280 OPHTHALMIC ARTERY. 



lachrymal gland. The small branches which escape from the gland 

 supply the conjunctiva and upper eyelid. - The lachrymal artery 

 gives off a malar branch which passes through the malar bone into 

 the temporal fossa and inosculates with the deep temporal arteries, 

 while some of its branches become subcutaneous on the cheek and 

 anastomose with the transverse facial. 



The Supra-orbital artery follows the course of the frontal nerve, 

 resting on the levator palpebrse muscle : it passes through the supra- 

 orbital foramen, and divides into a superficial and deep branch which 

 are distributed to the muscles and integument of the forehead and 

 to the pericranium. At the supra-orbital foramen it sends a branch 

 inwards to the diploe. 



The Ethmoidal arteries, posterior and anterior, pass through the 

 ethmoidal foramina, and are distributed to the falx cerebri and to 

 the ethmoidal cells and nasal fossa?. The latter accompanies the 

 nasal nerve. 



The Palpebral arteries, superior and inferior, are given off from 

 the ophthalmic, near to the inner angle of the orbit ; they encircle 

 the eyelids, forming a superior and inferior arch near to the borders 

 of the lids, between the orbicularis palpebrarum and tarsal cartilage. 

 At the outer angle of the eyelids the superior palpebral inosculates 

 with the orbital branch of the temporal artery. The inferior palpe- 

 bral artery sends a branch to the nasal duct. 



The Frontal artery, one of the terminal branches of the ophthalmic, 

 emerges from the orbit at its inner angle, and ascends along the 

 middle of the forehead. It is distributed to the integument, muscles, 

 and pericranium. 



The Nasal artery, the other terminal branch of the ophthalmic, 

 passes out of the orbit above the tendo oculi, and divides into two 

 branches ; one of which inosculates with the angular artery, while 

 the other, the dorsalis nasi, runs along the ridge of the nose and is 

 distributed to its entire surface. The nasal artery sends a small 

 branch to the lachrymal sac. 



The Muscular branches, usually two in number, superior and 

 inferior, supply the muscles of the orbit; and upon me anterior 

 aspect of the globe of the eye give off the anterior ciliary arteries, 

 which pierce the sclerotic near its margin of connection with the 

 cornea, and are distributed to the iris. It is the congestion of these 

 vessels that gives rise to the vascular zone around the cornea in 

 iritis. 



The Ciliary arteries are divisible into three groups, short, long, 

 and anterior. 



The Short ciliary are very numerous ; they pierce the sclerotic 

 around the entrance of the optic nerve, and supply the choroid coat 

 and ciliary processes. The long ciliary, two in number, pierce the 

 sclerotic upon opposite sides of the globe of the eye, and pass for- 

 wards between it and the choroid to the iris. They form an arterial 

 circle around the circumference of the iris by inosculating with 

 each other, and from this circle branches are given off which ramify 



