GENERATION. 



for the fame purpofe ; as the fluid penetrates very minutely 

 into the cellular interftices. It is continuous with the fiini- 

 lar covering of the penis, and with the cellular fubftance of 

 the perineum and groins ; fo that air pafles from it into thefe 

 fituations. 



The cord and teftis are clofely enveloped by a condenfed 

 cellular covering, which defcends from tlie neighbourhood 

 of the abdominal ring, and includes the organs juft men- 

 tioned, together with the membranous coverings of the 

 latter ; it conftitutes the elytliroid or erythroid coat of fome 

 writers. The cremaftcr mufcle is ftrongly connedted with 

 this, and contributes to the formation of the cellular (heath. 

 This part has been defcribed as the tunica vaginalis of the 

 fpermatic cord, but it is entirely overlooked by many writers. 

 Its thicknefs differs confiderably in different fubjefts. It is 

 connetled to the cellular fubilance of the Icrotum externally ; 

 and adheres, by cellular connections, to the fpermatic vefltls, 

 and to the tunica vaginalis teftis, on the infide. If air be 

 impelled through a fmall opeinng, it is feparated from thefe 

 parts, and may be divided fo ■ ^ to ihew that it is a diftinft 

 membrane. It then appears Itnni-tranfparent and thin, and 

 feems to confift of fibres varioullv interwoven. Its thick- 

 nefs is much increafed in fcrotal ruptures, to which it gives a 

 complete external covering. Camper has delineated it very 

 veil in his pollhumous plates edited by Soenimerring, and 

 he defcribcs it in the following paragraph ; " Crcmafteres 

 igitur mulculi funt, ab obliquo interno et tranfverfo abdomi- 

 nis orti, per involucrum membranaceum fub cute fcroti dif- 

 perfi, quocum velamentum efibrmant, funiculum fpermati- 

 cum et tellem undequaque cingens, qiiodque in herniofis 

 craflius tenaxque fit, et ex multis fibi invicem impofitis la- 

 mellis conilare \-idetur, cum chirurgia hernias attingimus. 

 Velamentum illud facile a facco hcrnis digiti feparatur ; for- 

 mius autoni adheret vafis fpermatices." Icones herniarum, 



P- '3- 



The ferous membrane of the teftie is called the tunica 

 vaginalis, and the name fhould be confi led entirely to it, 

 as moil of the anatomical defcriptions apply to this part 

 cftly. Like all other ferous membranes, this forms an 

 entire and unperforated bag. Its arrangement is fimple. 

 It forms a pouch-covering, and appearing to include the 

 teftis and epididymis, as the lieart is included in the pericar- 

 dium. Wiien an opening is made into it, and air impelled, 

 it is elevated into a bag on the front and fides of the teil«is. 

 At the pollerior edge of the organ it is reflefted over its 

 furface, covering the epididymis, a fmall portion of the 

 . fpermatic velTets, and the whole teftis ; and giving to thefe 

 parts a fraooth external coat. The tunica vaginalis there- 

 fore may be faid to confift of two parts; viz. an exterior 

 portion, forming the bag, which includes the teftis ; and an 

 internal, reflefted over the furface of the organ. The two 

 are continuous at the back edge, and at the upper and lower 

 ends of the teftis. The b?,g-hke portion of the memj^rane 

 is covered by the fibrous invcftment already defcribed : 

 the refleftcd part adheres very clofily to the epididymis and 

 tefticle. The tunica vaginalis is very thin, and every where 

 cellular on its external furface; internally it is fmooth, po- 

 liftied, and moiftened by a ferous fecretion, which, in an in- 

 creafed quantity, conftitutes hydrocele. There is hardly 

 any fenfible fluid in the ordinary ftate of the parts. Some- 

 times there are partial adhefions between the oppofed fur- 

 faces of the two portions of the membrane ; and fometimes 

 a general adhefion, by which the cavity is entirely deftroyed, 

 is produced by theoperationfortlie radical cure of hydrocele. 



