380 Diseases of the Genital Organs 



or 25 per cent. In many cases the fertility appears inter- 

 mittent. For a brief period all copulations fail; then follows 

 a period of fair fertility. If the semen is examined, inter- 

 esting changes are found in the spermatozoa. 



In this inadequately studied field, the best that can at 

 present be done is to study the spermatozoa, their degree of 



pi G _ 123— Purulent Periorchitis (Empyema of Scrotum) with 

 Necrosis and Atrophy of Testes. 

 / Vestige of testis sectioned, showing on the right remnant of paren- 

 chyma; ^epididymis; ?, vas deferens ; 4, scrotal wall turned back. On 

 tin'- right of the right-hand figure the broad white streak between 2 and ./ 

 is a deep incision made to keep specimen open. 



the sperm heads. If spermatozoa are abundant but all 

 dead, the tubuli seminiferi must be comparatively sound 

 and death has occurred somewhere in the excretory appara- 

 motility, the frequency of the separation of heads and 

 bodies, and the staining characteristics, size, and form of 

 tus. If the spermatozoa are scant and marked disintegra- 

 tion has occurred, it would appear that the damage may 



