THE NOSE 397 



The nasal fossae (for the osseous part, see Bones) open in 

 front by the anterior nares, and into the pharynx behind by 

 the posterior nares. The mucous membrane is called the 

 pituitary, or Schneiderian membrane, and is attached directly 

 to the periosteum or perichondrium. It is continuous with 

 that of the pharynx, conjunctiva, tympanum, and mastoid 

 cells, antrum of Highinore, and with that of the different 

 canals which connect these parts. 



The epithelium is squamous near the nostril, columnar 

 where the olfactory nerves are distributed, and columnar and 

 ciliated elsewhere. 



The nasal fossse in the recent state present a different appear- 

 ance from that seen in the skeleton. They are narrowed, and 

 their component parts appear thicker, their turbinated bones 

 being very prominent. The apertures of the various foramina 

 are narrowed, or even closed, by the lining membrane. 



The arteries of the nasal fossse are the anterior and posterior 

 ethmoidal from the ophthalmic, supplying the ethmoidal cells and 

 frontal sinuses and roof of the nose ; the sphenopalatine from the 

 internal maxillary, to the mucous membrane covering the spongy 

 bones, meatuses, and septum; the inferior artery of the septum, 

 from the superior coronary of the facial, and the infraorbital and 

 alveolar branches of the internal maxillary, which supply the 

 lining membrane of the antrum. 



The veins empty into the ophthalmic and facial, and through 

 the foramen cecum communicate with the cranial sinuses. 



The nerves are the olfactory filaments distributed to the 

 upper third of the septum and the surfaces of the superior 

 and middle turbinated bone (these filaments do not reach 

 the middle or inferior meatus), the nasal branch of the oph- 

 thalmic, the anterior dental of the superior maxillary, the 

 Vidian, nasopalatine, anterior palatine and nasal branches of 

 the sphenopalatine ganglion. 



The lymphatics from the external surface drain into the sub- 

 maxillary and those from the fossse into the retropharyngeal 

 nodes. 



