developed, and therefore do not secrete and function properly.
When one testicle only is descended—a condition known as monorchidism—the person may be as fertile and as virile as a completely normal man with two testicles in the scrotum. Undescended testes may be placed in their proper position by surgery. Sometimes the undescended testicle becomes a source of disease and its removal is desirable.
The Vas Deferens. The vas deferens is a single small tube about two feet in length, extending from the epididymis upward into the pelvic cavity, forming a long loop, coming down beside the bladder, where it is dilated into a sac-like structure called the ampulla, and finally dipping beneath the base of the bladder, connecting with the seminal vesicles. From this point it enters the prostate gland, and connects with the urethra, the exit through the penis, of both the urine and the seminal fluid.
Vasectomy is a surgical operation for the cutting or tying of the vas deferens, and of course when performed on both spermatic ducts causes complete sterility. (It is analogous to salpingectomy—the cutting or tying of the Fallopian tube—in the female.) Vasectomy is the measure used for the sterilization of confirmed criminals and the hopelessly insane in those states and countries where sterilization is legalized. It is a slight operation, and does not inconvenience or alter the mental or bodily character of the person operated upon; nor does it affect the potency of the individual.
Cowper's Glands. Cowper's glands, which are identified in the usual illustrations of the male reproductive organs, are small, rounded bodies about the size of a pea. They furnish a small quantity, amounting to about a half-dozen drops or slightly more, of a clear, sticky secretion for lubricating the glans penis preparatory to the sexual act. The Cowper's
