294 HEAD AND NECK 



aponeurotic, and glandular structures, together with blood 

 vessels and nerves. 



The two levatores veli palatini. 

 The two tensores veli palatini. 

 Palatal muscles, . -( The two glosso-palatini. 



The two pharyngo-palatini. 

 The musculi uvulae. 

 Palatal aponeurosis. 

 Palatal glands. 



C Ascending palatine, from external maxillary. 

 A t I Palatine branch from ascending pharyngeal. 



| Twigs from the descending palatine branch of the internal 

 ^ maxillary. 

 ( M 

 Nerves, 



Branches from pharyngeal plexus. 



The racemose mucous glands in the soft palate form a very 

 thick layer, immediately subjacent to the mucous membrane 

 which clothes its inferior surface. Close to the posterior 

 border of the hard palate the soft palate contains very few 

 muscular fibres ; and in that situation it is composed chiefly 

 of the two layers of mucous membrane enclosing the glands 

 and the palatal aponeurosis. 



Dissection. The dissection of the soft palate is difficult, 

 and it is only in a fresh part that the precise relations of the 

 different muscular layers can be made out. Begin by rendering- 

 it tense by means of a hook, and then carefully remove the 

 mucous membrane from its upper and lower surfaces, and also 

 from the glosso- and pharyngo - palatine arches. The latter 

 proceeding will expose the glosso-palatine and the pharyngo- 

 palatine muscles, on each side. 



Musculi Glosso-palatini. The glosso-palatini are delicate 

 muscular slips, each of which arises from the side of the 

 posterior part of the tongue, whence it curves upwards and 

 medially to reach the under surface of the soft palate, above 

 the glandular layer. There its fibres spread out and become 

 continuous with the corresponding muscular fasciculi of the 

 opposite side. It forms the lowest muscular stratum of the 

 soft palate. The nerve supply is derived from the accessory 

 nerve. When the glosso-palatini muscles contract the 

 glosso-palatine arches are approximated in the median plane, 

 and the cavity of the mouth is shut off from the cavity of 

 the pharynx. 



Musculi Pharyngo-palatini. In the soft palate each 

 pharyngo-palatine muscle consists of two strata, an upper 



