THE SEXUAL ORGANS. 233 



to the prostate, whose plexus — plexus prostaticus — receives ad- 

 ditions also from the vesical and inferior pelvic plexuses. 



The prostate, according to my observations, is a very mus- 

 cular organ, so much so, that the glandular substance does not 

 constitute more than one third or a half of the whole mass. 

 Proceeding from within to without, there is presented in inti- 

 mate connexion with the thin mucous membrane, the epithelium 

 of which is always in two layers, though possessing a superficial 

 lamella composed of cylindrical cells, a yellowish longitudinally 

 fibrous layer, which extends from the trigonum vesica to the 

 caput gallinaginis, is, in fact, unconnected with the muscles of 

 the bladder, and is composed, in equal proportions, of con- 

 nective tissue with elastic fibres, and of smooth muscles. To 

 this succeeds a strong layer of circular fibres of a similar struc- 

 ture, continuous with the sphincter vesica, extending as far as 

 the caput gallinaginis, and which I term the sphincter prostata. 

 Beyond these different muscular layers, we come at last to the 

 proper glandular tissue of the prostate, which consequently 

 occupies, principally, the more external portions of the organ, 

 although it is true that isolated lobules encroach upon the cir- 

 cular fibres ; its numerous excretory ducts penetrate the lon- 

 gitudinal and transverse fibres, and open on both sides of the 

 caput gallinaginis. The latter consists of a greyish-red, tole- 

 rably dense substance, which may be very readily split into 

 fibres in the direction of the transverse diameter of the organ, 

 or more accurately described, radiates on all sides of the upper 

 surface of the organ, and is composed, in the first place, of 

 variously-sized bundles of evidently smooth muscle, and se- 

 condly of the glands of the prostate. The latter are 30 — 50 

 compound, racemose glands, whose aggregate form is conical 

 or pyriform, and which are distinguished from the usual kind 

 of racemose glands by their more lax structure, their evident 

 composition of numerous, pedunculate, glandular vesicles, and 

 the slight development of the extremely minute glandular 

 lobules, a condition which is partly connected with the abun- 

 dant fibrous tissue interposed between the glandular elements. 

 The glandular vesicles are pyriform or roundish, 0'05 — 0\L'" in 

 size, and lined with polygonal or short, cylindrical epithelial 

 cells, 0*004 — 0-005"' long, with brown pigment granules; 

 whilst in the excretory ducts, the same cylinders are met with 

 as exist in the prostatic portion of the urethra. The secretion 



