is supplied, under the influence of sexual excitement, flood the organ with blood, causing it to become erect or rigid. This condition is known as an erection. Anything, therefore, that interferes with a free supply of blood to this tissue impairs the physiological function of the penis.
The Glans Penis. The conical-shaped body at the end of the penis is called the glans. This extremity is equipped with delicate nerves of sexual sensibility. There are glands on or near the inside ridge of the glans penis, the secretion of which, when proper cleanliness is not observed, tends to accumulate and become offensive, and may cause irritation or even inflammation. Boys and young men in particular should be informed of the importance of frequently bathing these parts, and if one has a long or tight foreskin, or prepuce, special attention is desirable.
The prepuce is the skin at the end of the penis which folds over the glans. When it is too long or very tight, causing the annoyance described in the preceding paragraph, a slight surgical operation, called circumcision, should be resorted to. This is a fairly common procedure, and is becoming more widely advocated as a hygienic measure. Among certain religious groups, notably the Hebrews and Mohammedans, it is a rite and traditional practice of great antiquity.
In the case of primitive man, who was practically unprotected by clothes and subjected to the hazards of the wilderness, the prepuce undoubtedly served a real purpose, but with civilized man, it is an unnecessary appendage, often a disturbing factor, and had better be removed.
The Testes. The testes, or testicles, are a pair of flat, oval-shaped bodies, about one-and-a-half inches in length, enclosed in a sac of thin muscular tissue called the scrotum. The average weight of a testicle is about half an ounce. Its function is to prepare the principle elements of the sexual
