THE CHAXIAL NERVES. 169 



leaves the gang-lion as the hyomandibular branch, the other gives 

 some fibres to the palatine branch of the trigeminal nerve, and is 

 then continued as the palatine branch of the facial.] 



a. The Bcuiiua opltthahnictis [liamii-s- namlis, Fischer ; Ophthalmic 

 or Orbital Branch, Wyman ; Orbito-nasal or Ophthalmic Xerve, 

 de Watteville), (Figs, m and 1 1 2 Jo). After leaving the Gasse- 

 rian ganglion the nerve is directed forwards parallel to the side of 

 the cranium, between this and the eyel)all. It lies beneath the 

 Bectus superior, but above all the other muscles of the eyeball and 

 the optic nerve. At the anterior end of the orbit it di\'ides into 

 two branches (<? and/) which pass through apertures {^Foramen jJi'O 

 ramo nasali) in the cartilage of the sphenethmoid, to reach the nasal 

 cavity, where they lie between the cartilage and mucous membrane. 

 In this position the nerves supply branches to the mucous membrane 

 and then pierce the skull to appear on the surface (Figs, iii, 

 112 g,g,g, 114 ?V<), the skin of which they supply. The branches 

 inosculate with each other and communicate ^^^th the anterior twiirs 

 of th.eRa7m(s maxillarls (Fig. 114 J c) and with those of \\\^ Ramus 

 _palaf inns (Fig. 113 Jo). 



In its course through the orbit the Ramus ophthalmicus gives 

 off : — 



(1) Near the Gasserian ganglion one, two, or three small branches, 

 which communicate with the trochlear nerve, and may then be 

 traced to the sclerotic of the eyeball ; some of the twigs enter near 

 the optic nerve, others nearer the cornea. They are regarded as 

 Cdiarij nerves {Nervi ciliares). 



(2) A large branch, the palatine nerve [Ramus j^^^latinus), 

 (Figs. Ill and 113 Vb, b). This nerve, after receiving the palatine 

 branch of the facial, descends on the inner border of the Levator 

 buibi to the mucous membrane of the mouth, to which it gives 

 numerous filaments ; it then runs parallel and near to the median 

 line, lying on the base of the skull ; and near the front of the 

 orbit it divides into three branches. The smallest {a) suj^plies 

 the Harderian gland {III)) ; the second (b) continues in the course 

 of the original nerve, pierces the vomer, and divides, giving 

 filaments to the mucous membrane in its Avhole com-se, wliile- 

 the terminal t\\àgs supply the intermaxillary gland (Gl) and the 

 surrounding structures. One of these (f) ascends on the anterior 

 border of the sphenethmoid to the intermaxillary (internasal, 

 Born) space to supply the numerous glands and to inosculate by 

 one or two twigs with the nasal branch (/;•) of the trigeminal. 



