Spermatic cord

“ The size of the generative organs is not an index of virility in the male.
The testes are the male generative glands and are described as about 11⁄2 inches in length, 11⁄4 inches in width and nearly 1 inch in thickness. The testes are contained within the scrotal sac, the outside coat of which is a thin wrinkled skin, within which are four thin coats. Next to the testes and enveloping the spermatic cord is a thin covering which is carried down into the scrotum when the testicle leaves the abdomen, where it is formed. ”

“ The operator, grasping the testicle, carefully draws out the spermatic cord, and with a pointed bistoury makes a transverse incision, above the tail of the epididymis, through the posterior septum of the cord, involving what we know as the white muscle of Bouley, the efferent canal, and the small testicular artery. ”

“ The signs furnished by the genital organs of the male are of less importance. Atrophy and diminished weight of the testicles and rarity or absence of the spermatozoids are indications of senility; although spermatozoids have been observed at ninety-four years. The structure of the spermatic cord at different periods of life from the last of intra-uterine to the first of extra-uterine life, in puberty, and in old age, is accompanied by characteristic modifications of development and regression, which are of interest on the question of medico-forensic diagnosis of identity, as shown by Dr. ”

“ The skin of the scrotum is tense, and it may be edematous (pitting on pressure) , as are the deeper envelopes and spermatic cord. If liquid is present in the sac, the symptoms are masked somewhat. As it increases it causes awkward, straddling, dragging movement of the hind limbs, or lameness on the affected side. The spermatic cord often increases at the same time with the testicle, and the inguinal ring being thereby stretched and enlarged, a portion of intestine may escape into the sac, complicating the disease with hernia. ”

“ Castration by simple division of the spermatic cord.—If the pig is not more than six weeks old, an incision is made at the bottom of the scrotum, the testicle pushed out, and the cord cut without any precautionary means whatever. But when the animal is older, there is reason to fear that hemorrhage to a greater or less extent will supervene; consequently it will be advisable to pass a ligature round the cord a little above the spot where the division is intended to take place. ”

“ The spermatic arteries are two long slender arteries, which descend, one in each spermatic cord, into the scrotum to supply the testicle. The corresponding ovarian arteries in the female do not leave the abdomen. ”

“ At the moment when the testicle forms an acute angle with the cord, the thumb of the left hand, resting upon the cord, comes into action to aid in the displacement by making a point d’appui upon the inferior extremity of the organ, which now occupies the superior position, in such a manner that the spermatic gland is placed parallel with the cord. The manipulations are completed by pushing the testicles upwards towards the inguinal ring, to break [64] up whatever adhesions of cellular tissue may remain. ”

“ It will be noted that with my improved construction, not only are the penis and testicles entirely inclosed within the metal pockets formed for their, reception, but the spermatic cord is likewise covered and the patient is absolutely prevented access to this cord, which as is well known, if he could, he might defeat the very purpose for which the device is intended. ”

“ When it does occur in this sex, its position, investments, and course through the inguinal canal, where it accompanies the round ligament of the uterus, are the same as in the male. When the hernia escapes through the external abdominal ring of the female groin, it is found to lodge in the labium pudendi. In the male body, the testicle and spermatic cord, which have carried before them investments derived from all the layers of the inguinal region, have, as it were, already marked out the track to be followed by the hernia, and prepared for it its several coverings. ”

“ One of these passes mediad in the lateral ligament of the bladder and ramifies on the lateral surface of that organ. A second passes through the abdominal wall and into the fat on the medial surface of the thigh; it sends a branch caudad toward the external genital organs, while its main trunk passes distad in the subcutaneous fat almost to the knee. From one of these two a small branchlet passes in the male to the spermatic cord and accompanies this to the testis; it represents thus the external spermatic artery. ”

