742 MALE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 



convolutions, the body and globus minor of the epididymis. "When the convolu- 

 tions of this tube are unravelled, it measures upwards of twenty feet in length, 

 and increases in breadth and thickness as it approaches the vas deferens. The 

 convolutions are held together by fine areolar tissue, and by bands of fibrous 

 tissue. A long narrow tube, the vasculum aberrans of Haller, is occasionally found 

 connected with the lower part of the canal of the epididymis, or with the com- 

 mencement of the vas deferens, and extending up into the cord for about two or 

 three inches, where it terminates by a blind extremity, which is occasionally 

 bifurcated. Its length varies from an inch and a half to fourteen inches, and 

 sometimes it becomes dilated towards its extremity ; more commonly, it retains 

 the same diameter throughout. Its structure is similar to that of the vas deferens. 

 Occasionally, it is found unconnected with the epididymis. 



VAS DEFEEENS. The Vas Deferens, the excretory duct of the testis, is the 

 continuation of the epididymis. Commencing at the lower part of the globus 

 minor, it ascends along the posterior and inner side of the testis and epididymis, 

 and along the back part of the spermatic cord, through the spermatic canal, to the 

 internal abdominal ring. From the ring it descends into the pelvis, crossing the 

 external iliac vessels, and curves round the outer side of the epigastric artery ; at 

 the side of the bladder, it arches backwards and downwards to its base, crossing 

 outside the obliterated hypogastric artery, and to the inner side of the ureter. At 

 the base of the bladder, it lies between it and the rectum, running along the inner 

 border of the vesicula seminalis. In this situation, it becomes enlarged and sac- 

 culated ; and, becoming narrowed, at the base of the prostate, unites with the duct 

 of the vesicula seminalis to form the ejaculatory duct. The vas deferens presents 

 a hard and cordy sensation to the fingers, is about two feet in length, of cylin- 

 drical form, and about a line and a quarter in diameter. Its walls are of extreme 

 density and thickness, measuring one-third of a line ; and its canal is extremely 

 small, measuring about half a line. 



In structure, the vas deferens consists of three coats ; an external or cellular 

 coat ; a muscular coat, which is thick, dense, elastic, and consists of two longitu- 

 dinal layers, and an intermediate circular layer of muscular fibres, and an internal 

 or mucous coat, which is pale, and arranged in longitudinal plica3 : its epithelial 

 covering is of the columnar variety. 



Vessels and Nerves of the Testes. The arteries supplying the coverings of the 

 testes are the superficial and deep external pudic from the femoral ; the superficial 

 perineal branch of the internal pudic, and the cremasteric branch from the epi- 

 gastric. The veins follow the course of the corresponding arteries. The lymphatics 

 terminate in the inguinal glands. The nerves are the ilio-inguinal and ilio- 

 hypogastric branches of the lumbar plexus, the two superficial perineal branches 

 of the internal pudic nerve, the inferior pudenal branch of the small sciatic nerve, 

 and the genital branch of the genito-crural nerve. 



SPEEMATIC COED. The Spermatic Cord extends from the internal abdominal 

 ring, where the structures of which it is composed converge, to the back part of 

 the testicle. It is composed of arteries, veins, lymphatics, nerves, and the excre- 

 tory duct of the testicle, connected together by areolar tissue, and invested by its 

 proper coverings. In the abdominal wall, it passes obliquely along the inguinal 

 canal, lying at first beneath the Internal oblique, and upon the fascia transversalis ; 

 but, nearer the pubes, it rests upon Poupart's ligament, having the aponeurosis 

 of the External oblique in front of it, and the conjoined tendon behind it. It then 

 escapes at the external ring, and descends nearly vertically into the scrotum. The 

 left cord is rather longer than the right, consequently the left testis hangs some- 

 what lower than its fellow. 



The arteries of the cord are the spermatic, from the aorta ; the artery of the 

 vas deferens, from the superior vesical ; and the cremasteric, from the epigastric 

 artery. 



The spermatic artery supplies the testicle. On approaching this gland, some 

 branches supply the epididymis, others perforate the tunica albuginea behind, and 



