NORMAL ANATOMY OF THE LARYNX. 
lengthen the arm of the vertical lever of the 
arytenoid, and yield to any oblique force 
cted upon them. 
The cuneiform cartilages, (Syn. cartilagines 
eiformes, seu Wrisbergiane,) are two small 
indrical cartilaginous bodies, situated im- 
diately in front of the vertical prominence 
f the arytenoid cartilages in the fold of mu- 
ous membrane g, (fig. 22.) They present a 
ical and horizontal prominence in the shape 
_ of the letter L, and partake of the form of the 
arytenoid cartilages. They are not always pre- 
ent, and their existence in man is denied by 
Sruveilhier:* this however is an error. Both 
viert and Wolff{ have confounded them 
the cornicula or cartilages of Santorini. 
the Quadrumana they are conspicuous, 
ing the superior vocal ligaments attached to 
ir bases, and they appear afterwards to con- 
t them with the arytenoid cartilages. The 
eiform cartilages are sometimes described 
Cruveilhier and other writers (though inac- 
ately) as the arytenoid glands. They serve 
as a link of connection between the arytenoid 
cartilages and superior ligaments. 
The epiglottis, from emt, upon, yAwrre, the 
gue. Syn. xAndgor, Hipp§ Ligula, Gal. 
um, Cic.|| Cartilago epiglottidis. 
iglotte, Fr. Kehldeckel,Germ. The epi- 
tis is a cartilaginous valve, situated at 
base of the tongue, and covering the 
ing of the larynx. The direction of the 
glottis is vertical, except during the act of 
utition, when it becomes horizontal. In 
it has been compared to a cordate leaf, 
g.23,) or that of the artichoke. The di- 
asions vary with the volume of the larynx. 
@ anterior aspect of the epiglottis is convex, 
the posterior concave; it is partly free and 
partly connected: the free portion projects 
above the level of the base of the tongue. It 
is lined by the mucous membrane: the centre 
Mf its superior margin is very slightly notched. 
| Inferiorly it terminates by a kind of pedicle, 
_ yery thin and delicate, which is attached to the 
angle of the thyroid immediately above the 
plane of the thyro-arytenoid ligaments. Nu- 
; merous foramina are observed, perforating its 
Substance (ff, fig. 23), rendering the struc- 
ture of this cartilage less dense than that of 
the thyroid or cricoid cartilage. It is consi- 
_ dered to be more brittle, in consequence of 
_ the cohesion of its particles being affected by 
' these perforations. Its elasticity, however, is 
augmented by each perforation admitting some 
fasciculi of the yellow elastic ligament which is 
_ expanded, and, as it were, rivetted on its an- 
_ terioraspect. In the larger Ruminantia, such 
_ as the ox, this structure is very conspicuous, 
the thickness of the elastic tissue being nearly 
equal to that of the epiglottis itself. This 
_ ligament is disposed so as to secure perma- 
_ nently the return of the epiglottis after its de- 
t 
he *® Anat. Descript. 
3 t Legons Anat. Comp. 
De organo vocis Mammalium. 
In Lib. Morb. 1. 
De Nat. Deor. ii. p. 54. 
103 
Fig. 23. 
i) 
ca 
@ 
A posterior angular view of the cartilages of the 
larynx, exposing the rugged and perforated structure 
of the epiglottis after the removal of the mucous 
membrane and the yellow elastic ligamentous tissues. 
(Drawn from a preparation in the Museum of 
King’s College, London. ) 
aa, the arytenoid cartilages; 6 6, the superior 
cornua; c, the right inferior cornu; d, the posterior 
surface of the cricoid catilage; e, the foramen for 
the transit of the superior laryngeal nerve; ff, 
the perforation of the epiglottis; i, the superior 
margin of the thyroid; ¢, the trachea; h, the right 
inferior tubercle. 
pression in the act of deglutition, indepen- 
dently of any muscular fibres. Its perforations 
have been described as giving lodgement to 
“ muciparous follicles,” but their office seems 
not to have been hitherto thoroughly investi- 
gated. 
Articulations and ligaments of the larynz.— 
The articulations are divided, first, into those 
connecting the larynx with surrounding struc- 
tures, called extrinsic articulations ; and, se- 
condly, those peculiar to the larynx itself, 
termed intrinsic articulations. 
Extrinsic articulations. — The hyo-thyreid 
