C E N E R A T I O N. 



two vcficuli will hardly be found c^:;iaiy refcmlning each 

 other ; but thefe variations are not iniporlaiit. ( ^cf Monro 

 de Tcftlbus, tab. 3. ) This tube, with its appt-nU'ces, is .0 

 cvnvolutcd upon itfelf, the turnings bt-.ng clofe.y connce.cd 

 together by cellular fubllance, containing numerous valcular 

 ramifications, that the organ, when undiiFeacd, is four or 

 five times (horter than the unravelled tube ; and a fetiion ot 

 it in this ftatc makes it appear to be compoled of numerous 

 ceUs, communicating together. This Ih-uc1ure accounts to 

 us alfo for the knotted appearance of the organ on it; lur- 

 fac 



an oval figure. Towards the front it is continued info 3 

 lont p.roininence, which is fimply a fold of the urethral lin- 

 ingj and difappcars in the bulb, ending in one of the long 

 itrile, of vvl'.ich leveral are feen in the urethra, and fonie- 

 times bifid, or even radiated at its extremity. It is called 

 caput galiinaginis, or veru montanum. The elevations of 

 the lining of the bladder, continued from the ureters, termi- 

 nate in this emiTionce. Its oval portion is hollow, and pre- 

 fents a long Hit leading.into a cul-de-fac, which can be in- 

 flated, but which 1-as no communication with the feminal 

 pafTages. On each fide of the emiucnce there is a fmall ob- 



The (Irufture of the vef.cula is analogous to that of the long opening, the termination of the ejacubtory duct, but 



vas deferens : its fid-s are not fo thick, but they are il.ll 

 denfe and ftrong. The external coat is of a dole texture, 

 and whiti(h colour, covered with cellular fubftance external- 

 ly. Nothing of a mufcular nature can be difcerned here, 

 although the funaions of the organ oblige us to admit tliat 

 it poifefTes a contraaile power. We cannot otherwile ac- 

 count for the expulfion of t!ie contents of the veiicula. 

 The aaion of the levatores ani, which has been affigned as 

 the efficient caufe of this expulfion, is certainly inade- 

 quate to account for it ; as their ordinary daily exertion is at- 

 tended with no fuch effect, when the venereal orgafm is not 



prefent, and thefe parts are not exerted in their fpecific man- the expreliion /ro>/.. has 

 iier. AVe may obferve, moreover, that the perineal mufcles the human fubjeci. The h 



much narrower than the calibre of that tube, v.hicli is 

 fuddenly reflected from within outwards, at nearly a right 

 angle, and pours its contents, by this fin;dl opening, into the 

 urethra. There is no valvular fl.ruaure at thefe orifices. 

 Tlie Hit and cul-de-fac already mentioned have jnven rife to 

 an opinion, that the two ejaculatory duas terminated by a 

 common orifice, wliich is altogether erroneous. 



The proftate is a fu-m glandular body, placed behind the 

 fymiihyli.i pubis, in front of the neck of the bladder, and 

 iurrounding the commencement of the urethra. In moft 

 animals there are two feparate glands in this fituation, and 

 the expreffion projlatss has been erroneoufly transferred to 

 'ze and figure of this part have 



contraa at the moment of ejaculation ; now the contents of been not unaptly cornpared to thofe of a large chefnut Its 

 the veficulx mull be conveyed into the urethra in the pre- broader end is turned towards the bladder, and is divided by 

 rious moments. The internal furface of the veficuls is a flight Mure into two laterallobes, the narrower part is 

 formed by a mucous lining, conneaed clofely to the preced 

 ino- tunic. Its colour is whitifti, and its thicknefs not con 



fiderable. It is continuous with the linir.g of the urethra. 

