INTERNAL MAXILLARY ARTERY. 255 



the anterior which is the largest, passes over the anterior 

 and inferior angle of the parietal bone : the posterior branch 

 soon divides into many ramifications, which are extended late- 

 rally and posteriorly. 



It furnishes the twig which passes to the ear by the hiatus 

 of Fallopius, and anastomoses with the small branches of the 

 stylo-mastoid artery. 



It also supplies some other small vessels which pass to the 

 cavity of the tympanum by small foramina near the junction of 

 the squamous and petrous portions of the temporal bone. 



D. The next branch sent off by the internal maxillary leaves 

 it about an inch from its origin, and is called the Inferior Max- 

 illary or Dental. It passes between the internal pterygoid 

 muscle and the bone, and after giving small branches to the 

 contiguous muscles, enters the canal in the lower jaw, in com- 

 pany with the nerve. This canal has a very free communi- 

 cation with the cellular structure of the jaw, and the artery in 

 its progress along it sends branches to the respective teeth and 

 the bone. At the anterior maxillary foramen this artery sends 

 off a considerable branch which passes out and anastomoses 

 with the vessels on the chin, while another branch passes for- 

 ward and supplies the canine and incisor teeth and the bone 

 contiguous to them. 



Sometimes the inferior maxillary artery divides into two 

 branches before it has arrived at this foramen. In this case, 

 one of the arteries passes out of the foramen, while the other 

 continues to the symphysis. 



2. Branches given off by the Artery between the Pterygoid 



Muscles. 



E. Two branches (temporales profundi) pass off to the 

 temporal muscle, which originate at a small distance from each 

 other; one of them passes upwards on the tendon of the tem- 

 poral muscle ; the other arises near the tuberosity of the upper 

 maxillary bone: they are called the exterior deep, and the 

 interior deep temporal artery. They are both spent upon the 



