TOPOGRAPHICAL AXATOMY OF THE EAR. 153 



tremity of the antihelix is called the antitragus. The fleshy, 

 dependent portion of the pinna is called the lobule of the ear. 



The form of the pinna and its consistence depend upon 

 the presence of fibre-cartilage, which occupies the whole of 

 the external ear except the lobule. This structure has al- 

 ready been described in another volume. 1 



The integument covering the ear does not vary much 

 from the integument of the general surface. It is thin, 

 closely attached to the subjacent parts, and possesses small, 

 rudimentary hairs, with sudoriparous and sebaceous glands. 



The muscles of the ear are not important in the human 

 subject ; and, excluding a few exceptional cases, they are not 

 under the control of the will. The extrinsic muscles are the 

 superior, or attolens, the anterior, or attrahens, and the pos- 

 terior, or retrahens auri. In addition, there are the six small 

 intrinsic muscles, situated between the ridges upon the car- 

 tilaginous surface. The pinna is attached to the sides of the 

 head by two distinct ligaments and a few delicate ligamen- 

 tous fibres. 



The external auditory meatus is about an inch and a 

 quarter in length, and extends from the concha to the mem- 

 brana tympani. Its course is somewhat tortuous. Passing 

 from without inward, its direction is at first somewhat up- 

 ward, turning abruptly over a bony prominence near the 

 middle, from which it has a slightly downward direction to 

 the membrana tympani. Its general course is from without 

 inward and slightly forward. The inner termination of the 

 canal is the membrana tympani, which is quite oblique, the 

 upper portion being inclined outward, so that the inferior 

 wall of the meatus is considerably longer than the superior. 



The walls of the external meatus are partly cartilaginous 

 and fibrous, and partly bony. The cartilaginous and fibrous 

 portion occupies a little less than half of the entire length, 

 and consists of a continuation of the cartilage of the pinna 

 with fibrous tissue. About the lower two-thirds of this por- 



1 See vol. iii., Movements, p. 488. 