 Its furface is very minutely reticulated, and marked with 

 extremely fmull divifions, not to mention the larger fepla 

 formed by the turnings and folds of the tube and its appen- 

 dices. It has, moreover, a downy or villous appearance : a 

 fimilar ilrufture charaaerizes that enlarged portion of ^he 

 vas deferens which lies along the edge of the veficula. Tlie 

 llruaure of thefe parts, as well as the junaion of the vas 

 deferens and veficula at an acute angle, has very confiderable 

 analogy to the gall-bladder and ductus hepaticus. Both 

 have the fame reticulated internal furface ; the union of the 

 two tubes, and the fuppofed coui-fe of the contained fluids, 

 are confidered to be fimilar. 



Some anatomifts have defcribcd glands as being con- 

 tained in the fubtlance of the coats of the veficulx, and 

 fecreting the mucous fluid poured into thefe organs ;iutthe 

 moil careful inveftigation does not lead us to deleft any 

 thing glandular, and the fecretion is probably performed by 

 the furface of the parts. 



We proceed to defcribe more exactly the canal by which 

 • the veficula and vas deferens communicate with the urethra. 

 The tube of the former aiTuming a fmooth appearance on 

 its internal furface, and ratlier diminiihed in fize, converging 

 towards its fellow, joins the coriefponding vas deferens at a 

 very acute angle : it is flill confiderably larger than the latter 

 When the parts are diflcaed, and the conneding 



fituated forwards. It is confiderably thicker from fide to 

 fide, than in the vertical direaion. The fuperior furface 

 correfponds to the arch of the pubis, but is rather behind 

 that part : it is covered by a ftrong fibrous expanfion, de- 

 fcending from the arch, and named the inferior hgamcnt cf 

 tlie bladder. Below, the gland is conneaed by clofe cellu- 

 lar adhefions to the upper furface of the rcaum, and th? 

 contaa of thefe two parts is more extenfive in proportion to 

 the fize of the gut, which, when much diftended, riles 

 flightly on each fide of the proilate, fo as to be endangered 

 in the lateral operation of lithotomy. The convex promi- 

 nent fides are covered by the anterior fibres of the levator 

 ani. The bafis, or broad pofterior part, which is gently con- 

 cave, embraces the neck of the bladder, and the Imall ante- 

 rior ends of the veiiculae ieminales and vafa deferentia. The 

 cellular fubtlance, which conneas it here to the bladder, is 

 very denfe and firm, and the mulcular fibres of the organ 

 are partly interwoven with it. This part prefcnts the 

 groove already mentioned as dividing the organ into two 

 lateral lobes. In front, the nan-ower portion of the proilate 

 is loft indefinitely on the m.embranous part of the urethra, 

 to which it adlicrcs moft firmly. The bulk of the urethra, 

 the fat and mufcles of the perineum, cover the part fo deeply 

 on its anterior afpeft, that it can by no means be felt frora 

 the furface : on the upper part of the reaum, however, the- 

 gland may be diftinaiy recognized by the finger introduced 

 into the gut, as nothing but the inteftine covers it in this 

 fituation : and it projeas fenfibly into the tube when en- 



cellular membrane removed, as in the hepatic and cyftic larged. _ , , , , , 

 duas, the jundion appears to be effetted at a half right 1 he urethra, immediately at its origin from the bladder, 

 ano-Ie! The canal formed by this union, and belonging pafles through the proftate from behind forwards, and the 

 cuualiv to the veficula and vas deferens, proceeds more dircd- m.embrane is almoft confolidated with the fides of the open- 

 ly in the courfe of the latter, lies in clofe contaa with its ing in the gland. This paflage does not take place at the 

 f-Uow, paffes between the proftate and neck of the bladder, centre, but nearer to the fuperior furface, fo that a fmall 

 and thus arrives at the under furface of that part of the ure- portion only of the gland is above the urethra, and the chief 

 thr? which runs thrcu'rh the gland. A fmai! elongated bulk of it below and at the fides. At the inferior part of 

 eminence is found in this°portion of the urinary canal, com- the opening, by which the urethra commences, a fmall por- 

 pofed of its internal coat, broader behind, where it alTumes tion of the gland projeds flightly towards the bladder; and 

 ^ 5 thi* 



