582 THE ARTEEIES. 



and leaves the deep situation it at first occupied, to become more superficial 

 in the submaxillary space, where it rises on the surface of the internal 

 pterygoid muscle, and is directed forwards to the maxillary fissure. Turning 

 round this fissure, it climbs on the face, in front of the masseter muscle, to 

 above the maxillary spine, where it terminates in two small branches. 



In its long and complicated course, the glosso-facial artery describes 

 a semicircle upwards, and is very naturally divided, for the study of 

 its relations, into three portions : a deep, an intermaxillary, and a facial. 

 The first, or deep portion, accompanied in its superior moiety by the glosso- 

 pharyngeal nerve, responds, outwardly, to the internal masseter (internal 

 pterygoid) muscle ; inwardly, to the guttural pouch, the hyo-pharyngeal 

 muscle, hypoglossal nerve, middle tendon of the digastricus, the basio- 

 glossus, canal of Wharton, and the subscapulo-hyoideus. The inter- 

 maxillary, or middle portion, is bordered by the glosso-facial vein, lies 

 against the pterygoideus internus, and is in contact with the submaxillary 

 glands. The facial, or terminal part, is lodged, at its commencement, in the 

 maxillary fissure, in front of the glosso-facial vein and the parotid duct ; it 

 ascends with these two vessels along the anterior border of the masseter. 

 on the maxillo-labial and buccinator muscles, beneath the subcutaneous and 

 zygomatico-labial muscles and the ramifications of the facial nerve, which 

 perpendicularly crosses the direction of the artery. 



TERMINAL BRANCHES. The external maxillary artery terminates in two 

 small branches which separate from each other at an obtuse angle, one being 

 directed upwards, the other downwards. The ascending branch passes 

 to the surface of the elevator muscle of the upper lip, below the lachrymal 

 muscle, and anastomoses with the divisions of a palpebral branch emanating 

 from the supermaxillo-dental artery (Fig. 286, 19). The descending 

 branch goes to the false nostril and the entrance to* the nasal cavities, 

 by creeping beneath the supernasalis-labialis muscle (Fig. 286, 20). 



COLLATERAL BRANCHES. These are five principal branches : 1, 'The 

 pharyngeal ; 2, lingual; 3, sublingual ; all of which arise from the first 

 portion of the glosso-facial artery; 4, The inferior and superior coronary 

 arteries, emanating from the facial portion. Besides these, there are a great 

 number of innominate branches of secondary importance, which proceed 

 to the neighbouring parts, and principally to the maxillary gland, sub- 

 maxillary glands, the masseter muscle, and the muscles and integuments of 

 the face. We will content ourselves with merely noting the existence 

 of these latter branches. 



1. PHARYNGEAL ARTERY (Fig. 286, 14). This arises from the glosso- 

 facial, at a variable distance from its origin, and sometimes even in the 

 angle formed by that vessel and the external carotid artery. Whatever may 

 be its commencement, it is always directed forwards, passes between the hyo- 

 pharyngeus muscle and the great branch of the hyoid bone, and describing 

 some flexuosities, goes towards the pterygoid process, beneath the elastic 

 layer which covers the pterygo-pharyngeus muscle (anterior constrictor 

 of the pharynx). It terminates in the soft palate, after giving off on 

 its course ascending and descending branches, which expend themselves in the 

 walls of the pharynx. 



2. LINGUAL ARTERY (Fig. 286, 15). As considerable in volume as the 

 parent branch, this artery is detached at an acute angle from it, at 

 the extremity of the hyoid cornu. With the glosso-pharyngeal nerve, it 

 passes beneath the basio-glossal muscle, crossing the small branch of the os 



and extends to the extremity of the tongue by gliding in the 



