968 MALE ORGANS OF GENERATION. 



testicle, and is principally composed of the convolutions of a long tortuous 

 canal or efferent duct, to be presently described. Its upper extremity, 

 which is enlarged and obtuse, projecting forwards on the upper end of the 

 test is, is named the head of the epididymis, or globus major ; the lower, 

 which is more pointed, is termed the tail, or globus minor ; whilst the inter- 

 vening and narrower portion is named the body. The outer convex surface 

 of the epididymis and the thin anterior border are free, and covered by the 

 tunica vaginalis. The inner surface, except at the upper and lower ends, 

 is also free, and invested by the same tunic, which here forms the digital 

 pouch between the epididymis and the outer face of the testicle, and nearly 

 surrounds the epdidymis, except along its posterior border, which is held 

 to the gland by a duplicature of the serous membrane, containing numerous 

 blood-vessels. At its upper and lower extremity, the inner surface of the 

 epididymis is attached to the testicle, the lower end, or globus minor, by 

 fibrous tissue and a reflection of the tunica vaginalis, the globus major also 

 by the efferent ducts of the testicle. 



At the back of the testis and epididymis, beneath the fascia propria, there 

 is found, opposite the lower two-thirds of the testis, a considerable amount 

 of unstriped muscular tissue, the inner muscular tunic of Kolliker. 



Situated on the front of the globus major, somewhat to the outer side, 

 there are found in the majority of cases one or more short processes of the 

 tunica vaginalis, containing fine blood-vessels. They are called corpora 

 Morgagni, or hydatids of Morgagni ; that anatomist having been the first 

 to describe them. One of these, more dilated than the rest, and pyriform 

 in shape, lies closely between the head of the epididymis and the testicle, 

 and appears to be the remains of the foetal structure, termed Mullet's duct : 

 they are without any known physiological importance. 



The testis proper, exclusive of the epididymis, is enclosed in a strong 

 capsule, the tunica albuginea. This is a dense unyielding fibrous membrane, 

 of a white colour, and about half a line thick, which immediately invests 

 the soft substance of the testicle, and preserves the form of the gland. It 

 is composed of bundles of fibrous tissue, which interlace in every direc- 



Flg. 676. Fig. 676. TRANSVERSE SECTION THROUGH THE RIGHT 



TESTICLE AND THE TUNICA VAGINALIS (from Kol- 

 liker). 



a, connective tissue enveloping the parietal layer of 

 the tunica vaginalis ; 6, this layer itself ; c, cavity of 

 the tunica vaginalis ; d, reflected or visceral layer 

 adhering to e, the tunica albuginea ; /, covering of 

 epididymis (g) on the right or outer side ; h, medias- 

 tinum testis ; , branches of the spermatic artery ; Ic, 

 spermatic vein ; I, vas deferens ; m, small artery of 

 the vas deferens ; n, lobules of the testis ; o, septa or 

 processes from the mediastinum to the surface. 



tion. The surface is for the most part covered 

 by the tunica vaginalis, except along the pos- 

 terior border of the testicle, where the sper- 

 matic vessels pass through, and except also at 

 the parts to which the two extremities of the epididymis are attached. 



Viewed from the interior, the fibrous tissue of the tunica albuginea is seen 

 to be prolonged forwards, at the posterior and upper border of the testis, for 

 a few lines into the substance of the gland, so as to form within it an 

 incomplete vertical septum, known as the corpus Highmorianum, and named 



