The sexual function of the prostate is rather a complex one, being made up of several elements, namely, special, sensory, secretory, and mechanical. We will leave its urinary role out of consideration for the present because the urine may be physiologically retained or ex pelled independently of the existence of the prostate. The prostatic urethra, and especially its floor in and about the veru montanum, is the seat of the urinary besain, and the pleasurable sensation experienced in the -performance of the sexual function. The prostatic follicles secrete a milky fluid, slightly acid in reaction, the function of which is to dilute and increase the bulk of the seminal fluid. The muscular fibres of the prostate are involved in the convulsive, spasmodic muscu lar action which expels the semen during ejaculation. This is brought about by a distinct reflex contraction excited by the over-distention of the prostatic urethra with seminal fluid at a time when the nerves of sexual sensibility are in a condition of relative hyperaasthesia.
Standard authorities upon anatomy assert that the follicular pros tatic glands in some old subjects contain small calculi, composed of carbonate of calcium and animal matter. This assertion is based upon the fact that it is practically only in old subjects that these calculi are of sufficient size or so located as to give rise to mechanical disturbance. The author has become convinced from the dissection of a large number of prostates in subjects under middle age, that prostatic calculi are frequently found in young subjects. If the ex
amination of the prostate be restricted to the tissue immediately sur rounding the prostatic urethra, these calculi will not frequently be found. If, however, the glandular tissue outside of the capsule proper—i.e., the glandular tissue surrounding the base of the pros tate and neck of the bladder—be carefully examined these calculi will often be met with. The author has found them in the tissues sur rounding the neck of the bladder an inch and a half or more above the base of the prostate proper.
Attention has frequently been called to certain striking points of similarity between the prostate and uterus, from both an anatomical and a physiological standpoint. It is unnecessary to go into an ex haustive discussion of this subject. It is, however, well to remem ber the existence of a general resemblance between the two in the clinical study of diseases of the prostate. This is especially true with reference to the consideration of surgical measures of relief of circumscribed neoplasms, and to the medical treatment of congestive and inflammatory affections of this organ. The prostate is of neces sity a more obscure field for research than the uterus, hence analogi cal reasoning is sometimes of great clinical and therapeutical value.