EXTERNAL CAROTID ARTERY. 45 



raon trunk with it, and is directed upward over the lower jaw to the 

 face. It passes beneath the digastric and stylo-hyoid muscles and 

 becomes imbedded in the snbmaxillary gland. In its cervical por- 

 tion it gives branches to the pharynx, tonsils, and submaxillary gland. 

 The submenfal branch arises from the portion within the gland, and 

 passes forward upon the mylo-hyoideus muscle to the anterior belly 

 of the digastricus, where it terminates in branches, some of which 

 turn upward and reach nearly to the lower lip. Before crossing the 

 jaw, which it does close to the anterior inferior angle of the masseter 

 muscle, the facial artery is tortuous, and continues so throughout the 

 rest of its course (p. 22). 



The occipital artery is a lai'ge branch destined to the posterior part 

 of the head ; it passes outward beneath the posterior belly of the 

 digastricus, part of the parotid gland, the sterno-mastoid and trapezius 

 muscles ; it crosses the jugular vein and the spinal accessory nerve, 

 and the hypoglossal nerve curves around it near its origin. Near the 

 middle line of the occipital bone the artery turns upward, passing 

 through the fibres of the upper part of the trapezius muscle, becomes 

 superficial, and is distributed to the occiput, anastomosing with its 

 fellow, with the posterior auricular and with the temporal arteries. 

 It gives off a small branch, the inferior meningeal, which ascends with 

 the jugular vein through the foramen lacerum posterius to the pos- 

 terior fossa of the base of the skull. A large but irregular branch, 

 the princeps cerricis, descends the neck between the complexus and 

 seini-spinalis colli muscles and inosculates with the profunda cervicis, 

 a branch of the subclavian artery. 



The posterior auricular artery ascends between the ear and the 

 occipital bone, and is distributed by two branches to the external ear 

 and side of the head. It sends a small twig, called the stijfo-mastoid, 

 through the stylo-mastoid foramen to the internal ear. This artery 

 is sometimes an offset from the occipital. 



The ascending pharyngeal. artery arises at the point of bifurcation of 

 the common carotid, and is very apt to be destroyed in the dissection. 

 It is of small size, and ascends between the internal carotid and the 

 pharynx. It divides into two branches, the inferior meninqeal, which 

 enters the cranium through the foramen lacerum posterius, and is 

 distributed to the membranes of the posterior fossa of the skull, and 

 the pharyngeal, which is distributed to the mucous membrane of the 

 pharynx and the soft palate. 



The temporal artery is the terminal continuation of the external 

 carotid ; it passes up between the ear and the articulation of the 

 jaw, through the substance of the parotid, and upon the temporal 

 fascia divides into two branches, anterior and posterior temporal, 

 which ramify on the front and the side of the head. This artery 

 gives off parotidean branches to the parotid gland ; the anterior auricu- 

 lar to the external ear ; the transverse facial to the muscles of the face, 

 crossing the cheek transversely beside Steno's duct, and anastomosing 

 with branches of the facial (p. 23) ; the ornitar to anastomose with the 

 palpebral arteries, and the middle temporal, which perforates the tem- 

 poral fascia just above the zvsoma, and supplies the temporal muscle. 



The internal maxillary will be described hereafter. 



