THE NECK, ANTERIOR. 95 



Between the facial artery and vein are found these struc- 

 tures, the posterior belly of the diagastric, the stylohyoid 

 muscles, and the submaxillary gland. 



Branches of the facial in the neck : (a) The ascending 

 palatine, (b) The tonsillar. These branches pass upward 

 to supply the palate, fauces, tonsils, and pharynx ; the 

 former is behind, the latter in front, of the styloglossus 

 muscle, which separates them, (c) The glandular or sub- 

 maxillary branches to that gland, as the facial passes 

 through it. (d) The submental, a considerable branch 

 which runs forward under the lower jaw and upon the 

 mylohyoid muscle (being accompanied by the mylohyoid 

 nerve), supplies the adjacent muscles, and turns upward 

 over the chin to anastomose with the mental (of the inferior 

 dental) and the inferior labial (of the facial). 



Besides the chain of anastomoses which is formed by 

 the branches of the inferior thyroid, lingual, and facial upon 

 the same side of the neck and face, all these branches 

 which pass forward to the median line inosculate across the 

 median line with similar branches from the other side. This 

 also holds for the nasal, frontal, and supra-orbital branches 

 of the ophthalmic. See page 65. 



(4) The Occipital Artery is given off from the posterior 

 aspect of the external carotid. It runs upward and back- 

 ward under the posterior belly of the digastric to a point 

 between the transverse process of the atlas and the mastoid 

 process. Here it is covered by the sternomastoid, splenius 

 capitis, and origin of the digastric. Then its course is back- 

 ward in the occipital groove, where it will be found when 

 dissecting the back. See page 130. The artery is crossed 

 by the hypoglossal nerve, which winds downward and for- 

 ward across the artery. In the anterior portion of the neck 

 it gives off muscular branches to the adjacent muscles ; the 



