VEINS OF THE HEAD AND NECK. 251 



branches of the occipital artery, and following the course of 

 the latter, beneath the muscles connected with the mastoid 

 process of the temporal bone, it is discharged into the upper 

 part of the internal jugular or of the external ; more rarely into 

 the latter. 



The Diploic Veins (Vena Diploicce) have been described in 

 the account of the bones of the cranium as situated between the 

 two tables in the diploic structure, and commence by very fine 

 capillary tubes from its lining membrane. The one in the fron- 

 tal bone discharges itself into the frontal vein, that in the occi- 

 pital bone into the occipital vein, and the two in the parietal 

 bone into the deep temporal veins. They do not open each by 

 one orifice, but by several, which makes their terminations not 

 very distinct or abrupt: besides which, they communicate freely 

 by a crowd of ramuscles, with the veins of the scalp on the 

 outside, and with those of the dura mater internally. 



The Superficial Temporal Vein (Vena Temporalis Superfi- 

 cialis) corresponds with the temporal artery, and takes its rise 

 from the terminating ramifications of the latter. It is imme- 

 diately below the skin. Its branches communicate freely with 

 each other, and with the branches of the frontal and of the 

 occipital vein: at the zygoma it receives the trunk of the 

 Middle Temporal Vein, which, collecting the blood from the 

 temporal muscle and other parts within the zygoma, perforates 

 the temporal fascia to discharge itself into the superficial tem- 

 poral vein. 



The Temporal Vein, (Vena Temporalis,) which is formed 

 by the junction of the Middle and the Superficial Temporal, 

 descends over the root of the zygoma, in company with the ar- 

 tery, and penetrates, like the latter, through the substance of 

 the parotid gland. It is joined, near the neck of the lower 

 jaw, by the internal maxillary vein. It is also joined, in its 

 descent through the parotid gland, by the anterior auricular 

 veins, by the parotid veins, and by the transverse facial, all of 

 which correspond with the arteries of the same name. The 

 temporal vein, on issuing from the parotid gland, immediately 



