chap xvni.] THE SCROTUM, 409 



the surface is sweating, the rugae tend to favour a 

 retention of the moisture between their folds ; from 

 this and other circumstances it happens that the 

 scrotum is liable to eczema and to those syphilitic 

 skin disorders that are often localised by irritation. 

 The rugae are a sign of health, since they depend 

 upon the vigorous contraction of the muscle fibres in 

 the dartos tissue. In the enfeebled, or under the 

 relaxing effects of heat, the scrotum becomes smooth 

 and pendulous. In lacerated wounds, especially when 

 portions of the skin are torn away, the dartos is of 

 great value in assisting to close the gap by its contrac- 

 tion, and in thus covering the exposed parts. To pro- 

 mote such contraction the wound is dressed with cold 

 applications. In a simple incised wound, as in castra- 

 tion, the dartos is apt to turn in the edges of the skin 

 and cause some difficulty in applying the sutures. 

 This difficulty may be avoided by relaxing that tissue 

 for a while by the application of a warm sponge to the 

 wound. 



The subcutaneous tissue is lax and very extensive, 

 and permits of considerable extravasations of blood 

 forming beneath the surface. It is unadvisable, there- 

 fore, to apply leeches to the scrotum itself, since they 

 may lead to an undesirable outpouring of blood beneath 

 the skin, and to the appearance of a considerable 

 ecchymosis. Leeches in testicular affections had 

 better be applied over the region of the cord. 



The scrotum, from its dependent position, and 

 from the looseness and extent of its cellular tissue, is 

 often the first part of the body to become cedematous 

 in dropsy, and is apt to show that redema in a marked 

 degree. The scrotum also is the part most fre- 

 quently the seat of elephantiasis, which is due 

 essentially to a connective tissue change. The vitality 

 of the scrotum is not considerable, and it there- 

 fore not unfrequently sloughs in parts when 



