THE TESTES FORM AND SITUATION. 967 



below the testicle, which, therefore, appears to be suspended at the back of 

 the serous sac, when this latter is distended with fluid. 



VESSELS AND NERVES OF THE COVERINGS OF THE TESTIS AND CORD. 



The arteries are derived from several sources. Thus, the two external 

 pudic arteries (p. 437), branches of the femoral, reach the front and sides of 

 the scrotum, supplying the integument and dartos ; the superficial perinea! 

 branch of the internal pudic artery (p. 426) is distributed to the back part of 

 the scrotum ; and, lastly, more deeply seated than either of these, is a branch 

 given from the epigastric artery, named cremasteric, because it is chiefly 

 distributed to the cremaster muscle ; it also supplies small branches to 

 the other coverings of the cord, and its ultimate divisions anastomose with 

 those of the other vessels. The veins, which, owing to the thinness of the 

 integuments, are apparent on the surface of the scrotum, follow the course 

 of the arteries. The lymphatics pass into the inguiual lymphatic glands. 



The nerves also proceed from various sources. Thus, the ilio-inguinal, a 

 branch of the lumbar plexus (p. 660), comes forwards through the external 

 abdominal ring, and supplies the integuments of the scrotum ; this nerve is 

 joined also by a filament from the ilio-hypogastric branch of the same 

 plexus : sometimes two separate cutaneous nerves come forward through 

 the external ring. The two superficial perineal branches of the internal 

 pudic nerve accompany the artery of the same nerve and supply the inferior 

 and posterior parts of the scrotum. The inferior pudendal, a branch of the 

 small sciatic nerve (p. 675), joins with the perineal nerves, and is distributed 

 to the sides and fore part of the scrotum. Lastly, the branch of a deeper 

 nerve, springing from the lumbar plexus, and named genito-crural (p. 661), 

 conies into contact with the spermatic cord at the internal abdominal ring, 

 passes with it through the inguinal canal, and supplies the fibres of the 

 cremaster, besides sending a few filaments to the other deep coverings of 

 the cord and testicle. 



THE TESTES. 



The testes are suspended obliquely in the scrotum by means of the cord 

 and membranes already described : they are usually placed at unequal 

 heights, that of the left side being lower than the other. They are of an 

 oval form, but are slightly compressed laterally, so that they have two some- 

 what flattened sides or faces, an upper and a lower end, an anterior and a pos- 

 terior border. They are from an inch and a half to two inches long, about 

 an inch and a quarter from the anterior to the posterior border, and nearly 

 an inch from side to side. The weight of each varies from three-quarters 

 of an ounce to an ounce, and the left is often a little the larger of the two. 



The front and sides of the testicle, together with the upper and the lower 

 ends, are free, smooth, and closely invested by the tunica vaginalis. The pos- 

 terior border, however, is attached to the spermatic cord, and it is here that 

 the vessels and nerves enter or pass out. When the testis is suspended in its 

 usual position, its upper end is directed obliquely forwards and outwards, 

 as well as upwards, whilst the lower, which is rather smaller, has the oppo- 

 site direction. It follows from this that the posterior or attached border is 

 turned upwards and inwards, and the outer flattened face slightly backwards. 



Along the outer edge of the posterior border of the gland, and resting 

 also on the neighbouring portion of its outer face, is placed a long narrow 

 body, the epididymis, which forms part of the excretory apparatus of the 



