1420 



VESICULA PROSTATICA. 



each other ; or it is even, as Weber found it, Ruminantia. In the Llama, which pos- 



completely closed. In the same manner sesses a heart-shaped parenchymatous pro- 



Gurlt found that the Weberian organ, instead state, I have been unable to find either a 



of opening by a special aperture, sometimes median, single, opening into the commencement 



communicated with one or other of the eja- of the uro-genital canal, or a Weberian organ, 



dilatory ducts. The lower end of the tube But, on the other hand, one finds a very dis- 



is considerably dilated for a length of 1 to tinct rudiment in the new-born male deer.* 



3 inches. Above, this dilated part gene- Here it courses as a single cord-like thread 



rally passes into a narrow cylinder, which in the peritoneal fold between the two eja- 



Fig. 878. 



Weberian Organ of the Ass (reduced in size .) 

 a, a, vasa deferentia, with the seminal vesicles, b, b ; c, Weberian organ. 



sometimes attains a length of 5 to 7 inches, 

 and then divides into two short and usually 

 unequal horns. Not unfrequently this upper 

 part is, as was observed by Leydig and seen by 

 myself, a simple solid thread. In the instance 

 described by Weber the cavity was altogether 

 'absent ; and an absence of the whole Webe- 

 rian organ has been observed by Leydig. 



In the male ass I have also seen a very con* 

 derable Weberian organ (Jig. 878), the existence 

 of which I was first made aware of by Berg* 

 mann. It is here a straight canal, four and a 

 half inches long, which ascends in the peri- 

 toneal fold between the two ejaculatory ducts, 

 and divides at its extremity into two, much 

 wider, horns. These have blind ends, and a 

 length on the right side of 5, on the left of 9, 

 lines. There is no opening into the uro- 

 genital canal, but the lower end has a vesi- 

 cular dilatation of four lines in length, and 

 is separated by a longitudinal fold into two 

 blind sacs lying close behind, each other. 



culatory ducts until finally it bifurcates at 

 about an inch from the place of their inser- 

 tion. It is only during the earlier stage of 

 embryonic life that I have been able to find 

 a cavity and its opening: in the new-born in- 

 dividual the Weberian organ is already ob- 

 literated and solid. Some larger and smaller 

 hydatidous vesicles which are found in its 

 course, and especially at the site of its bifur- 

 cation, are the only relics of this its earlier 

 condition. 



The same form of Weberian organ is re- 

 peated in the goat ; but its development seems 

 here to be very variable. 1 examined a large 

 number of genitals, which had been preserved 

 some time in spirit. In all; the Weberian 

 organ was of considerable size and develop- 

 ment. Nevertheless I have reasons for the 

 conjecture that this is not the rule, and that 



* See my description in the Gb'ttingische Gelehrte 

 Anzeige, 1848, No. 17 -L 



