G4 ANATOMY OP THE HEAD AND NECK. 



along the middle line of the soft palate, consists of two 

 bundles of very pale fibres, arising from the spine at the 

 posterior border of the hard palate, and terminating at the 

 free extremity of the uvula. 



The PALATO-GLOSSUS MUSCLE, or CONSTRICTOR ISTHMI 

 FAUCIUM, forms the projection of the anterior pillar of the 

 soft palate ; it arises from the aponeurosis of the soft palate 

 in front of the tensor pal'ati, and is inserted into the lateral 

 surface and dors um of the tongue. 



OTIC AND MECKEL'S GANGLIA. 



The tongue, hyoid bone, and larynx, may now be separated from 

 the portion of the skull to which they are attached, and reserved 

 for further examination. The spheno-maxillary fossa is to be searched 

 for certain ganglia of the sympathetic system. 



The OTIC, or ARNOLD'S GANGLION, if not already exa- 

 mined in connection with the inferior maxillary nerve, will 

 be found as a small ovoid body just below the foramen 

 ovale, on the inner side of the inferior maxillary nerve, 

 and at the point where it is joined by the second root of 

 the trifacial nerve. This ganglion gives branches to the 

 tensor tympani and tensor palati muscles, communicates 

 with the nerves of its vicinity, and sends a branch to the 

 Vidian nerve, called nervus petrosus xuperficialis minor ; 

 but its connections are by twigs so minute that their exa- 

 mination can only be accomplished by the aid of a lens 

 and by a special dissection. 



In the spheno-maxillary fossa, and connected by short 

 branches with the superior maxillary nerve, is the spheno- 

 palaMne, or MeckeVs ganglion ; it lies below the superior 

 maxillaiy nerve, above the posterior palatine canal, and 

 outside the spheno-palatine foramen ; its branches are 

 directed upward to the orbit, downward to the mouth, 

 inward to the nose, and backward to the pharynx and 

 Yidian canal; the principal of these are as follows: 



The large palatine branch passes through the posterior palatine 

 canal and forward along the roof of the mouth nearly to the incisor 

 teeth, where it unites with the naso-palatine branch of the same gan- 

 glion. The small palatine branch descends to supply the soft palate, 

 the tonsils, and the uvula. 



The naso-palatine branch crosses the roof of the nasal fossa to the 

 septum nasi, on the side of which it descends to the anterior palatine 

 canal, where it unites with the large palatine branch. 



The Vidian nerve passes through the Vidian or pterygoid canal, 

 then enters the cranium through the cartilaginous tissue "closing the 



