NOSE. 



7:25 



the olfactory nerves run from above downwards, 

 and those in which the naso-palatine nerves lie 

 are directed forwards ; at its lower margin also 

 is a particular groove in which a large blood- 

 vessel runs. The outer surface is concave and 

 smoother than the inner, and forms the inner 

 boundary of the middle meat us of the nose. 

 On the "outer wall of this meatus, which is a 

 much larger channel than the superior one, ex- 

 tending through nearly the whole length of the 

 outer wall of the nasal fossae, there are pre- 

 sented from before backwards, after removing 

 the turbinated bone, 1. a part of the ascend- 

 ing process of the upper jaw-bone; 2. part of 

 the inner surface of the lachrymal bone ; 3. the 

 walls of some of the anterior ethmoidal cells; 

 4. the infundibulum,a.\ong, narrow, and slightly 

 curved passage, leading obliquely upwards and 

 forwards into the anterior ethmoidal cells, and 

 through them into the frontal sinuses; 5. the 

 entrance into the antrum, a large aperture of 

 uncertain size and form ; and, lastly, a flat 

 surface of the vertical plate of the palate bone. 



Below the middle meatus is the inferior 

 turbinated bone, the largest of the three, and 

 usually described as a separate bone, because 

 it is not so soon united to the adjacent bones. 

 It is very uncertain in form and size; its depth 

 especially varies; so that its lower border some- 

 times nearly touches the floor of the nasal ca- 

 vity, and sometimes is half an inch above it ; 

 sometimes, also, it is so much curled outwards 

 that it nearly forms a canal between its outer 

 border and the outer wall. On the whole, 

 however, this turbinated bone presents the 

 same general characters as the others. Its 

 upper margin is fixed to a prominent ridge 

 along nearly the whole length of the outer wall 

 of the nasal fossae ; its lower margin is free, 

 and its outer surface forms the inner boundary 

 of the inferior meatus of the nose, of which 

 the outer boundary is formed by the ascending 

 plates of the superior maxillary (k) and palate 

 bones. At the anterior part of this meatus is 

 the inferior orifice of the nasal canal, a passage 

 flattened at its sides, larger at its extremities 

 than in the middle, and passing, with a slight 

 anterior curve, upwards, forwards, and a little 

 outwards to the inner angle of the orbit. It 

 lodges the nasal duct. At the level of this 

 meatus also, behind the edge of the internal 

 pterygoid plate, and about midway between 

 the floor of the nose and the end of the inferior 

 turbinated bone, is the opening of the Eusta- 

 chian tube ; but nothing of this is seen in the 

 skeleton. 



The inner wall of each cavity of the nose 

 is formed by the septum, a median partition 

 composed of the perpendicular plate of the 

 ethmoid bone, and the vomer, whose edges cor- 

 respond to ridges formed at the median sutures 

 of the nasal, superior maxillary, and palate bones, 

 and on the inferior surfaces of the frontal and 

 sphenoid bones. The septum is not commonly 

 quite vertical : it may lean to either side, or 

 may be curved slightly in both directions, or 

 may be convex on both sides and have a cavity 

 in its interior. Each of its sides exhibits at 

 the upper and back part the grooves of some of 



the olfactory nerves, becoming more shallow as 

 they descend ; and in various parts it is slightly 

 marked by the passage of bloodvessels and 

 other nerves. 



Thus, the bones which form the proper 

 cavities of the nose are fourteen ; viz. the two 

 nasal, two superior maxillary, two palatine, the 

 two inferior, and two sphenoidal turbinated, 

 bones, the frontal,ethmoid, sphenoid, and vomer. 

 And, with the space which these enclose, many 

 adjacent cavities communicate; viz. 1. The 

 frontal sinuses, which open through the ante- 

 rior ethmoid cells and infundibulum into the 

 middle meatus. 2. The anterior ethmoid cells, 

 which open by the same canal or by separate 

 apertures, into the same meatus. 3. The pos- 

 terior ethmoidal cells, which open into the 

 superior meatus. 4. The sphenoidal sinuses, 

 which open through the posterior part of the 

 roof of the nose behind the same meatus : and 

 5. The antrum, which opens into the middle 

 meatus. 



The osseous parts hitherto described form the 

 skeleton of the interior of the nose, but con- 

 tribute little to the formation of its external 

 prominent part. Of this part the osseous ske- 

 leton is composed of the two nasal bones, and 

 the nasal or ascending processes of the superior 

 maxillary bones, which together form the bridge 

 of the nose and a small portion of its lateral 

 walls. Each nasal bone is elongated, quadri- 

 lateral, and narrower above than below. Its 

 anterior surface is convex from side to side, and 

 either presents a double curve from above down- 

 wards, or is slightly concave in its whole length. 

 The two together form a prominent arch above 

 and in front of the anterior aperture of the nose : 

 their surface is continued outwards and down- 

 wards over the ascending processes of the supe- 

 rior maxillary bones, is smooth, and is marked 

 only by small apertures giving passage to blood- 

 vessels and nerves. 



The internal edges of the nasal bones are 

 united in the median line by a straight suture, 

 the continuation of the sagittal suture. In front 

 their union is smooth; but behind and above, 

 where the bones are much thicker than they are 

 below, a deep rid;e or crest is formed which is 

 received into that part of the septum of the 

 nose which is formed by the nasal spine of the 

 frontal bone, and the vertical plate of the 

 ethmoid. Sometimes, however, these margins, 

 instead of forming a ridge, are separate, and en- 

 close a groove in which the edge of the septum 

 is received. The superior thick borders of the 

 nasal bones articulate by a serrated suture with 

 the notch and the nasal spine of the frontal 

 bone; and this suture, which forms part of the 

 great transverse suture, is continued into that 

 uniting the nasal processes of the superior 

 maxillary bones with the internal angular pro- 

 cesses of the frontal. The outer and largest 

 margin of the nasal bone articulates with the 

 nasal process of the superior maxillary, and is 

 slightly overlapped by its sharp edge. The lower 

 free margin is sharp and uneven. 



The median suture of the nasal bones, and 

 the short portion of the sagittal suture imme- 

 diately above it, are the parts of the median 



