TEMPORAL AND INTERNAL MAXILLARY VEINS. 457 



from the soft palate ; it passes downwards, deeply seated by the side of the pharynx, 

 to join one of the preceding veins, or terminate in the facial separately. 



THE TEMPORAL VEIN. 



The temporal vein, a vessel of considerable size, descends in front of the 

 external auditory tube, reaching from the zygoma, upon which it rests, to 

 the angle of the jaw. It results from the union of branches which are 

 spread out upon the side of the head, some superficially, and others deeply 

 seated. The superficial branches commence upon the arch of the skull, 

 where they communicate with the ramifications of the frontal and occipital 

 veins, as well as with those of the corresponding vein of the opposite side. 

 Descending on the surface of the temporal fascia, they converge ; those 

 from the fore part inclining a little backwards, while the posterior branches 

 run forwards over the ear ; and the two sets joining together above the 

 zygoma form the trunk of the temporal vein. The deeper branches, arising 

 in the substance of the temporal muscle, unite to form a vein of some size, 

 called the middle temporal, to distinguish it from branches still more deeply 

 placed, which open into the internal maxillary vein. The middle tem- 

 poral vein falls into the common temporal trunk at its commencement above 

 the zygoma. The temporal vein gradually sinks into the substance of the 

 parotid gland as it descends behind the ramus of the jaw. Beneath the 

 angle of that bone, it divides into two vessels, one of which turns backwards, 

 and forms the commencement of the external jugular vein, while the other 

 communicates with the facial vein near its termination. 



LATERAL TRIBUTARIES. These are numerous: (a) parotid branches from the parotid 

 gland ; (b) articular, from the articulation of the jaw ; (c) anterior auricular veins 

 from the external ear ; (d) the transverse facial, a branch of considerable size, corre- 

 sponding with the transverse facial artery ; (e) the posterior auricular directed for- 

 wards from behind, and joined by the stylo-mastoid vein ; and (/) the internal 

 maxillary vein, a large vessel, which requires more particular description. 



THE INTERNAL MAXILLARY VEIN. 



The internal maxillary vein corresponds somewhat in direction and posi- 

 tion with the artery of the same name, and receives branches from the 

 neighbouring parts, most of which are the vense comites of the corresponding 

 divisions of the internal maxillary artery. Thus three or four deep temporal 

 branches descend from the temporal muscle ; others come from the pterygoid, 

 masseter, and buccinator muscles. The middle meningeal veins and some 

 palatine veins also end in the internal maxillary ; and lastly, branches from 

 the surface of the upper jaw superior dental, and another, of large size, 

 from the lower jaw, emerging from the dental foramen inferior dental. 

 These different branches form a plexus of veins, named pterygoid plexus, 

 which is placed in the lower part of the temporal fossa, between the tem- 

 poral and the external pterygoid muscle, and in part between the pterygoid 

 muscles. It communicates in front with the facial vein, and above, with 

 the cavernus sinus by branches through the base of' the skull. From this 

 plexus proceed one or two short trunks, which join nearly at right angles 

 with the temporal vein. 



The FACIAL COMMUNICATING vein, extending between the temporal vein at 

 the angle of the jaw and the facial vein, a little in front of it, is a short 

 trunk, usually the larger of the two into which the temporal vein divides, 

 and placed nearly transversely, so as to allow the flow of blood either from 



