistence, though subsequently it becomes 

 perfectly fluid; it contains a protein-compound very readily 

 soluble in acetic acid and which is obviously identical with 

 that contained in the ejaculated semen. With many other 

 observers, I have so frequently seen spermatic filaments in the 

 vesicula seminales, that I should describe their occurrence there 

 as normal, and assign a double function to the seminal vesicles ; 

 together with its principal one, of affording a special secretion, 

 that of also performing the part of seminal receptacles. The 

 nerves of the vesicula seminales are derived from the sympathetic, 

 and spinal cord, immediately from the rich plexus seminalis, the 

 filaments of which, in part, penetrate the membranes of the 

 vesicles, though they cannot be traced further, in part proceed 