“ Varicocele is a very common condition in young men, and is manifested by dilation and enlargement of the veins that go thru the earlier described spermatic cord to the testicle. It occurs mostly on the left side, and is felt like a snake-like cord twisted on itself, producing an unpleasant, dragging-down, heavy sensation, and occasionally real neuralgic pains in the testicles. ”

“ The anterior horseshoe incision is now deepened to free the penis, care being taken not to injure the spermatic cord. Next the incisions are deepened laterally until the testicles are reached. The testicles are usually in the center of the tumor imbedded in a blubbery tissue from which they can be easily stripped. The remains of the gubernacula are then hooked up and cut close to the testicles. The tunicae vaginales are often thickened and contain fluid which has to be drawn off.
In 60% of Fauntleroy’s cases it was necessary to remove one testicle on account of extensive disease. ”

“ A direct opening from within outwards does not exist in the walls of the abdomen; and anatomy demonstrates to us the fact, that where the spermatic cord, D F, and the femoral vessels, pass from the abdomen to the external parts, they carry with them a covering of the several layers of structures, both muscular and membranous, which they encounter in their passage. ”

“ The local symptoms are swelling, the testicle being enlarged to two or three times its natural size, dull pain, and moderate tenderness, while in very severe cases there is burning on micturition and a purulent discharge from the urethra. The spermatic cord does not sympathize in the [p. 624] inflammation, and neither the swelling, pain, nor tenderness is so great as in specific orchitis.
The general symptoms are confined to a moderate elevation of temperature and increase in the frequency of the pulse, thirst, and loss of appetite. ”

“ When varicocele of an aggravated or largely developed type is present, associated with any weakness of the generative organs, as spermatorrhea or impotency, it must be cured before the organs can regain a healthy condition, as by the constant pressure of the abnormal quantity of blood and enlarged veins upon the spermatic cord, arteries, and testicles, the irritability, weakness, and wasting, are increased. ”

“ It is to be considered, likewise, that the animal, on his feet, is free to struggle as violently as he wishes, and is thus exposed to the risk of the pulling and laceration of the spermatic cord, and a resulting predisposition to enlargements of that body and the formation of champignons. ”

“ Remove the integument of the scrotum and dissect the intercolumnar fascia, the levator scroti muscle (p. 271, and Fig. 113, j) , the tunica vaginalis communis, and propria (p. 258) .
3. The testis; the epididymis with great care, especially in uncovering the vasa efferentia; the vas deferens and spermatic cord (p. 259, and Figs. 110 and 111) .
4. Follow the cord to the external inguinal ring (p. 259) and expose the ring. Dissect off in order from the inguinal canal: (a) The external oblique muscle; (b) the internal oblique muscle; (c) the transversus. ”

“ Move the testicles to the right and the left and you have their counterparts, the ovaries, while the spermatic cords form the Fallopian tubes for the passage of the completely formed ovum from the ovaries to the womb. Without materially disturbing its position, diminish the sexual [Pg 52] member of the male and you have the clitoris of the female. ”

“ VI. ch. 26., Testium nervos, quos Graeci κρεμαστῆρας ab eo appellant, quod ex illis genitales partes dependent. (The cords of the testicles, which the Greeks name κρεμαστῆρες,—suspenders, because the genital parts hang by them) ; again Pollux, Onomast. bk. II. Ch. 4., κρεμαστῆρας δὲ λέγονται τὰ νεῦρα, τοῦς διδύμους ἀνέχει. (κρεμαστῆρες,—suspenders, is the name of the cords; and they support the testicles) . The possibility of the suppuration extending to the seed reservoir and the spermatic cords is proved by the case lately observed and made known by Ricord. ”

“ If the period of sexual excitement extends over fifteen to thirty minutes, the whole duct system from the epididymis to the ampulla becomes gorged with the secreted testicular product. This [57] secretion consists of active motile spermatozoa, of spermatic granules and of mucus. The latter is secreted by the ducts of the epididymis and the vas deferens, the testicle itself furnishing only spermatozoa, spermatic granules and a small amount of liquid, just sufficient in quantity to float the spermatozoa out of the testes into the ducts. ”

