474 NERVOUS SYSTEW. 



go to the epiglottis cartilage, its covering membrane, and the 

 adjacent portion of the lining membrane of the pharynx. Other 

 branches are distributed to the small muscles which move the 

 arytenoid cartilages, and to the lining membrane of the larynx. 

 The filaments which go to the epiglottis have an arrangement 

 indicated by Bichat; that of going into the foramina which per- 

 forate it, but they cannot be traced farther. 



The pneumogastric afterwards does not send off any regular 

 branches till it reaches the tower part of the neck. It then de- 

 taches two or three filaments, (rami eardiaci,) which, on the 

 right side, have their roots about an inch above the subclavian 

 artery, and on the left side, an inch lower down. On the right 

 side, they descend along the subclavian and the arteria innomi- 

 nata, on the left along the left carotid; they reach the arch of 

 the aorta, and in their course, as well as there, anastomose 

 very freely with the superficial cardiac nerve. The rami car- 

 diaci are frequently more abundant oa the right side then on 

 the left. 



The Inferior Laryngeal Nerve (Nervtis Laryngeus Inferior, 

 Recurrens) is a considerable branch of the pneumogastric, which 

 comes off next to the cardiac. On the right side it arises im- 

 mediately after the trunk has passed between the subclavian 

 artery and the subclavian vein. It then winds around the sub- 

 elavian artery so as to retain the latter in its loop ; having thus 

 got behind the artery, it then ascends towards the- larynx, on 

 the side of the trachea, covered by the common carotid, and by 

 the inferior thyroid artery. 



In this course the inferior laryngeal nerve detaches the fol- 

 lowing branches: 1. From the convexity of its loop it sends 

 filaments to the assistance of the cardiac branches just spoken 

 of, arising from the pneumogastric, and to those coming from 

 the inferior cervical ganglion of the sympathetic. 2. It de- 

 taches the pulmonary branches, the origin of which is compli- 

 cated with the plexus of nerves existing about their roots ; these 

 descend in front of the trachea, reach the pulmonary artery, 

 and follow its ramifications into the lungs; some of the fila- 

 ments, however, go to the cardiac plexus. 3. The inferior 

 laryngeal then sends many filaments to the oesophagus; 4. 

 Branches which go- to the inferior part of the thyroid gland; 



