494 



INFERIOR MAXILLARY NERVE. 



The Inferior Maxillary Nerve, or the Third Branch of the 

 Fifth Pair, 



Passes through the foramen ovale into the zygomatic fossa, 

 and divides into two branches, one of which, the external, 

 sends ramifications to many of the contiguous muscles, as the 

 temporal, the masseter, the buccinator, the pterygoid ; and, 

 also, to the anterior part of ^he ear and the side of the head. 

 The other internal branch passes between the pterygoid mus- 

 cles, and divides into two ramifications, one of which proceeds 

 to the tongue, and is called the Lingual or Gustatory, while 

 the other passes into the canal of the lower jaw. 



Fig. 208.* The Lingual Nerve proceeds 



between the pterygoid mus- 

 cles, and, in its course, is joined 

 by the chorda tympani. It 

 continues forward between the 

 maxillary gland and the lining 

 membrane of the mouth ; and 

 passes near the excretory duct of 

 that gland, above the mylo-hy- 

 oideus and the sublingual gland 

 to the under side of the tongue, 

 near the point : it then divides 

 into a number of branches which 

 enter into that body between 

 the genio-hyoideus and lingu- 

 alis muscles. This nerve has 

 been supposed to be particular- 

 ly concerned in the function of 

 taste, because many of its branches continue to the upper sur- 



* This cut exhibits the nerves distributed to the tongue and some neighbor- 

 ing parts. 1. A fragment of the temporal bone containing the meatus audito- 

 rius externus, mastoid and styloid processes. 2. Stylo-hyoid muscle. 3. Stylo- 

 glossus. 5. Tongue. 6. Hyoglossus muscle. 7. Genio-hyo-glossus muscle. 

 8. Genio-hyoideus ; the two last arise from the inner surface of the symphysis 

 of the lower jaw. 9. Sterno-hyoid muscle. 10. Sterno-thyroid. 11. Thyro- 

 hyoid, upon which the hyoid branch of the lingual nerve is seen ramifying. 

 12. Omo-hyoid muscle crossing the common carotid artery (13) and internal 

 jugular vein (14.) 15. The external carotid giving off its branches. 16. The 

 internal carotid. 17. The lingual or gustatory branch of the third division of 



