THE COMMON CAROTID ARTERIES. 679 



5. A small maxillo-muscular artery, ramifying eutirely in the internal pterygoid and the 

 subcutaneous muscles. 



Superficial temporal artery.— This vessel divides, almost at its origin, into three branches : 



1. A posterior, supplying the anterior arteries of the ear. 



2. An anterior, forming the transverse facial, and terminating by the coronary or labial 

 arteries, after giving some ramuscules to the masseter and the muscles of the forehead. 



3. A median artery, representing the middle temporal of Man. This vessel detaches some 

 divisions to the temporal muscle, gives off the lachrymal artery, as well as a palpebral branch 

 rising from the same point, and terminates near the base of tlie cranium by two particular 

 arteries that are developed around the base of the horn, and form a real arterial circle from 

 which inferior and superior divisions are given off. The latter are tlie most considerable, 

 and glide on the bony core of the frontal appendage, where they are distributed almost 

 exclusively to the generating membrane of the horny tissue, only throwing some filaments into 

 the sinuses. 



Internal maxillary artery.— It does not traverse the subsphenoidal canal, as that bony 

 passage does not exist. 



The following are its principal branches : — 



1. The inferior dental artery, which emits some pterygoid ramuscules. 



2. The spheno-spinous artery, arising from the same point as tlie preceding, often in common 

 with it, giving also bome pterygoid branches, and entering the cranium by the oval foramen to 

 aid in the formation of the rete mirabile, in a way to be indicated hereafter. 



3. The po»terior deep temporal artery, which detaches a masseteric artery. 



4. The interior deep temporal artery. 



5. The buccal, principally sent to the masseter muscle. 



6. The ophthalmic artery, longer than in the other animals, forming a loop before traversing 

 the orbital foramen, and giving a supra-orbital branch and a fasciculus of muscular and ciliary 

 arteries. Near the point where the originating trunk of this fasiculus is detached, the ophthalmio 

 artery shows on its course a very curious arrangement which lias not yet been noticed ; we 

 believe this is a veritable arterial plexus, in a ganglionic form, in principle exactly disposed as 

 that about to be described (Fig. 382, 19). 



7. The originating arteries of the rete mirabile, usually consisting of two principal vessels, 

 arising with the ophthalmic, passing backward through the supra-sphenoidal canal, and rami- 

 fying in a special manner to form a mass of reticular twigs, designated the rete mirabile 

 (Fig. 382, 16). 



This network is a small ovoid mass, elongated from before to behind, placed beneath the 

 dura mater, on the side of the sella Turcica, within the superior maxillary nerve, and composed 

 of a multitude of fine arterial divisions which anastomose with each other in an extremely 

 complicated manner. Its inferior extremity, passing into the supra-sphenoidal canal, receives 

 the generating arteries. The posterior extremity, covered by the clinoid process, is in com- 

 munication with the spheno-spinous artery, which there expends itself. Towards its middle 

 part, and above, the twigs forming it reconstitute themselves into a single trunk analogous 

 to the intercranial portion of the internal carotid of Solipeds (Fig. 382, 17), and which traverses 

 the dura mater, dividing into three branches. These are the anterior, middle, and posterior 

 cerebral arteries ; the latter anastomoses, by convergence, with the homologous artery of the 

 opposite side, behind the pituitary gland, to form the basilar artery and the middle spinal artery, 

 ■which continues it. 



This singular disposition of the arteries of the encephalon well deserves the name of rete 

 mirabile (wonderful network), by which it is known. If we were desirous of giving a summary 

 idea of this network, we might compare it to a lymphatic gland, the efferent vessels of which 

 would be represented by the originating arteries with the spheno-spinous, and the efferents by 

 the originating trunk of the encephalic arteries. 



8. Next comes the superior dental, the orbital branch of which presents a considerable 

 volume, and terminates on the anterior surface of the head by long superficial divisions. 

 Some of these — the ascending — anastomose with the inferior branches of the arterial circle 

 situated amund the base of the horn ; while others, the descending, communicate with the 

 infra-orbital branch of the same vessel, and with the superior coronary artery. 



9. The last to be given off are the nasal and palatine arteries, which terminate the internal 

 maxillary: the nasal artery is disposed as in the Horse; the palatine goes entirely to the 

 palate. 



B. In the Ox, we find all the peculiarities just enumerated, except with the following 

 differences : — 



1. A little above the origin of the lingual artery, the external carotid gives rise to ao 