“ Here the female apparatus terminates. But when the male secretion of the ovo-testis is active, the seminal fluid passes from the genital pore along the spermatic groove (fig. 39) to the penis, and is by the aid of that eversible muscular organ introduced into the genital pore of a second Aplysia, whence it passes into the spermatheca, there to await the activity of the female element of the ovo-testis of this second Aplysia. After an interval 520 of some days—possibly weeks—the ova of the second Aplysia commence to descend the hermaphrodite duct ”

“ The spermatic alone is an exception to this rule; thus, every thing in the secretion of semen seems to be characterized by a remarkable slowness. To this constant motion imparted to the glands by the entrance of the blood, should be added that which is communicated to them by the neighbouring organs, and which keeps them in a constant excitement, which is more necessary to their secretion than to their excretion. In considering the action of organs, the constant motions with which they are agitated has been too much neglected. ”

“ They furnish the male seed. They are supported by what is called the Spermatic Chord, which consists of the spermatic artery that supplies the testicle with arterial blood, whence the semen is concocted; the veins that return the superfluous blood, and the tube that conveys the semen to the urethra. The testicles are [15] very liable to inflammation, and particularly to changes resulting from the wear and tear of human life—changes that not simply produce pain or inconvenience, but those whereby the power of the organs becomes partially if not wholly lost. ”

“ The solution is not far to seek. From the beginning of puberty to the beginning of senile decay, the stallion derives from the testes what is referred to above as an internal secretion.
Physiologists have endeavored to determine exactly what substance formed by the testes is reabsorbed into the lymph and blood. It may be a substance called spermin, but whatever the substance is, the physiologists agree that the testes form some substance which is absorbed by the blood and lymph, is carried to the brain and spinal cord and there produces these profound effects indicated above. ”

“ Seen under a microscope, a single drop of semen reveals a multitude of spermatozoa swimming about in the prostate-carrying medium. It is in this form that the vitalizing male element meets the female infertile ovum. This mass of live and moving germs is poured all around and about the region in which the ovum lies waiting to be fertilized, and every one of them seems to be "rushing about like mad" to find what it is sent to do, namely, to meet and fertilize the ovum. ”

“ If there is any one of the various modes of operating in which the standing position is allowable, this, in our opinion, is the one, the steps of the process being so few and so short, and admitting such simplicity and rapidity. These consist in making a free opening in the bag, reaching with a single stroke of the knife into the vaginal cavity; grasping the testicle and pulling it gently downwards; and cutting the cord right across, from the front backwards, above the epididymis, the cord returning of itself into the vaginal sac—the division being made, of course, on both sides. ”

“ The male duct vd becomes fleshy and muscular near its termination at the genital pore, forming the penis p. Attached to it is a diverticulum fl, in which the spermatozoa which have descended from the ovo-testis are stored and modelled into sperm ropes or spermatophores. The female portion of the duct is more complex. Soon after quitting the uterus it is joined by a long duct leading from a glandular sac, the spermatheca (Rf) . In this duct and sac the spermatophores received in copulation from another snail are lodged. In Helix hortensis the spermatheca is simple. ”

“ The human spermatozoon measures about one six-hundredth of an inch in length. It is composed of protoplasm, the substance of which all living creatures are composed. The spermatozoa are believed to be developed from a parent sperm-cell, by the process of segmentation or subdivision, which process is common to all cell-life. The numerous spermatozoa dwell in a gelatinous substance, which, mingling with the other fluidic secretions of the glands of the male, constitutes the male seminal fluid, sperm, or semen, which is ejaculated by the male during the process of copulation. ”

“ Spermatocytes and spermatids are seen in the more severe types of defective spermatogenesis, and are relatively uncommon, while the more mature forms that result from the transformations of spermatid to adult cell are very often seen. ”