34 THE TONER LECTURES. 



exists between the veins of the nasal chamber and those of the pha- 

 rynx by means of defects of the cauales basis vomeres. Certainly 

 it is a fact that no thickening of the walls of the choansB occurs in 

 such cases, and that the communication between the nose and the 

 pharynx, if it takes place at all, does so at planes below the mucous 

 and sub-mucous tissues. 



THE BASI-CRANIAL ANGLE. 



In the living subject the augle at which the basilar process of 

 the occipital bone joins the body of the sphenoid bone can be fre- 

 quently detected by the finger being inserted in the naso-pharynx. 

 An interruption of the contour-line between the two structures can 

 be often detected. In individuals in whom the angle is high the 

 entire region of the naso-pharynx is narrowed posteriorly, owing 

 to the fact that the inclination of the basilar process renders it easy 

 for the velum to ascend toward it. This is especially marked in 

 subjects which exhibit prominences on the bodies of the second and 

 third cervical vertebriB. 



The basi-vomerine angle, when high, places the parts to a great 

 disadvantage should the naso-pharynx ba the seat of diseased action. 

 Tenacious secretion forming, either in the nasal chambers or in the 

 naso-pharynx, the material is apt to lodge at the apex of the nar- 

 rowed space, to resist any effort on the part of the patient to dislodge 

 it, and to make it difficult so to do on the part of the physician. 



A high angulation of the process in the living subject would 

 predispose, a priori, the naso-pharynx to those distressing conditions 

 which result from the contact of the velum to the posterior wall of 

 the pharynx. 



It may be surmised that irregular union of the occipital and 

 sphenoid bones or their separation by a wide interval will be found 

 associated with adenoid growths on the pharyngeal vault. Clinical 

 experience confirms this ; but, as far as I know, a careful dissection 

 of a subject in which adenoid masses exist is yet lacking to com- 

 plete our knowledge of their localization. 



I 



