238 



OPERATIVE TECHNIQUE. 



Supernumerary testicles are said to have been seen in horses and 

 mules. Cox found three testicles in a certain horse, and Oliver as 

 many as four in a mule. The accuracy of these observations may, 

 however, be questioned, as a thorough description of the supernumerary 

 organs is wanting, and one cannot help thinking that these were cases 

 of mistaken diagnosis. 



The significance of all these conditions is self-evident. Both anor- 

 chidism and defective development of both testicles make the animal 

 useless for stud purposes. The same is usually also true of cryptor- 



he section is 

 rill" to the 



Fig. 250. — Section through the walls of the left inguinal canal, 

 through a line drawn from the centre of the lower abdomina 

 antero-external angle of the ilium. 



s. Skin. C.T. Connective tissue and fascia beneath the dartos. T.D. Tunica 

 dartos. a.o.a.e. Aponeurosis of the obliquus abdominis externus muscle. 

 .\.L. Anterior lip of the lower abdominal ring. p.l. Posterior lip of the lower 

 abdominal ring. i.e. Inguinal canal and its contained connective tissue. 

 0..\.I. Obliquus abdominis internus muscle. .\.T..\. Aponeurosis of the trans- 

 verse abdominal muscle. p. Peritoneum. P. I,. Poupart's ligament. F.T. 

 Fascia of the thigh. c..\. Crural arch. e.i. E.xternal angle of the ilium. 



chismus, for testicles when retained in the abdominal cavity are 

 generally atrophic, lax, and either contain degenerated spermatozoa or 

 none at all ; on the other hand, retained testicles sometimes yield 

 abundance of spermatozoa. The question of the fertility of cryptor- 

 chids was first raised by Gurlt when studying the function of the 

 spermatozoa ; his experiments seem to deny fertilising power under 

 such circumstances, for he was unable to discover spermatozoa in the 

 retained testicle. Since then the same question has been variously 



