512 NERVES OF THE NECK. 



and third cervical nerves, is larger than the last, and 

 ascends hehind the mastoid muscle, to the parotid gland, 

 where it divides into a superficial branch, supplying the 

 integument over the parotid gland and anterior ear, and a 

 deep one which enters the lower part of the gland, passes 

 over the mastoid process, and is distributed to the back of 

 the ear, and side and back of the scalp, and communicating 

 with the facial and occipital nerves. 



The occipitalis minor arises from the second cervical, and 

 proceeds upward, behind the mastoid muscle, to supply the 

 skin of the back part of the head, and the occipital part of 

 the occipito-frontalis muscle. 



The descending brandies of the cervical plexus are divided 

 into superficial and deep. The former consist of external, 

 middle, and internal branches, which, supply the integu- 

 ments upon the sides of the neck, and extend down upon 

 the pectoral and deltoid muscles. 



The deep descending branches consist of the muscular, the 

 communicating, and the phrenic. 



The muscular supply the trapezius, levator anguli sea- 

 pulse, and sterno-mastoid muscles, and come from different 

 parts of the plexus. 



The communicating connect with the sympathetic, pneu- 

 mo-gastric, and lingual nerves near the base of the cranium, 

 and in front of the atlas. 



A nerve called the communicans noni, is a long, delicate 

 branch, coming from the second and third cervical nerves, 

 which descends generally in front of the sheath of the cer- 

 vical vessels, though sometimes on the outside of the inter- 

 nal jugular vein, and occasionally behind it, to the middle 

 tendon of the omo-hyoid, where it unites in the form of a 

 loop, with the descendens noni. 



The phrenic is a very important nerve, and is the internal 

 respiratory of Sir Charles Bell. It arises from the third 

 and fourth cervical nerves, with additional filaments from 

 the fifth and sixth, and sometimes from the seventh, con- 

 necting with the sympathetic. It descends in front of the 

 scalenus anticus muscle, and at the root of the neck com- 



