104 A MANUAL OF ANATOMY. 



of the ganglion of the trunk, passes downward and forward 

 under both external and internal carotids to the side of the 

 larynx, where it divides into two branches. 



The superior, larger, internal, or sensory branch enters 

 the larynx through the thyrohyoid membrane with the 

 laryngeal branch of the superior thyroid artery and sup- 

 plies sensation to the mucous membrane of the interior of 

 the larynx. It communicates with the inferior laryngeal 

 nerve. 



The inferior, smaller, external, or motor branch descends 

 to terminate in the cricothyroid muscle, which it supplies. 



From this branch are some fine filaments of communica- 

 tion to the sympathetic and pharyngeal plexus. 



(c) The recurrent laryngeal or inferior laryngeal : The 

 right one is given off as the pneumogastric turns over the 

 subclavian artery, the left as it passes in front of the arch 

 of the aorta. See page 342. 



In the neck they both pass behind the common carotids 

 and inferior thyroid arteries, then in the groove between the 

 trachea and the oesophagus, where they are covered by the 

 thyroid gland, then under the lower border of the inferior 

 constrictor, where they enter the interior of the larynx and 

 are distributed to all the muscles of that organ excepting 

 the cricothyroid. 



The recurrent nerve also furnishes small branches to the 

 trachea, oesophagus, inferior constrictor, inferior cervical 

 sympathetic ganglion, and the cardiac plexus. 



(d) The cervical cardiac branches. For the Thoracic, 

 seepage 354. 



There are one or two upper cervical cardiac branches 

 which join the cardiac branches of the sympathetic. See 

 page 1 06. 



There is one lower, which comes off the pneumogastric 



