GENERATION. 



in which thf ffmmal ffcrrtion is immediately cffeaed, is a 

 liglit brown pulpy mafs, confidcrably fottcr than th^- 

 parenchyma of the other glandular organs, contained in a 

 llrt)ng librous membrane, which detcrmii'.cs the exterior 

 conliguxation of the part, and the confiilence which it prc- 

 fents on examination. This membrane is named the tunic a 

 albuginea. It is ft-en through the refleaion of the tunica 

 vaginalis which envelopes the telllclc, and adlicresto it 

 very clofely. Yet, notwithllanding tiic ftrcngth of this 

 adhefion, the ferous lav.r may be partially fepaiated by 

 difleaing from the epididymis forwards. But, over the 

 general furface the union is too intimate to admit of fepa- 

 ration; and confequently the ferous layer and the true 

 albuginea are defcnbed ordinurily as compoiing one mem- 

 brane under the l.itter name. It is from analogy, rather 

 than th- direa teftlmcny of anatomical obfervation, tliat 

 we defcribe them as dillina parti. Along tlie pofte- 

 rior edge of the teftis, the albuginea is perforated by 

 numerous openings for the pafTage cf the feminal and 

 blood-velTels. From the inner fuiface cf this membrane 

 are detached numerous delicate procefles penetrating the 

 fubllance of the tellis, snd forming partial fepta, by which 

 the glandular mafs is (lightly fubdivided into fmallcr por- 

 tions. Some of thefe produaions feem to confift ot blood- 

 ♦eflels. The ilruaure of tliis part clafTes it amongil the 

 fibrous membranes.: it is denfe, very firm, of a peculiar 

 white colour, and potreiTmg fome blood-vefTels. Its ex- 

 ternal furfice is every where covered by the refleftcd 

 tunica vaginalis, except at tlie back of the tellis, and its 

 inner furface is in cf.ntaa with the glandular fiibftance of 

 the org:.n. The great clofencfs and firmnefs of its texture 

 explain to us the peculiarly hard feel of the inflamed tellis, 

 as the membrane yields with dlffic'ilty to the diftention 

 produced b^- the fwelling of the contained vafcular parts. 

 It is manifellly thicker where the feminal tubes penetrate 

 it ; and in this fituation we cbferve the corpus Highmori, 

 concerning which we have further obfervations to make 

 below. The albuginea poffelTes extenlibility, and the 

 corrcfponding contractility : the fwellings of the tellicle, 

 from various caufes, (hew the former, and its lubfequent 

 return to the natural fize, as well as the fhnnking of the 

 part from age demunftrate the latter. It is very fubjca to 

 • convcriion into cartilage. Little excrefcences are fome- 

 timts obferved on the furfaces of the gland, about the fize 

 of a pin's head. 



The tunica albuginea is filled with a foft pulpy matter, 

 cf a light hrownilli-yellow hue, and divided into fmall 

 portions or lobuli. Imperfeft cellular fepta, along which 

 the fmall arteries and veins run, divide thefe portions ; 

