448 OF THE NOSE. 



The upper and posterior part of this oval ring is deficient ; 

 but the remainder of the nostril consists of several small pieces 

 of cartilage, (cartilages carres,) which are fixed in a ligamen- 

 tous membrane that is connected by each of its extremities to the 

 oval cartilage, and thus completes the orifice. 



The anterior parts of the oval cartilage form the point of the 

 nose ; and the ligamentous portions, the alae or lateral parts of 

 the nostrils. 



When the external integuments and muscles are removed 

 from the lower portion of the nose, so that the internal mem- 

 brane and these cartilages only remain, the internal membrane 

 will be found attached to the whole bony margin of each orifice, 

 and to each side of the whole anterior edge of the middle 

 cartilage, which projects beyond the bones. This membrane is 

 afterwards continued so as to line the oval cartilages and the 

 elastic membrane of the ala nasi, to the margin of the orifice of 

 the nostril. 



The internal portions of the oval cartilages being situated 

 without the septum, and applied to each other, they form the 

 external edge of the partition between the nostrils, or the 

 columna nasi ; which is very movable upon the edge of the 

 middle cartilage. 



The orifices of the nostrils, thus constructed, are dilated by 

 that portion of the muscle, called Levator Labii Superioris 

 Alceque Nasi, which is inserted into the alae nasi. 



They are drawn down by the depressor labii superioris alsque 

 nasi. They are pressed against the septum and the nose by 

 the muscle called Compressor Naris y which has however an 

 opposite effect when its upper extremity is drawn upwards by 

 those fibres of the occipito frontalis, which descend upon the 

 nose, and are in contact with it. 



The end of the nose is also occasionally drawn down, by 

 some muscular fibres which descend from it, on the septum of 

 the nose, to the orbicularis oris : they are considered as a por- 

 tion of this muscle by many anatomists, but were described by 

 Albinus as a separate muscle, and called Nasalis Labii 



