202 Mr. Home's Account of a small Lobe 
to understand the nature of a disease, which it was not pos- 
sible we could have a correct idea of, when we were ignorant 
of the existence of the part in which it takes place. It not only 
explains the situation of the tumour, the want of connection 
with the body of the gland, and the narrowness of its base 
where that is met with, but it solves what has ever appeared 
to me the greatest difficulty, how it should protrude into the 
cavity of the bladder. This arises from the hard substance of 
the coats of the vasa deferentia being in close contact, and 
bound down upon this lobe, so that from its first enlargement 
it must immediately press up the inner membrane of the 
bladder, which can make very little resistance. 
This lobe of the prostate gland, from its situation and con- 
nection with the vasa deferentia, is liable to many causes of 
swelling, which the body of the gland itself is free from ; for 
every irritation upon the seminal vessels or their orifices may 
be communicated to it by continuity of parts : and aged men, 
from an ignorance of these facts, are too often, through im- 
prudence, producing an excitement in those vessels which the 
parts are unable to support ; and when this is long continued, 
inflammation becomes the consequence, which cannot take 
place to any degree without being communicated to this lobe, 
and producing an enlargement of it. 
Every violent effort which is made to empty the urinary 
bladder produces an unusual pressure against this lobe, by 
which it may be injured. There is also much reason for be- 
lieving, that the diseased state of the lateral parts of the gland, 
so very commonly met with in the latter period of life, has 
its origin in this particular lobe ; since in most of the cases 
of a diseased state of the gland, which have come under my 
observation after death, this lobe has been enlarged in a 