 but the partitions are not merely vafcular. They are at- 

 tached, as we have already obferved, to the internal furface 

 of the albuginea. Behind, they unite together in a white 

 cellular hue, running along the back edge of the tellicle, 

 from above downwards. Such are the appearances exhi- 

 bited in the recent organ, without any dilTeaion or pre- 

 paration. Its fubftance is very foft, fo that when dried it 

 loles more than eight-tenths of its weight. A more 

 accurate examination, particularly with the affiilance of 

 maceration and putrefaaion, difcover that all this pulpy 

 mafs is made up of convoluted ferpentine threads poffedlng 

 fome firmnefs and conneaed together by a very foft cellular 

 fubllance. Thefe, which are called the tubuli or ductus 

 feminiferi tellis, f-rm about the fi/.e of an ordinary fewing 

 thread, and can eifily be drawn out with a needle, after 

 maceration, to the length of an inch and even more. Thefe 

 threads are tubular, cylindrical thick in their coats with 

 fmall calibre, plentifully fupplied with minute vafcular rami- 



fications, from which however iijjcc\ed liquors do not pafs 

 into the duas. They do not ramify, but pafs in a tolera- 

 bly ftraight direaion to the cellular line at the back of the 

 tcflis. That tliey are tubular is proved by the poflibility ij 



of injeaing them with q'.ickfilver from the vas deferens : U 



this indeed often fails, but in fome cafes the tubuli are 

 tilled in this .v.ay through the whole teftis. The diameter of 

 one of thefe duas, according to Monro, is i-zoodth of an 

 inch; or i-l20th when injeaed witli quicklilver. By the 

 calculations of the fame anatomift, the teftis ihould appear 

 to conlill of 62,500 tubes, fuppofing each to be one inch in 

 length : and confequently, if they were joined into one 

 tube, it would be 5208 feet and 4 inches in length. The 

 convolutions and turns of the duas are fo numerous, that 

 they do not continue their courfe, in the fame ftraight line, 

 for nior* than i-^otli of an inch. 



The white and firm cellular line at the back of the 

 teftis, jull at the adhefion of the epididymif, is called the 

 corpus Higlimori. Many anatomiils have defcribed it as 

 tubular, and have alhgned.ttt»it the office of conveying the 

 femen to the epididymis. Silch a part obviouily exllls m the 

 teftis, and is ftill more manifeft in animals, as in the boar, than 

 in the human fubjea. Haller, who has given the moll accu- 

 rate account of this fubjea, fays, " After I had accur::tely 

 filled the vas deferens with quickfilver, I obferved in the 

 corpus Highmori numerous vcfTels, larger than the tube of 

 tlie epididymis, running according tp .he length of the 

 gland, ferpentine, eafily torn, and communicating with 

 each other." Jilem. Phyfiol. v. 7. p. 445. In thefe the 

 tubuli feminiferi teftis terminate ; and thcv conftitutc the 

 rete vafculofum of the organ. The duas contained in 

 each part of the tubuli feminiferi end in one ftraight tube, 

 which termmates in the rete teftis. A certain number of 

 tubes, called tlie vaia effercntia, convey the femen from 

 the rote vafculofum to the commencement of the epididymis. 

 Obfcure notices of thefe veftels inay be found in various 

 writers, and De Graaf in particular has defcribed them. 

 But the labours of Haller have thro^vn the grcateft light 

 on the fubjea. " When, after various unlucccf&ful at- 

 tempts, the continued labour of an hour or more had 

 enabled mc to fill completely the vas deferens, I obferved 

 the head of the epididymis to be made up of vafcular cones, 

 amounting in number to twenty or thirty, and conneaed 

 together by cellular fubftance before any dilftaion had 

 been ufcd. Each of thefe cones is made up of a fingle 

 fmall velfel, larger however than the tube of the epididy- 

 mis, convoluted into innumerable folds. The bafis of the 

 cone is turned towards tlie epididymis ; its apex is a 

 veffel proceeding downv.ards to the tefti.s, perforating 

 the albuginea, and communicating with the rete teftis.' 

 Ibid. p. 447. 



Tie epididymis, of which we have already defcribed the 

 pofition and figure, is diftinguifhcd by its greyilh colour 

 from the fhining whitenefs of the teftis. Being placed at 

 the point where the cord is attached to the tellicle, it is 

 furroimded by blood-velTels, of \vhich feveral are diftri- 

 buted to itfelf : its furface is partially covered by tlie 

 rctlection of the tunica vaginalis, which adheres to it clol'eh-, 

 except at the angle of refleaion, wl.ere the conneaion it 

 loofer. Its ftrucliurc is much more cafily unravelled than 

 that of the teilis, for, when til'-'d with q'.;ickfil.er from the 

 vas deferens, it is proved to cor,:i!l of a tingle tube, almoil 

 infinitely convoluted upon itfeit, excepting o:ily a fmall part 

 of the caput, which is made up of the vafcular cones, Tiie 

 latter uniting together form one very fmall tube, which bv 

 its ferpentine courfe and turns, connecled to each other by 

 cellular fubftance, containing the ramifications of blood- 



Teffele, 



