ACCESSORY GLANDS 01* THE GENITAL APPARATUS* 



597 



ACCESSORY GLANDS OF THE GENITAL APPARATUS. 

 (prostate, vesicul^ seminales, cowper's glands.) 



Inflammatory or other diseases of the ahove glands are most fre- 

 quent in entire animals. As a group they are uncommon, and are 

 still ill-recognised and ill-described, being seldom identified except on 

 post-mortem examination. 



The cause of inflammation of the prostate, of the vesicula semi- 

 nales, and of Cowper's glands is probably an ascending infection of 

 the urethra and neighbour- 

 ing channels, a fact which 

 explains the comparative 

 rarity of such conditions in 

 castrated animals. 



The pathogenic germs 

 penetrate from the urethra 

 into the excretory ducts of 

 the glands, obtain a lodg- 

 ment in the culs-de-sac of 

 the glands themselves, and 

 thus produce simple or sup- 

 purative inflammation. 



The symptoms may 

 easily be mistaken, to some 

 extent at least, for those of 

 acute cystitis or cystitis due 

 to the presence of a cal- 

 culus, and it is only by 

 rectal examination that the 

 diagnosis can be made. 



The first symptom is defective micturition, which occurs in jets, 

 is intermittent and painful, and sometimes causes slight groaning. 

 It is accompanied by vesical colic, spasmodic lifting of the hind legs, 

 and more or less unsuccessful expulsive efl'orts. 



These symptoms are of reflex or mechanical origin, and are due 

 either to direct compression of the urethra by an hypertrophied and 

 inflamed gland, or to spasm of the vesical sphincter. The urine 

 passed, unlike that in cases of acute cystitis or in cystitis due to 

 calculus, is of a normal character. Rectal examination usually re- 

 veals distention of the bladder, and hypertrophy and exceptional sen- 

 sitiveness at certain points. 



If the painful and hypertrophied area is over the neck of the 



Fig. 241. — View of Cowper's gland and of its com- 

 pressing muscles. (After Cocu.) 1, Cowper's 

 gland ; 2, compressing muscle ; 3, accelerator 

 urinse muscle turned back to expose the gland ; 

 4, sphincter of the urethra. 



