54 THE CRANIUM AND FACE. 



organs of special sense. Many delicate muscles control 

 the facial expression which, consciously or unconsciously. 

 reflects the character of their owner. 



Surgically the most important of the facial bones are 

 the two superior maxillary bones, because of the number 

 of diseases to which they are liable. They meet in front , 

 together forming the upper jaw, and with the malar bone 

 help form the lower part of the orbit of the eye. They 

 are cuboid in shape and are hollowed out into a pyramidal 

 cavity called the antrum of Highmorc, which opens by a 

 small orifice into the middle nasal meat us and which 

 sometimes becomes infected and has to be tapped. The 

 nasal process for articulation with the frontal and nasal 

 bones has, at its lower edge, a crest for the inferior turbin- 

 ated bone, and close beside this on the inside, extending 

 down from the upper edge, is a deep groove which, with 

 the lachrymal and inferior turbinated bones, help- 

 form the lachrymal canal for the nasal tear duct. The 

 bones give attachment to many small muscles, connected 

 for the most part with the nose and mouth, of which the 

 masseter is the only important one. 



The two malar or check bones are small quadrangular 

 bones, which form the prominences of the cheeks and 

 help form the orbits of the eyes. Projecting backward 

 from each is a zygomatic process for articulation with the 

 zygomatic process of the temporal bone, while a maxil- 

 lary process extends downward for articulation with the 

 superior maxillary. Here again the most important 

 muscle attached is the masseter. If the malar boi; 

 crushed great deformity results. 



The lachrymal bones are two small bones, about the size 

 and shape of a finger-nail, situated at the front of the 

 inner wall of the orbit. At the external edge is a groove 

 which lodges the lachrymal sac above and forms part of 

 the lachrymal canal below. 



The two palate bones are at the back of the nasal 

 and help to form the floor of the nose, the roof of the 

 mouth, and the orbit. Each has a vertical and a hori- 



