DEGLUTITION. 193 



deglutition., the palate, naturally inclined downward, became 

 more horizontal, and the posterior wall of the pharynx came 

 forward to meet it. The same movement of the pharynx 

 was observed by Kobelt in the case of a soldier who re- 

 ceived a severe sabre-cut in the neck. 1 



"While the food is passing the pharynx, the palato-pharyn- 

 geal muscles, which form the posterior pillars of the soft palate, 

 are in a state of contraction by which the edges of the pillars 

 are nearly approximated, forming, with the uvula between 

 them, almost a complete diaphragm between the postero- 

 superior and the antero-inferior parts of the pharynx. This, 

 with the application of the posterior wall of the pharynx 

 to the superior face of the soft palate, completes the protec- 

 tion of the posterior openings of the nasal fossae. The fact 

 that the posterior pillars are thus contracted and approxi- 

 mated during deglutition may be easily verified by sim- 

 ply watching these parts with a mirror during an effort at 

 swallowing. In the following case, observed by Berard, it 

 was shown that the muscular action of the soft palate was 

 absolutely necessary to the protection of the nares, particu- 

 larly in swallowing liquids : A young lady was aifected 

 with complete paralysis of the velum, w r hich allowed liquids 

 to return so freely by the nose in swallowing that she 

 was obliged to retire from observation whenever sh.e drank. 2 



1 BECLARD, Traite Elementaire de Physiologic Humaine, Paris, 1859, p. 60. 



* Op. cit., p. 24. 



In a late" article by M. Moura on the mechanism of deglutition, published in 

 the Journal de I 1 Anatomic et de la Physiologic, there are some interesting obser- 

 vations upon the function of the velum of the palate in man and in the inferior 

 animals. While M. Moura fully recognizes the mechanism by which the velum 

 closes the posterior nares, in man, and shows that any interference with its func- 

 tions seriously disturbs the act of deglutition, he has found that the velum of the 

 palate could be entirely removed in the dog without any such result ; the animal 

 accomplishing the deglutition of both solids and liquids without difficulty and 

 without any return of these matters by the nares. This he explains by certain 

 important anatomical differences between the organs of deglutition in man and 

 in the dog. (HouRA, Memoire sur VActe de la Deglutition. Journal de VAnato- 

 mie et de la Physiologic, Paris, 186Y, tome iv., p. 168. 

 13 



