96 ANTHROPOLOGY. 



In the descriptive anatomy of the veins, we divide the whole into the 

 deep and the superficial ; the former are called " veuse comites," as they 

 generally accompany the arteries. As the latter of course have much the 

 same distribution as the arteries, the superficial veins will alone require 

 «•special attention. 



All the venous blood of the body empties into the heart through the two 

 vense cavse, excepting that of the heart itself, which is poured directly into 

 the right auricle by the coronary or cardiac vein. We shall begin wäth the 

 description of the branches of the superior vena cava, belonging to the head, 

 neck, thorax, and superior extremities, although, owing to the great number 

 of the veins and their incessant anastomoses, it will be impossible to classify 

 them with the precision of which the arteries are generally capable. 



A . Veins of the Head and Neck. 



. The veins of the head and neck are superficial and deep : the superficial 

 veins of the head return the blood from the scalp ; the deep veins are those 

 of the brain and sinuses. 



It may on the whole be said that the superficial veins return the blood 

 (circulated by the external carotid artery, while the deep veins bring back 

 that of the internal carotid. Starting at the heart, we find the superior 

 vena cava subdivided into two large veins, the right and left venae inno- 

 minata) or brachio- cephalic veins. Each of these is formed by the union 

 of the subclavian and internal jugular of each side, the subclavian sub- 

 dividing into the external jugular and axillary veins. The superficial veins 

 of the head converge and unite so as to form two trunks, the facial and the 

 temporal ; the former empties into the internal jugular vein, the latter into 

 the external. 



The Facial Vein lies obliquely along the sides of the face, extending 

 from the inner margin of the orbit downwards and backwards to the anterior 

 edge of the masseter muscle. Resting on the same plane with the facial 

 artery, it maintains nearly the same relations. It commences at the side 

 of the root of the nose by a vein formed by the conflux of branches from 

 the forehead, eyebrow, and nose, and increases by receiving others at each 

 step of its course. 



The frontal vein commences on the roof of the skull by branches which 

 pass obliquely downwards and forwards on the forehead, maintaining com- 

 munication with the anterior branches of the temporal. By the successive 

 union of different branches, a vein of some size is ultimately formed, which 

 descends vertically, parallel with the corresponding vessel of the opposite 

 side, with which it is connected by transverse branches. When descend- 

 ing from the forehead, it receives branches from the eyebrow, the nose, and 

 the upper eyelid. 



The supra-orhital vein runs transversely inwards in the direction of the 

 eyebrow ; its radicles are connected externally with those of the external 

 palpebral and superficial temporal ; in its course it receives branches from 

 the contiguous muscles and integuments, and at the inner angle of the orbit 

 it inclines downwards to form the frontal vein. The two by their junction 

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