File:The cyclopædia of anatomy and physiology (1847) (20812298062).jpg

Title: The cyclopædia of anatomy and physiology
Identifier: cyclopdiaofana0401todd (find matches)
Year: 1847 (1840s)
Authors: Todd, Robert Bentley, 1809-1860
Subjects: Anatomy; Physiology; Zoology
Publisher: London, Sherwood, Gilbert, and Piper
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MBLWHOI Library

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Text Appearing Before Image:
PROSTATE GLAND. H9 is especially seen in old subjects: it corre- sponds with the anterior extremity of the Fig. 103.
Text Appearing After Image:
Front view of the bladder and prostate. a, bladder; b, ureters ; c, uvula vesicaj; d, prostate gland ; e, openings of prostatic ducts ; f, a probe passed into the sinus pocularis ; g, g, bristles in vasa ejaculatorium ; h, membraneous portion of urethra, trigonum vesicce, and is known by the names of the uvula vesicce, luette vesicate, valvula pylorica of Amussat. In the healthy state of the bladder and prostate, this elevation is frequently scarcely perceptible, unless the bladder is much contracted ; but it is subject to considerable increase in size, and is gene- rally involved in those cases of enlarged pros- tate which are of such frequent occurrence in the old person, and where the third lobe is the seat of hypertrophy. Mercier describes this vesico-urethral valve as a semicircular fold, raised suddenly at a right angle from the posterior surface of the neck of the bladder, and composed of a tissue somewhat resem- bling muscle ; and Mr. Guthrie, in his lectures delivered at the College of Surgeons in the year 1830, directed attention to it as fre- quently the seat of disease totally independent of any enlargement of the third lobe of the prostate ; but to this I shall again direct attention when the morbid anatomy of the prostate is under consideration. Intimate Structure. — The prostate comes under that division of the glandular system, inappropriately termed conglomerate. Miiller places it in his fourth order of glands—"g/ati- dulcc ex ccllulorum contextu spongioso componitce, med'ris ccllulis in ductus excretorios hiantibus, sine lobulorum divisione cowposita." It is ar- ranged by Cuvier under the head of supple- mentary glands of the male organs of genera- tion. The external covering of the gland, de- rived, as already described, from the vesical fascia, having been removed, we come to a. deeper layer, which closely surrounds the glandular tissue; it is most intimately con- nected with it, so as to be detached with the greatest possible difficulty, and can evi- dently be shown to send processes into the gland, which are probably continuous with the fibrous tissue between the follicles. On the surface of this the lymphatics of the gland are seen to ramify : this is best shown after pre- vious immersion in water. If a simple section is made, the gland presents a spongy cellular aspect, and an opaque fluid oozes out from the cut surface ; but its intimate structure can only be made out by microscopical examin- ation of thin sections, or by injections with mercury or coloured size, or by inflation ; the outline of its follicles may, however, be seen by a minute injection of its blood vessels, which ramify in a delicate plexiform manner on their surface. It is not a gland of much complexity of structure or arrangement. Briefly, it may be said to be composed of minute terminal follicles, opening into canals or tubes, which unite together to form ducts, which open in an oblique manner on the pros- tatic portion of the urethra. The orifices of the prostatic ducts are situated principally close to and around the most elevated portion of the veru montanum, in the form of a cres- cent, the larger ducts on the side, and the smaller on the posterior aspect of this body If a longitudinal, vertical section is made, many of the ducts of the prostate are seen passing upwards, towards the under part of the veru montanum, in a straight direction ; the interior of some of them being slit open in the section, whilst others pass obliquely be- neath the mucous membrane for some dis- tance prior to their termination. They vary in number from ten to fourteen, but as many as thirty have been seen. Their diameter ranges from one-sixth to one-fourth of a line. It sometimes happens that two or more ducts unite, and open by one common orifice, large enough to admit the end of a small probe. To unravel the structure of the gland, it is requisite to inject the ducts separately, as the follicles to which they lead have no commu- nication with each other, as the representation given by Miiller would lead one to imagine ; each duct will be found to give oft' tubes, which passing in a straight direction, separate gradually from each other, and terminate in minute cells or follicles, which, according to Weber, range from one-sixteenth to one- twelfth of a line in diameter. Miiller says that the larger cells are visible to the naked eye, and that with a simple microscope the smaller cells, situated within the larger, and formed of an exceedingly delicate membrane L 3

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