VESICUL^E SEMINALES. 



H29 



saw it in the form of a single Icngish body 

 (3"'), between thevasa deferentia; in another 

 it continued upwards as a long solid cord, 

 which adhered by its bifurcate extremity to 

 the seminal ducts. In both cases it had a 

 distinct opening. The wide differences in the 

 development of the organ above mentioned, 

 are of rare occurrence. 



As regards the Sheep, the absence of the 

 \Veberian corpuscle in the perfect form has 

 been already stated. According to WaWgren, 

 however, such is the case (as in the Goat) in 

 isolated individuals only ; whilst in others, on 

 the contrary, a small purse-shaped body repre- 

 sents this organ. 



Wahlgren describes this organ as occurring 

 in the Bullock in the form of a flask-shaped 

 sac, 6-1'" long. That here also many va- 

 rieties occur (as pointed out by my observa- 

 tions), is evident, for in another (castrated) 

 animal it was present as a short uniform canal. 



Cetacea. In a young specimen of Delphmiis 

 dclphis (so labelled), I now find, as already 

 stated in regard to other species, two thick, cleft- 

 shaped, closely approximate pseudo-repre- 

 sentations of this organ. The examination of 

 the Halicorc ditgong was of particular interest 

 to me. This animal, belonging to the group 

 of herbivorous whales, possesses a Weberian 

 organ, having a small roundish (and bordered) 

 opening on the colliculus seminalis. Its form 

 and size cannot be accurately determined on 

 account of the condition of the preparation; 

 it appears, however, to be about an inch in 

 length, and in shape like a wide longish bottle. 



A peculiar structure here distinguishes the 

 commencing portion of the uro-genital canal. 

 Instead of exhibiting a direct continuation of 

 the urethra, it begins with a peculiarly wide 

 cavity, which is bent outwards like the belly 

 of a retort, and receives the urethra (under 

 wh'ch the large colliculus seminalis rises pro- 

 minently) on its hinder wall. I know of only 

 one male mammal that presents a similar 

 structure, viz. the Hedgehog ; nor in this case 

 s the disposition of parts so remarkable. 

 When, therefore, Wahlgren asserts that this 

 cavity at the commencement of the uro-genitul 

 canal in the Hedgehog is the Weberian organ, 

 he is in error ; as is proved by the co-exist- 

 ence of both of these peculiarities of struc- 

 ture in the Dugong. 



In reference to the morphological significa- 

 tion of the organ in question, Wahlgren com- 

 pletely agrees with me. He also views it as 

 the representation of the whole female sinus, 

 that is, the uterus and vagina taken together.* 

 We must not forget that, as we have already 

 observed, the latter of these two parts finds 



* Still more recently, on the contrary, Van Deen 

 affirms (Zeitschrift fiir wissenschaftl. Zoologie v. 

 Siebold und Kolliker, 1849, S.268.), also Betz (Miil- 

 ler's Archiv, 1850, S. 65.), that the Weberian organ 

 is exclusively the " uterus masculinus." We do 

 not here again enter into a critique of this view, and 

 must refer our readers to our former remarks. We 

 must mention, however, that the first of these arti- 

 cles contains very numerous errors, and many odd 

 hypotheses. 



a complete and general representation in this 

 organ. This especially applies to the simple 

 form of this organ, when it occurs as a mere 

 oval body without upward continuations of 

 the cornua ; and among others, to the human 

 utriculus, which, on that account, in the case 

 of an abnormal enlargement, becomes merely 

 a vagina. Steglehner has already remarked* 

 on this subject, that the so-called uterus cys- 

 todes of Ackermann's well-known hermaphro- 

 dite case (Art. HERMAPHRODITISM, Vol. II. 

 p. 709.), answered, not to the uterus, but the 

 vagina. I have been led to the same results 

 by the examination of a great number of 

 human hypospadiacs and hermaphrodites. A 

 true uterus, as in the single case of Mayerf , 

 is indeed only seldom found on such a va- 

 gina. The vasa deferentia pass constantly 

 on the anterior wall of this vagina, and open 

 near it in the uro-genital canal, like Gart- 

 ner's canals in the Ruminantia. They are 

 never connected with the vagina itself, as 

 Hyrtl has observed. 



(Rud. Leuckart.) 



VESICUL^E SEMINALES. These 

 are a pair of sacculated organs, peculiar to 

 the male, situated behind the bladder, be- 

 tween it and the rectum. In man they ap- 

 pear, externally, as multilocular cysts about 

 two inches in length and three quarters 

 of an inch in their greatest breadth. Their 

 shape is fusiform ; their larger ends diverging 

 from one another, and their smaller ends con- 

 verging so as almost to meet. These smaller 

 ends are surrounded by the prostate, and are 

 directed slantingly forwards, as well as down- 

 wards and inwards. Along their inner sides 

 pass the vasa deferentia, with which they 

 join, by a narrow outlet, at the base of the 

 prostate. 



The vesiculae are invested by a fascia de- 

 rived from the prostate, which can be removed 

 by careful dissection, and then they are found 

 to consist of a blind tube of about the calibre 

 of a small goose quill doubled upon itself 

 again and again, all the gyrations being held 

 together by cellular tissue, so as to give 

 the appearance of fusiform multilocular sacs. 

 A little careful maceration will enable the 

 anatomist to unravel these gyrations, when 

 each vesicula will sometimes be found to 

 be one simple caeca! tube about six or eight 

 inches long, or, more frequently, there will be 

 three or four caecal diverticular appendages to 

 the main tube, in which case the greatest 

 length (that of the central main tube) will be 

 very much less. This tube has a very much 

 smaller calibre for a short distance from its 

 junction with the vas deferens than else- 

 where. The narrow portion is straight, and 

 is commonly called the duct of the vesiculce 

 seminales. 



These vesicles are found to contain a 

 synovia-like brownish mucus, the nature of 



* De Hermaphroditorum Natura. Bambergae, 

 1817, p. r>7. 



j- Vol. II. Art. HEKMAPIIRODITI.SM, fig. 303. 



4 Y 3 



