The venous drainage of the accessory reproductive organs of the rat with special reference to prostatic metabolism.

The venous drainage of the testis, epididymis, prostate and bladder was studied in live and recently dead rats. New evidence for a previously suggested direct venous connection between the epididymis and the prostate is presented, and a mechanism for blood flow from the deferential vein into the prostatic venous plexus under conditions of raised central venous pressure is described. The studies have also revealed discrepancies among previous reports which might be resolved by a simplified nomenclature.