Tin: i;i;.\rniAi, n.i:\i >. 703 



They separate from one another nearly at the insertion of tlio suspensory 

 ligament into the Beeamoid bonee. OIK; of them descend! in front of the 



vein: another pusses hilwicii llic two v< ssrls ; while the third follows tin- 

 urti-ry behind. They may, therefore, tx) distinguished, according to their 

 position, into anterior. middle, and posterior (Fig. 349, M, o, B). 



The anterior branch distributes its collateral divisions to the skin on the 

 anterior face of the digit, and its terminal ramuscules in the coronary 

 cushion. 



The middle branch frequently anastomoses with the other two, par 

 ticularly with the anterior, and to such a degree as to bo scarcely dis- 

 tinguished from it ; it enters the coronary cushion and the podophyllous 

 tissue. 



The posterior branch, much more considerable than the preceding, and a 

 veritable continuation of the plantar nerve, is at first superposed on the 

 digital artery, then it is placed immediately behind that vessel. It descends 

 with it to near the basilar process of the third phalanx, follows the pre- 

 plantar ungueal artery into the lateral fissure of that phalanx, and, like that 

 vessel, expends itself in the midst of the podophyllous tissue, as well as in the 

 osseous structure. This branch gives off numerous ramuscules on its course. 

 Of these there may bo more particularly noticed : 1, Some posterior 

 divisions, distributed behind the flexor tendons, especially at the fetlock ; 

 2, A satellite branch to the artery of the plantar cushion ; 3, A filament 

 arising below the lateral cartilage, passing forward, in proximity to the 

 anterior branch of the arterial coronary circle, and becoming lost in the 

 meshes of the deep venoiis network of the cartilage ; 4, A small podo- 

 phyllous division, whose point of origin is placed at the same height as the 

 preceding filament, but opposite it, and which descends on the retrossal 

 process, where it traverses the cartilaginous tissue to pass to the podo- 

 phyllous reticulation, after distributing posterior ramuscules to the planter 

 cushion ; 5, Several extremely fine filaments enlaced around the plantar 

 ungueal artery, and with it penetrating to the interior of the os pedis ; some 

 of these filaments ascend to the nerve of the opposite side. 1 



DIFFERENTIAL CHARACTERS IN THE BRACHIAL PLEXUS OF OTHER THAN SOLIPED ANIMALS. 



In the domesticated mammals, the nerves of the braohial plexus do not offer any very 

 important differences in the upper part of the limb ; these only become apparent in its 

 last section. 



l;i MI \ ANTS. The branches of the plexus, the same in number as in the Horse, are 

 relatively more voluminous than in that animal. In the Ox tin y arc often flexuoin in 

 their IIJ>|MT part. In the Sheep, we have found that tin- iliii)>linniii(ti<- n> ;/ is formed 

 by a single filament, detached from tlie branch the sixth cervical nerve gives to the 

 braehial plexus. There are no differences to signalise in tin- l>r<\in-h of the n//(/n/<ir/s nn<l 

 rhomboideus, in the branches of the pectoral muscles, the wbcuUtneout thoracic branch, 

 or the anterior brachial or miuculo-cutaneous nerve. 



1 It is because we conform to established usages, and arc unwilling to force analogies, 



that we preserve the designations of " plantar nerve.", ' and " digital branches," ns \M 11 



as the above manner of describing them. Comparative anatomy ,|, -in .-. other names and 



a different description ; fur it demonstrates that the external plantar m-r\e .-. :n -|>.iuU 



to the intemtiseous of the fi ret space in p nt-hl.'. -;\ l-n- animal-. ; tin- internal plantar to 



the int< lu-seous of the third spare, and tlie branch extending from the internal t<> tlie 



ml plantar, to the interosseous of the second space, and which only virtu illy i \i-ts 



in the Ilor.-e. in consequence of the fusion of the recond and third metacarpal Ixnie, and 



which ia prolonged to the phalanges. It also whows th.it the digital branche-. arc the 



live.- i.f the collaterals of the dibits which result, in the pentadactylous 



s, from a bifurcation <f avh iiiterosseouu nerve. 



