312 PRACTICAL ANATOMY. 



eating- with the anterior dental. Infra-orbital branch : 

 The anterior dental, given off near the infra-orbital fora- 

 men, supplies the front teeth and communicates with the 

 posterior dental, forming the dental loop, from which 

 filaments pass off to the apical foramina, to be distrib- 

 uted to the pulp of the teeth. The canal which contains 

 the dental loop is in the outer wall of the antrum of 

 Highmore. The facial branches are : 1. Palpebral, to 

 the eyelids. 2. Nasal, to the skin of the nose. 3. 

 Labial, to the upper lip. 4. Septal, to the septum nasi. 

 Meeker s Ganglion. Meckel's ganglion is located in 

 the spheno-palatine fossa, being pendent from the supe- 

 rior maxillary nerve, from which it receives its sensory 

 root. It is about as large as a lentil. It receives its 

 motor root from the facial, through the Vidian ; its sym- 

 pathetic root from the carotid plexus. It sends off 

 ascending and descending branches. The ascending 

 consist of a few filaments, distributed to the orbit ; the 

 descending branches supply the nose, roof of the mouth, 

 soft palate, and pharynx. They are numerous and im- 

 portant, and divided into three sets, anterior, middle, 

 and posterior. The more important branches are: the 

 anterior palatine, which passes through the posterior 

 palatine canal and is distributed to the roof of the 

 mouth ; the middle palatine passes down the posterior 

 palatine canal, and is distributed to the soft palate and 

 uvula ; the posterior pass down the posterior palatine 

 canal, and are distributed to the soft palate, post-nasal 

 pharynx, and Eustachian tube ; the naso-palatine, or 

 nerve of Cotunius, passes to the septum nasi, grooves 

 the vomer, and runs obliquely downward and forward to 

 the anterior palatine canal ; it supplies the mucous mem- 

 brane, periosteum, and hard palate, and communicates 

 with the anterior palatine. Other branches pass to the 



