98 HEAD AND NECK 



funiculus which lies immediately adjacent to the antero-median fissure. 

 It reaches down to about the middle of the thoracic region of the medulla 

 spinalis and then disappears. 



After the body has been five days on its face it will be 

 replaced upon its back, with the thorax and pelvis supported 

 by blocks ; and the dissectors of the head and neck should at 

 once proceed to clean the temporal fascia, and afterwards to 

 remove the brain and study the interior of the cranium. 



Dissection. Take away the anterior and superior auricular 

 muscles and remove the thin layer of fascia subjacent to them 

 which descends from the lower border of the galea aponeurotica 

 to the zygomatic arch. When that has been done the strong 

 temporal fascia will be exposed. Note that it is attached above 

 to the temporal ridge and below to the upper border of the 

 zygomatic arch. The details of its connections will be studied at 

 a later period. 



REMOVAL OF THE BRAIN. 



After the superficial attachments of the temporal fascia 

 have been noted the dissectors of the head and neck should 

 proceed to remove the brain. 



Dissection. The head being supported upon a block, extend 

 the median incision, already made in the galea aponeurotica, to 

 the nasion anteriorly and to the external occipital protuberance 

 posteriorly, and cut through the loose areolar tissue and the 

 pericranium in the same line down to the bone. With the 

 handle of the scalpel, or with a chisel, detach the pericranium 

 from the bone on each side and turn it downwards to the temporal 

 lines, leaving the bone perfectly bare. Note that although the 

 pericranium is not firmly attached over the surface of the various 

 bones of the vault, it is firmly attached along the lines of the 

 cranial sutures by processes that dip in between the bones and 

 separate their edges. Detach the galea aponeurotica and the 

 temporal fascia from the temporal ridge, on each side, with the 

 edge of the knife ; then, carrying the edge of the knife forwards 

 and backwards between the temporal muscle and the bone, detach 

 the upper part of the muscle from the skull. When that has 

 been done, each half of the scalp can be turned down over the ear. 



The dissectors should next obtain a saw, a chisel, and a mallet, 

 and proceed to remove the skull cap or calvaria. The line along 

 which the saw is to be used may be marked out on the skull by 

 encircling it with a piece of string, and then marking the cranium 

 with a pencil along the line of the string. Anteriorly, the cut 

 should be made fully three-quarters of an inch above the margins 

 of the orbits ; posteriorly, it should be carried round at the level of 

 a point midway between the lambda l and the external occipital 



1 The term " lambda " signifies the apex of the occipital bone, or the point 

 at which the sagittal and lambdoidal surures meet. 



