ASCENDING rilAllYNGEAL ARTERY. o73 



the posterior palatine canal, with the palatine nerve, and runs along the hard 

 palate. In front it ends in a small vessel which ascends through the incisor 

 foramen, and anastomoses with the artery of the septum, ^\^lile descending in 

 the canal, this artery sends off twigs through the bone, which communicate on 

 the soft palate with the ascending palatine branch of the facial artery. 



{(l) The VuHan branch traverses the Vidian canal with the nerve of the same 

 name ; it is distributed to the Eustachian tube and the top of the pharynx, an«l 

 sends a small vessel into the tympanum. 



{r) The pic ryiio-palaiinc. a very small branch, passes backwards through the 

 ptery go-palatine canal to reach the top of the pharjTix. to which, and to the 

 Eustachian tube and sphenoidal cells, it is distributed. 



(/) The naml or ^phcno-palat'inc artery enters the spheno-palatme foramen, and 

 divides into two or three branches, some of which may ramify extensively over 

 the spongy bones, while others supply the posterior ethmoidal cells and the 

 .•antrum. One long branch, the artery of the .septum . runs forwards along the 

 septum nasi, ends in a small vessel which enters the incisor foramen, and inoscu- 

 lates with the descending palatine artery. 



Varieties. — Origin. — The internal maxillary artery is very constant in its place 

 •of origin. It has, however, been seen to arise from the facial. 



Course. — The artery often passes under cover of the external pterygoid muscle, 

 crossing the inferior maxiUary division of the fifth nerve. It has likewise been 

 observed to issue from under cover of the external pterygoid by piercing the 

 middle of that muscle. "\Mien the artery is placed beneath the muscle, it has 

 been found lodged in a notch in the posterior margin of the external pterygoid 

 plate, and bound down by fibrous structure. 



Brauehes. — The middle vienniiieal artery occasionally furnishes the laclmmial 

 artery (usually an offset of the ophthalmic), it has also been seen to give oft' the 

 ophthalmic itself, and on the other hand the ophthalmic has been seen to give off 

 the middle meningeal, peculiarities which may be looked on as resulting from 

 the enlargement of an ordinary anastomosing branch, (Curnow, Joum. of Anat., 

 vol. viii., p. 15.5. Krause. Blandin.) 



In a case in which the internal carotid artery was wanting, two tortuous 

 branches from the internal maxillary entered the skull by the foramen rotundum 

 and foramen ovale, to supply its place. (Quain, "On the Ai-teries,"' p. l:!, 

 fig. 8.) 



8. Ascending Pliaryiigeal Artery. — This artery, long and slender, 

 •the smallest branch of the external carotid which has received a distinc- 

 tive designation, arises most commonly from half an inch to an inch 

 .above the origin of the external carotid ; and in its straight course 

 upwards rests on the rectus capitis anticus, close to the surface of the 

 pharynx, between it and the internal carotid artery, and is thus directed 

 up towards the base of the skull. 



Branches. — These are very small, and may be divided into three sets, viz., 

 those to the pharjTix ; a set directed outwards ; and meningeal branches. 



(c?) The pharijnfjeal branches pass inwards, for the most part to the pharynx. 

 One or two small and variable branches ramify in the middle and inferior con- 

 strictor muscles. Higher up than these is a larger and more regular branch, 

 which rmis upon the upper constrictor, and sends small ramifications to the Eus- 

 tachian tube, and to the soft palate and tonsil. 



The last mentioned, or palatine branch, is sometimes of considerable size, and 

 supplies the soft palate, taking the place of the inferior palatine branch of the 

 facial artery, which in such cases is small. It divides into an anterior and a 

 posterior twig, both of which anastomose with their fellows of the opposite side 

 in the middle line. 



(J)) The ejcternal branches, small and iiTegular, are distributed to the rectus 

 anticus muscle, the first cer\'ical ganglion of the sympathetic nerve, some of the 

 cerebral nerves as they issue from the skull, and to lymphatic glands. Some 



