NERVUS TRIGEMINUS. 463 



tween it and the temporal muscle, and are distributed through 

 the latter by a great number of filaments. Some of these fila- 

 ments penetrate the aponeurosis, to anastomose with the super- 

 ficial temporal nerves. And one of them anastomoses with 

 the Temporal Branch of the Subcutaneus Malae, in the tejanpo- 

 ral fossa. 



c. The Buccal Branch is the largest of the five. It advances 

 between the pterygoid muscles, to which it furnishes a few fila- 

 ments, and then descends between the temporal and external 

 pterygoid muscle to the posterior part of the buccinator. It is 

 principally distributed on the latter, upon the buccal glands, 

 and the corresponding part of the lining membrane of the 

 mouth. Some of its branches advance under the integuments 

 of the face, as far as the commissure of the lips to the muscles 

 there, and anastomose with the facial nerve. 



d. The Pterygoid Branch is the smallest, and is distributed 

 principally on the internal pterygoid muscle. 



The Posterior Branch of the inferior maxillary nerve is so 

 large, that it looks like a continuation of the trunk. It is di- 

 vided into the superficial temporal, the inferior dental, and the 

 lingual nerve. 



a. The Superficial Temporal Branch is formed by a union 

 of two fasciculi, between which passes the middle artery of the 

 dura mater; the inferior of these fasciculi comes from the infe- 

 rior dental nerve. The nerve is directed outwards, and winds 

 horizontally around the posterior face of the neck of the con- 

 dyle of the lower jaw, between it and the meatus auditorius 

 externus. It is there divided into several small fasciculi, two 

 or three of which penetrate into the substance of the parotid 

 gland, and anastomose with the facial nerve or its ramifications ; 

 one or two others go backwards, penetrate between the bony 

 and the cartilaginous meatus to the auditory canal, and are 

 dispersed by fine filaments upon the concha, and the meatus ex- 

 ternus. According to Bock, one of these filaments supplies the 

 membrane of the tympanum, and also anastomoses with the 

 chorda tympani. Another branch of the superficial temporal, 

 which is the largest of any, traverses the parotid gland, and 

 thereby becomes superficial, just in front of the external ear. 

 It then divides into filaments, which follow the course of the 



