•I III EXT] RN \1 -I II M l "I 11IJ BAS] 01 

 THE EXTERNAL SURFACE OF THE BASE OF THE SKULL. 



The inferior I of the human skull, 



an extremi \- I . .\i and .; 



of the skull, basis cranii externa, to di ish it from tl 



floor of the i ranial « .r. il . 



Passing from before bi rd, thej 



which is bounded externally by the alveolar j 

 It forms the bony partition a al and 



upon either side, the palatine j» of the maxilla, 



quarters, while the posterior third <»r fourth is furnished by tl 

 bone. It is traversed in the median line by the 

 of which contaii a pit like depi 



name. The pal ated from the palatii 



t palatine suture, and at the posti xtremity of the median pal. 



terminate in a spine, the il spine. 1 >terior free ma I :ital 



plates of the palate bones form the lov indary of th( 



tcrior outlets of the bony nasal 



I iter side of the hard palate is seen the shi 



which articulates with the malar bone by me; 

 also to be seen the anterior extremity of the inferior orbita* 

 the upper jaw and the greater wing of the sphenoid bone. Th 

 junction of the zygomatic pre the temporal bone with the tern 



matic hone, is distinctly visible. 



A large portion of the external surface of the base of 

 hour. The greater winj almost entirely visible and are limited p 



the sphenosquamosal suture, their foreshortened temporal surfaces, already i in tin 



view of the skull, being seen to unite with the infratemp ..vhich 



in the base of the skull, at a distinct angle marked by a rough ridge, tin 



The posterior margin of this infratemporal surfa< d from thi 



portion of the temporal bone l>v the sphenopetrosal . which is contin it li 



an irregular foramen, the foramen lacerum. The extreme 



wing oi the sphenoid, the spine, is directed toward the temporal bone, and ; round 



opening, the jor<i»!<)i spinosum, which leads into the cranial and r 



meningeal artery. In front ^i this i- a larger oval aperture, the which 



the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve emerges from t: itv. 



In the middle oi the- base oi the >kull a part of the 1- 

 between the two greater wings, but itsanterior portion i> parti I. will 1« 



that the posterior margin of the bony nasal septum, which in this preparation r the 



septum choanarum, is formed by the vomer, which ith the 



by means of a broad base, known as the' ala 



A strong process, the pterygoid process, which is divided lengthwis 



