Observations on certain parts of the animal oeconomy : inclusive of several papers from the Philosophical transactions, etc. / by John Hunter ... ; with notes by Richard Owen.
- John Hunter
- Date:
- 1840
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Observations on certain parts of the animal oeconomy : inclusive of several papers from the Philosophical transactions, etc. / by John Hunter ... ; with notes by Richard Owen. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
23/484
![taking another direction, and descending into the perinseum. How this is brought about is difficult to say ; it may possibly be occa- sioned by something unusual in the construction of the scrotum ; or, more probably, by a peculiarity in that of the perinseum itself; for it is not easy to imagine how the testicle could make its way to the parts about the perinaeum if these were in a perfectly natural state. The first instance of this kind that occurred to me was the child of a shopkeeper in Oxford-street, which I visited, in company with Dr. Garthshore, about the year 1775; but what became of the patient afterwards I do not know. I have lately been consulted in a similar case, by Mr. Hunt, a surgeon, at Burford in Oxfordshire, whose apprehensions of what may be the consequences of a testicle remaining in the perinseum appear to be well founded. The most effectual method of obviating these will probably be to support the testicle in a situation near the groin, by the application of a bandage that may hinder its descent into the perinasum, by which the parts may be in time so consolidated as to retain it by the side of the scrotum. Dear Sir, I take the liberty of writing to you, in consequence of having met with a lusus naturae of a peculiar kind, in the son of a man in this neighbourhood. The boy is about twelve months old : his right testicle is situated about an inch below the termination of the scrotum, and half an inch on the right side of the centre of the rapha perinaei. where a kind of pouch is formed of the common integuments, without the least rugous or scrotal appearance on its surface. It is perfectly detached from the scrotum ; nor can the testis or spermatic process be at any time felt in any part of the scrotum, though I can readily make the testis pass from its situation quite up into the groin; but immedi- ately upon removing my hand the testis falls down into its pouch ; and I can trace the spermatic chord from the body of the testis up to the ring, running about a fourth of an inch on the right side of the scrotum. The scrotum on each side appears perfectly formed, and the left testis is in situ naturali. Now, sir, as I conceive this peculiar conformation maybe attended with great inconvenience to the child when he comes to ride on horseback, and on many other occasions, I beg leave to request your opinion upon it, with respect to what ought to be done to prevent accidents, which must, if left in its present situation, often occur. Burford, Oxfordshire. [Signed] Thomas Hunt.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21131545_0023.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
