^0 DISTRIBUTION OF ARTEllic.3. 



nal carotids, and the ramus anastomoticus : here, though the 

 trunk itself becomes deeply lodged in soft parts, its situation 

 is well indicated by the larynx, with which it is in contact. 

 This vessel detaches — 1. Several unimportant muscular 

 branches in its progress up the neck. 2. The thyroideal artery, 

 which furnishes the laryngeal, a small artery that perforates 

 the ligament uniting the cartilages of the throat. 



The external carotid artery is the large division, which 

 may be regarded as the continuation of the carotid itself. 

 This artery is embedded in glandular substance, surrounded 

 by venous and nervous trunks, and protected by bony prom- 

 inences and muscles. The first branch of the external caro- 

 tid is the submaxillary artery ; it comes off behind the horn 

 of the ox hyoides, just as the carotid makes its second curve, 

 and ranks next in size to the trunk itself. After reaching the 

 lower jaw, (about one third of its length downwards,) it 

 arrives upon the face ; here it becomes subcutaneous, it ends 

 in an equal division, called the facial and inferior labial arte- 

 ries. Its branches are, the ascending laryngeal, pharyngeal : 

 smaller branches go to parotid gland, and a large branch, 

 called the lingual. The latter detaches a few twigs into the 

 submaxillary space ; it then branches into two arteries, the 

 ranine and the sublingual. The ranine, apparently a con- 

 tinuation of the lingual, passes along the under part of the 

 tongue, and transmits branches to the interior, and continues 

 of large size even to the tip of the organ, wherever its ex- 

 treme ramifications are expended. The sublingual artery 

 winds along the under and outer border of the tongue, pre- 

 serving a more superficial course than the former. It supplies 

 the sublingual gland, and distributes branches over the mem- 

 brane of the tongue. The submental artery leaves the sub- 

 maxillary, follows the course of the branch of the jaw, and 

 detaches twigs to muscles ; it then transmits its ramifications 

 into the gums internally. The anterior masseter branches 

 pass on the external side of the jaw. 



The inferior labial artery courses the side of the jaw, 

 invested in the cellular and fleshy substance belonging to the 



