i66 



APPLIED ANATOMY. 



they lie in a cleft in the gland and thereby escape recognition. They possess a separate 

 capsule. They are supplied by a separate artery, the parathyroid, a branch of the 

 inferior thyroid. This latter usually gives off two parathyroid arteries, one to each 

 body. Ginsburg {Univ. Penna. Med. B^dlet^n, Jan., 1908) has demonstrated a free 

 anastomosis with the vessels of the opposite side. In many cases it is practically 

 impossible to avoid wounding or removing the parathyroids in operations Halsted 

 has suggested three means of avoiding their removal, viz. : ( i ) slice off and leave the 

 piece of thyroid gland 'supposed to contain the parathyroids; (2) ligate the superior 



Inferior constrictqr 

 Superior thyroid artery 



Cricothyroid muscle 

 Superior parathyroid 

 Inferior thyroid artery 



Thyroid gland 



Inferior parathyroid 



CEsophagus 



Recurrent laryngeal nerve 



Trachea 



FIG. 185. Showing the parathyroid bodies. 



and inferior thyroids, and a week or two later perform a subcapsular enucleation of the 

 thyroid ; (3) search for each parathyroid by following out the ramifications of the 

 inferior thyroid artery this is the best method of finding them in post-mortem 

 examinations. 



CESOPHAGUS CERVICAL PORTION. 



The oesophagus runs from the level of the cricoid cartilage to the stomach. 

 The cricoid is opposite the sixth cervical vertebra and the cardiac or cesophageal end 

 of the stomach is opposite the lower border of the tenth thoracic vertebra. It is in the 

 median line above, then curves slightly to the left until the root of the neck is 

 reached, when it returns to the median line opposite the fifth thoracic vertebra. 



It is in front of the spine and the prevertebral fascia. The layer of fascia between 

 its anterior surface and the trachea is extremely thin. On each side are the common 

 carotid arteries and the sheath of the vessels. The right recurrent laryngeal nerve 

 winds around the commencement of the first portion of the subclavian, and passes 



