76 SURGICAL APPLIED ANATOMY. [Chap. vi. 



a congenital fissure in the palate. It was mistaken 

 for a polyp, was ligatured, and death resulted from 

 intracranial inflammation. 



The septum is seldom quite straight. The devia- 

 tion may be congenital, or may follow an injury. It 

 has been pointed out that a deviation of the septum 

 may seriously interfere with the singing voice. The 

 nose also is seldom quite straight, and French authors 

 ascribe this to some deviation of the septum, often de- 

 pendent upon the practice of always blowing the nose 

 with the same hand. If the deviation of the septum 

 be considerable, it may more or less block one nostril, 

 and, until the opposite nostril is examined, be mis- 

 taken for a septal tumour encroaching upon the cavity. 

 The flattened nose in acquired syphilis is usually due 

 to destruction of the septum, and more or less implica- 

 tion of the adjacent bones. Workmen exposed to the 

 vapour of bichromate of potash are liable to a peculiar 

 perforation of the septum known as " bichromate 

 disease." 



Outer wall. The inferior turbinated bone may 

 interfere with the introduction of a Eustachian catheter 

 if the curve of the instrument be too great. The 

 anterior end of the bone is about J of an inch behind 

 the orifice of the nostril. The opening of the nasal 

 duct is about one inch behind the orifice of the nostril, 

 and about f of an inch above the nasal floor. The 

 height of the inferior meatus is about J of ,an inch. 

 The middle meatus is widely open in front, and unless 

 care be taken to keep the point of any instrument 

 well towards the floor of the fossa, it is easier to pass 

 the instrument into the middle than into the inferior 

 meatus. The opening into the aiitrum is about the 

 centre of the middle meatus, and is nearly one inch 

 above the floor of the nasal fossae. The middle tur- 

 binated bone is high up. Its highest point its an- 

 terior extremity is nearly on a level with the teiido 



