14 ANATOMY OF THE HEAD AND NECK. 



part of the cartilaginous rim of the ear. It is often want- 

 ing, or its place is supplied by the anterior fibres of the 

 attollens aurem. 



The ATTOLLENS AUREM is a better-marked muscle than the 

 preceding; it arises, fan-shaped, from the epicranial aponeu- 

 rosis, on the side of the head above the ear, and is inserted 

 into the upper and anterior part of the concha of the ear. 



The RETRAHENS AUREM arises by several separate slips 

 from the mastoid process of the temporal bone, and is 

 inserted into the posterior surface of the concha. This is 

 usually the largest and best marked of the aural muscles. 



In dissecting these muscles the anterior auricular artery, 

 a branch of the temporal, and the posterior auricular, a 

 branch of the external carotid, or sometimes of the occipi- 

 tal, will be seen ; they are distributed as their names indi- 

 cate. 



The following nerves should also be sought for in this 

 connection. The auricularis magnus nerve, an ascending 

 branch of the anterior cervical plexus, is distributed to 

 the back of the ear j the posterior auricular, a branch of 

 the facial nerve, accompanies the artery of the same name, 

 and is distributed to the ear and occipital region. The 

 occipitalis major, a posterior branch of the second cervical 

 nerve, emerging from the deep muscles of the back of the 

 neck, and accompanying in part of its course the occipital 

 artery, sends a branch to the ear. The occipitalis minor 

 nerve, another ascending branch of the anterior cervical 

 plexus, is placed midway between the last named and the 

 posterior auricular, with both of which it communicates ; 

 it supplies the attollens aurem muscle and the integument. 



The EXTERNAL EAR is described as consisting of the 

 pinna or auricle, and the meatus. The pinna, or projecting 

 part of the ear, consists of a number of folds and hollows, 

 which have been named as follows : the external folded 

 margin is called the helix ; the elevation which runs parallel 

 to it, the anti-helix; the process projecting over the meatus 

 is the tragus; opposite to this is a prominence called the 

 anti-tragus ; the dependent portion of the ear is called the 

 lobule; the central depression around the meatus is the 

 concha; the space between the helix and the anti-helix, 

 the fossa innominata; this terminates anteriorly in a 

 triangular depression called the scaphoid fossa. The 

 meatus is the cartilaginous canal leading from the pinna 

 to the tympanum, a thin, transparent membrane at the 



