304 FACIAL ARTERY. 



tongue. It is situated between the mylo-hyoideus and genio-hyo-glos- 

 sus, generally accompanies Wharton's duct for a part of its course, and 

 sends a branch to the fraenum linguae. It is the latter branch which 

 affords the considerable haemorrhage which sometimes follows the 

 operation of snipping the fraenum in children. 



3. FACIAL ARTERY. The Facial artery arises a little above the 

 great cornu of the os hyoides, and descends obliquely to the submax- 

 illary gland, in which it lies embedded. It then curves around the 

 body of the lower jaw, close to the anterior inferior angle of the mas- 

 seter muscle, ascends to the angle of the mouth, and thence to the 

 angle of the eye, where it is named the angular artery. The facial 

 artery is tortuous in its course over the buccinator muscle, to accom- 

 modate itself to the movements of the jaws. 



Relations. Below the jaw it passes beneath the digastricus and 

 stylo-hyoid muscles ; on the body of the lower jaw it is covered by 

 the platysma myoides, and at the angle of the mouth by the depressor 

 anguli oris and zygomatic muscles. It rests upon the submaxillary 

 gland, the lower jaw, buccinator, orbicularis oris, levator anguli oris, 

 levator labii superioris proprius, and levator labii superioris alseque 

 nasi. 



Its branches are divided into those which are given off below the 

 jaw and those on the face : they may be thus arranged : 



Below the Jaw. Inferior palatine, 

 Submaxillary, 

 Submental, 

 Pterygoid. 



On the Face. Masseteric, 



Inferior labial, 

 Inferior coronary, 

 Superior coronary, 

 Lateralis nasi. 



The Inferior palatine branch ascends between the stylo-glossus 

 and stylo-pharyngeus muscles, to be distributed to the tonsil and soft 

 palate, and anastomoses with the posterior palatine branch of the 

 internal maxillary artery. 



The Submaxillary are four or five branches which supply the sub- 

 maxillary gland. 



The Submental branch runs forwards upon the mylo-hyoid muscle, 

 under cover of the body of the lower jaw, and anastomoses with 

 branches of the sublingual and inferior dental artery. 



The Pterygoid branch is distributed to the internal pterygoid 

 muscle. 



The Masseteric branches are distributed to the masseter and bucci- 

 nator muscles. 



