OCCIPITAL. POSTERIOR AURICULAR. 305 



The Inferior labial branch is distributed to the muscles and integu- 

 ment of the lower lip. 



The Inferior coronary runs along the edge of the lower lip, between 

 the mucous membrane, and the orbicularis oris ; it inosculates with 

 the corresponding artery of the opposite side. 



The Superior coronary follows the same course along the upper lip, 

 inosculating with the opposite superior coronary artery, and at the 

 middle of the lip it sends a branch upwards to supply the septum of 

 the nose and the mucous membrane. 



The Lateralis nasi is distributed to the ala and septum of the nose. 



The Inosculations of the facial artery are very numerous: thus, it 

 anastomoses with the sublingual branch of the lingual, with the 

 ascending pharyngeal and posterior palatine arteries, with the inferior 

 dental as it escapes from the mental foramen, infra-orbital at the in- 

 fra-orbital foramen, transverse facial on the side of the face, and at the 

 angle of the eye with the nasal and frontal branches of the ophthalmic 

 artery. 



The facial artery is subject to considerable variety in its extent ; it 

 not unfrequently terminates at the angle of the nose or mouth, and is 

 rarely symmetrical on both sides of the face. 



4. The MASTOID ARTERY turns downwards from its origin, to be 

 distributed to the sterno-mastoid muscle, and to the lymphatic glands 

 of the neck ; sometimes it is replaced by two small branches. 



5. The OCCIPITAL ARTERY, smaller than the anterior branches, 

 passes backwards beneath the posterior belly of the digastricus, the 

 trachelo-mastoid and stemo-rnastoid muscles, to the occipital groove 

 in the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. It then ascends between 

 the splenius and complexus muscles, and divides into two branches 

 which are distributed upon the occiput, anastomosing with the oppo- 

 site occipital, the posterior auricular, and temporal artery. The hypo- 

 glossal nerve curves around this artery near its origin from the ex- 

 ternal carotid. 



Branches. It gives off only two branches deserving of name, the 

 inferior meningeal and princeps cervicis. 



The Inferior meningeal ascends by the side of the internal jugular 

 vein, and passes through the foramen lacerum posterius, to be distri- 

 buted to the dura mata. 



The Arteria princeps cervicis is a large and irregular branch. It 

 descends the neck between the complexus and semi-spinalis colli, and 

 inosculates with the profunda cervicis of the subclavian. This branch 

 is the means of establishing a very important collateral circulation 

 between the branches of the carotid and subclavian, after ligature of 

 the common carotid artery. 



6. The POSTERIOR AURICULAR ARTERY arises from the external 

 carotid, above the level of the digastric and stylo-hyoid muscles, and 



