302 



SUPERIOR THYROID ARTERY. 



The anterior branches arise from the commencement of the external 

 carotid, within a short distance of each other. The lingual and facial 

 bifurcate, not unfrequently, from a common trunk. 



1. The SUPERIOR THYROID ARTERY (the first of the branches of 

 the external carotid) curves downwards to the thyroid gland to which 

 it is distributed, anastomosing with its fellow of the opposite side, and 

 with the inferior thyroid arteries. In its course it passes beneath the 

 omo-hyoid, sterno- thyroid, and sterno-hyoid muscles. 



Fig. 117.* 



* The carotid arteries with the branches of the external carotid. 1. The 

 common carotid. 2. The external carotid. 3. The internal carotid. 4. The 

 carotid foramen in the petrous portion of the temporal bone. 5. The superior 

 thyroid artery. 6. The lingual artery. 7. The facial artery. 8. The mastoid 

 artery. 9. The occipital. 10. The posterior auricular. 11. The transverse 

 facial artery. 12. The internal maxillary. 13. The temporal. 14. The ascend- 

 ing pharyngeal artery. 



