982 



TESTICLE (NORMAL ANATOMY). 



divide and inosculate in the cord, forming a 

 plexus termed vasa pampiniformia. These 

 communications cease as the veins approach 

 the ring, which they enter, and ascending 

 along wtth the psoas muscle in company with 

 the spermatic artery, unite to form a single 

 vein which usually terminates on the right 

 side in the vena cava inferior, and on the left, 

 in the renal vein ; though this is subject to 

 some variety. The left spermatic veins pass 

 under the sigmoid flexure of the colon. Many 

 anatomists speak of the spermatic veins as 

 being destitute of valves, which they assign 

 as one of the reasons for the occurrence of 

 varicocele. I have several times injected these 

 veins with alcohol, and on laying them open 

 have observed valves in the larger vessels, 

 and I have also found injections thrown into 

 the veins arrested by the valves. They are 

 seldom seen, however, very near the testicle, 

 or in the smaller veins forming the plexus ; 

 nor have 1 observed them within the ab- 

 domen. 



Absorbents. The absorbent vessels of the 

 testicle are very numerous, and arise from 

 every part of its internal structure and coats. 

 They unite to form four or five trunks, which 

 ascend along the cord, and traverse the in- 

 guinal canal, without communicating with the 

 glands in the groin, but pass upwards in front 

 of the psoas muscle, behind the peritoneum, 

 and terminate in the lumbar glands on the 

 side of the aorta. 



Nerves. The nerves of the testicle are 

 derived chiefly from the renal plexus, but 

 partly also from the superior mesenteric and 

 aortic plexuses. These nerves descend in 

 company with the spermatic artery to the 

 cord, where, being joined by branches from 

 the hypogastric plexus, which pass along the 

 vas deterens, they form together the spermatic 

 plexus, the branches of which are intermingled 

 with the vessels of the cord, and ultimately 

 terminate in the substance of the testicle. 

 A few twigs from the external spermatic 

 nerve may also be traced to the coverings of 

 the gland. 



The Testicle in the Foetus, and its Passage 

 into the Scrotum. The testicles are first de- 

 veloped and situated in the abdomen. They 

 originate from the lower part of the corpora 

 Wolffiana, and may be detected at an early 

 period of foetal existence immediately below 

 the kidneys on the forepart of the psoas 

 muscles, to which they are attached by a 

 reflexion of peritoneum. This membrane 

 closely invests the testicles in the same man- 

 ner as it covers the other abdominal viscera. 

 The position of the testicle in the abdomen 

 is nearly the same as it maintains after its 

 passage into the scrotum. The epididymis, 

 however, is relatively of a larger size than in 

 the adult, being about one-third that of the 

 body of the organ. Attached to each testicle 

 whilst in the abdomen is a peculiar bod}', 

 which was termed by Mr. Hunter, who first 

 described it, the gubemaculum, as it was sup- 

 posed to serve as a guide to the testicle in its 

 passage. It is a soft solid projecting body 



of a conical form, which varies somewhat in 

 shape and size at different periods of transi- 

 tion of the testes, becoming shorter and 

 thicker as the gland approaches the abdo- 

 minal ring. It is situated in front of the psoas 

 muscle, to which it is connected by a reflexion 

 of peritoneum. Its upper part is attached 

 to the inferior extremity of the testicle, lower 

 end of the epididymis, and commencement 

 of the vas deferens. The lower part of this 

 process passes out of the abdomen at the 

 abdominal ring, and diminishing in substance 

 and spreading, terminates in three processes, 

 each of which has a distinct attachment. The 

 central part and bulk of the gubemaculum is 

 composed of a soft, transparent, gelatinous 

 substance, which, on examination by the mi- 

 croscope, is found to consist of nucleated 

 cells, the primitive areolar tissue : this central 

 mass is surrounded by a layer of well-deve- 

 loped muscular fibres, which may be distin- 

 guished by the naked eye, and which can be 

 very distinctly recognised in the microscope 

 to be composed of striped elementary fibres. 

 These muscular fibres, which may be traced 

 the whole way from the ring to the testicle, 

 are surrounded by a layer of the soft elements 

 of the areolar tissue, similar to that composing 

 the central mass ; and, in the same way as the 

 testicle, the whole process, except at its pos- 

 terior part, is invested with peritoneum. On 

 carefully laying open the inguinal canal, and 

 gently drawing up the gubemaculum, the 

 muscular fibres may be traced to the three 

 processes, which are attached as follows : the 

 external and broadest is connected to Pou- 

 part's ligament in the inguinal canal; the 

 middle forms a lengthened band which escapes 

 at the external abdominal ring, and passes to 

 the bottom of the scrotum, where it joins the 

 dartos ; the internal takes the direction in- 

 wards, and has a firm attachment to the os 

 pubis and sheath of the rectus muscle. Be- 

 sides these, a number of muscular fibres are 

 reflected from the internal oblique on the front 

 of the gubemaculum. It thus appears, that 

 the attachments of the muscle of the guber- 

 naculum, and those of the cremaster in the 

 adult are exactly similar. I have succeeded 

 in tracing out the former before the testicle 

 has moved from its original position, at dif- 

 ferent stages of the process of transition, and 

 immediately after its completion ; and of the 

 identity of the two muscles no doubt can be 

 entertained. Carus was of opinion that the 

 cremaster does not exist before the transition 

 of the testicle ; but that it is formed mecha- 

 nically, by the testicle pushing before it the 

 lower fibres of the internal oblique, so as to 

 form the loops of this muscle.* This view 

 which has been adopted by M. Jules Cloquet, 

 and after him by many of the anatomists of 

 this country, is erroneous and inaccurate.f 

 The vessels of the testicle in the foetus 



* Compartive Anatomy, by Gore, vol. 2. p. 347. 



f Vide Obervations on the Structure of the Gu- 

 bernaculum, and on the Descent of the Testis in 

 the Foetus, by the author, in Lond. Medical Gazette, 

 April 10. 1841, or in the Lancet, of the same date. 