In man and quadrupeds the tefticle confifts of Ivvo parts ; 

 •viz. the proper teftis, and the epididymis, which adheres to 

 it behind. Ordinarily the fcrotum contains two of thefe 



glands, ^ a right and a left one : but this number is ti<M 

 invariable. We fliall explain hereafter how it may happen 

 that the fcrotum ftiould contain no teftis, or only one ; 

 and, if authors could be credited, we might cite examples, 

 in which there have been three, four, or even five. We 

 believe that the number never exceeds two, that the ftate- 

 ments now alluded to have arifen from the fweUings inci- 

 dental to thefe parts, being niiftaken for teftes, and that 

 there is no obfervation deferving of credit by which this 

 an"ertion can be contradicted. Tiie ordinary fize of the 

 gland in the adult is an anatomical faft known to each indi- 

 vidual ; but there are fome varieties in this refpeft. Long 

 continued chartity probably caufes a Shrinking of the organ ; 

 and a ftmilar diminution, to a much greater degree, may 

 be occafioually obferved in old fubjefts, when the function 

 of the part has ceafed, without any difeafe. On the con- 

 trary, when venereal enjoyment has been habitually indulged, 

 temporary abftinence will caufe a fwclling of the organ, 

 with fome pain ; and this may be relieved by a fponta- 

 neous difcharge of the fecretion. Again, tiiere are diflPerences 

 of volume from original formation. The right and left 

 glands are not always of the fame C/e, nor is the right par- 

 ticularly obferved to exceed the left, as fome have alferted. 

 The figure of the part is pretty exactly oval, u ith the two 

 ends placed perpendicularly, and the furface flattened in the 

 direction of the fmall diameter. The extremities, which 

 are diftinguiftied by the epithets fuperior and inferior, are 

 not in the fame perpendicular line ; the former is inclined 

 forwards and outwards ; the latter backwards and inwards. 

 The two ends are fometimes ahnoft auti-rior and pofterior. 

 The fiat fides, which are external and internal, are turned, 

 the foi-mer towards the thigh of the fame fide, and the 

 latter towards the correlponding furface of the oppofite 

 gland. The edges of tlie teftes, v.hich arc anterior and 

 pofterior, are placed obliquely, fo as to fiant from above 

 backwards and downwards. The anterior edo-e is fome- 

 times defcribed as the interior, and the pofterior as 

 fuperior. The epididymis is a thin ar.d elongated organ, 

 placed along the back edge of the teftis, to wluch it ad- 

 heres by means of the tunica vaginalis and blood-veflels, 

 imaller in the middle and enlarged at its upper and lower 

 ends, and refle<fted at the latter, to form the vas deferens. 

 Its upper extremity is called the caput epididymidis or 

 globus major (tete de I'epididyme) ; and this adheres very 

 firmly to tirf? upper end of tlie tellis, being placed rather 

 above, as well as behind it. Fiom this point the organ 

 defcends in a thin and flattened form, diftimtly feen as a 

 feparate part in the fide of the teftis, which is turned towards 

 the thigh, but not on the oppofite furface. It fwelis again 

 at the lower end into the globus minor (queue de i'epi- 

 didyme) and then turns up to form the vas deferens. The 

 fpermatic cord is attaclied a'ong the pofterior edge of 

 the gland., and the greater or lels obliquity of the teftis 

 depends on the mode of its connexion. A cord, coinpofed 

 of the fame parts, fuipends each teftis iu its place, but it is 

 rather longer on the left fide ; a circumllance which has 

 been not'ced by painters and ilatuaries. The pathologiil 

 afcribes to this circumftance the more frequent occur- 

 rence of varico-cele on the left fide of the budv. The 

 diilance of both organs fiom the ring is variable, 'and de- 

 pends on the fta'.e of the fcrotum, and the cre;r.after mufcle. 

 Thefe two part.s generally contrad together. The confiftence 

 of the gland is fcft to the feel. As it is covered almoil 

 entirely by the ferous membrane already defcribed, it ac- 

 quires from this circumfta.nce a fmooth and pohftied furface • 

 its whitenefs arifes from the tunica albuginca. 



Straclure c/thcTtJic.lc The glandular part of the organ, 



i.s 



