446 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 16QQ. 



and their excretory ducts, since on the erection of the penis, and the distension 

 of the bulb of the cavernous body of the urethra, they are thereby necessarily 

 compressed, and the liquor contained in their excretory ducts forced through 

 their own orifices, into the cavity of the urethra: besides this, that part of the 

 musculub accelerator, mentioned above, which passes over these glands, contri- 

 butes to this compression. It seems requisite such agents should conspire in 

 compressing these organs, since the liquor they separate is so very tenacious ; 

 which consistence' of it is necessary for the uses it is employed in. 



The main design of nature in framing these glands, seems to respect the 

 grand work of generation, which will be more evident if we examine the 

 analogous organs in other animals. In rats these glands are remarkably large, 

 and are so placed, that on the erection of the penis they are compressed by 

 its turgescency and apposition of the ossa pubis ; the same may be observed 

 in other animals, particularly in hedge-hogs. Boars have these glands very 

 large, and the matter they separate is more tenacious, and not so transparent 

 as in all other creatures I have examined ; there is something peculiar in the 

 contrivance of them in this animal, each gland being covered with a peculiar 

 muscle, not unlike the gizzards of some fowls ; which mechanism seems con- 

 trived for more forcibly compressing them, to discharge their very tena- 

 cious contents into the urethra, and that not only in the time of coition, but 

 at anv other time ; which seems to be more peculiarly required in those crea- 

 tures, because the passage of their urine is very long, and therefore stands in 

 need of more of this glutinous matter to besmear it, whereby it is defended 

 from the injuries that may arise from the salts of the urine. As the urine of 

 different animals is more or less impregnated with pungent salts, so the pro- 

 portion of these glands differ, as well as on the account of the various lengths 

 of their urethras. It is remarkable, that we do not find these glands in females, 

 like those in males, though they have something analogous to them, which are 

 described by De Graaf, and called prostatae mulierum ; but the orifices of their 

 excretory ducts opening at the exit of the urethra, they serve to defend the 

 nymphae and labia pudendi only from the urinous salts, and discharge their 

 liquor in coitu; the whole urethra in them being so short, that the contraction 

 of the sphincter muscle of the bladder is sufficient to expel any remains of urine 

 from that passage. 



The use of these glands is twofold : first on the erection of the penis there 

 is so much of their liquor discharged into the urethra as suffices to drive out 

 any remains of urine, and prevent its mixing with the semen ; and at other 

 times the continual discharge of some part of their liquor into the urethra, 

 defends that passage from the salts in the urine: the like continual exudation 

 cannot happen either from the excretory ducts of the prostates, or those of 



