DISSECTION OF THE HEAD AND NECK. 163 



The Posterior Auricular Artery (Plate 28) is a collateral branch of 

 the external carotid, detached while that vessel lies over the great cornu 

 of the hyoid bone, and beneath the parotid gland. It divides on the 

 occipito-styloid muscle into an anterior and a posterior branch. The 

 anterior branch ascends in the parotid, and ramifies on the concha behind 

 the posterior edge of its opening, after giving branches to the base of the 

 ear, and to the interior of the concha. The posterior branch ascends in the 

 parotid gland, and crosses behind the base of the ear, beneatli the retra- 

 hentes muscle. It then passes vmder the parieto-auricularis internvis, 

 and ascends on the inner surface of the concha as far as its tip. 



The blood is drained away from the ear by the anterior and posterior 

 auricular veins. 



The Anterior Auricular Vein is a larger vessel than the satellite 

 artery. It joins the subzygomatic vein to form the superficial temporal 

 tnmk. 



The Posterior Auricular Vein is formed at the base of the ear by 

 two roots which unite at the posterior edge of the parotido-auricularis 

 muscle. It descends at first on the surface of the parotid, and then in 

 its substance, where it joins the jugular vein. 



Nerves. 



These are derived from the 7th cranial nerve, from the 1st and 2nd 

 cervical nerves, and from the lachrymal nerve of the trifacial. 



The Posterior Auricular Nerve is detached from the 7th cranial 

 nerve as it issues from the stylo-mastoid foramen. It ascends beneath 

 or in the substance of the parotid gland, in company with the artery of 

 the same name ; and passing immediately behind the mastoid process, 

 it gains the back of the ear, and is distributed to the cervico-auriculares 

 muscles. 



The Middle Auricular Nerve is detached at the same point as the 

 preceding. It ascends over the annular cartilage, behind the peaked 

 process of the concha, which it enters at its base. It is here distributed 

 to the scattered muscular fibres on the interior of the cartilage. 



The Anterior Auricular Nerve is much larger than either of the 

 preceding nerves. It is given off from the 7th midway between the 

 stylo-mastoid foramen and the edge of the inferior maxilla. It ascends 

 in the parotid, turns over the zygomatic arch, passes downwards be- 

 neath the parieto-auricularis muscle, then internal to the root of the 

 supraorbital process of the frontal bone, and terminates below the nasal 

 canthus of the eyelids. It supplies the attolentes muscles as well as 

 the corrugator supercilii and the orbicularis palpebrarum, and its ter- 

 minal filaments enter the levator labii superioris aleeque nasi. 



The Cervical Branch of the 7th nerve. This nerve comes out 

 through the substance of the parotid gland, near or at the same point 

 as the jugular vein, and under cover of the parotido-auricularis muscle. 



