INTERNAL MAXILLARY ARTERY. 257 



— -4. Branches given off from the Internal Maxillary Artery 

 in the Spheno-maxillary-fossa. — 



J. The Palato-Maxillary or Superior Palatine Artery, 

 arises in the spheno-maxillary fossa, and, descending behind 

 the upper maxillary bone, enters the posterior palatine canal, 

 through which it passes to the roof of the mouth. It generally 

 forms two branches, the largest of which advances forward, 

 supplying the palate and gums, and finally sends a twig 

 through the foramen incisivum to the nose, while the posterior 

 branch, which is much smaller, supplies the velum pendulum 

 palati. 



K. The Ptery go-Palatine or Superior Pharyngeal, is a 

 small vessel, which sometimes arises from the artery next to 

 be mentioned. It is spent upon the upper part of the pharynx, 

 and a branch passes through the pterygo-palatine foramen, 

 which is spent upon the arch of the palate and the contiguous 

 parts. 



L. The Internal Maxillary at length terminates in the 

 Spheno-Palatine, or Lateral Nasal Artery, which passes 

 through the spheno-palatine foramen to the back part of the 

 nose. This artery sometimes separates into two branches 

 before it enters the foramen ; sometimes it enters singly, and 

 divides into two branches soon after ; one of them is spread 

 upon the septum, and the other upon the external side of the 

 nose; each of these branches ramifies very minutely upon the 

 Schneiderian membrane and its processes in the different 

 sinuses, and also in the ethmoidal cells. 



Distribution of the Internal Carotid, the Vertebral and In- 

 ternal Maxillary Arteries, as seen upon making a vertical 

 Section of the Head, (see Plate W . facing page 257.) 



A. The Upper Jaw Bone ; part of it is torn away. 



B. The Lower Jaw Bone ; all the angle of the right side is taken away, to 



show the internal maxillary artery. 

 c. The tongue. 



D. The Antrum Highmorianum, torn open. 

 22* 



