PHARYNX 381 



Dissection, The dissection of the soft palate is difficult, and it is only 

 in a fresh part that the precise relations of the different muscular layers 

 can be made out. Begin by rendering it tense by means of a hook, and 

 then remove carefully the mucous membrane from its upper and lower 

 surfaces, and also from the glosso- and pharyngo-palatine arches. The 

 latter proceeding will expose the glosso - palatine and the pharyngo- 

 palatine muscles on each side. 



Musculus Glosso -palatinus. The glosso -palatinus is a 

 delicate muscular slip, which arises from the side of the 

 posterior part of the tongue and curves upwards and medially 

 to reach the under surface of the soft palate, above the 

 glandular layer. There its fibres spread out and become 

 continuous with the corresponding fasciculi of the opposite 

 side. It forms the lowest muscular stratum of the soft 

 palate. 



Musculus Pharyngo- palatinus. The pharyngo- palatinus 

 forms two muscular strata in the soft palate which enclose, 

 between them, the musculus uvulae and the levatores palati 

 muscles. The upper layer is very weak and confined to the 

 posterior part of the velum. It constitutes the most super- 

 ficial muscular stratum on the upper aspect of the soft palate, 

 and becomes continuous with the corresponding portion of the 

 muscle of the opposite side. The deeper layer takes origin 

 from the posterior margin of the palate bone and from the 

 palatal aponeurosis, and some of its fibres mingle with those 

 of the corresponding muscle of the opposite side. Lateral to 

 the soft palate the two strata come together, and are joined 

 by one or two delicate muscular slips which spring from the 

 lower border of the cartilage of the auditory tube. These 

 slips are sometimes described as the salpingo-pharyngeus muscle. 

 The pharyngo-palatinus, thus formed, arches downwards and 

 posteriorly in the posterior arch of the fauces, and spreads 

 out into a thin sheet of fibres in the wall of the pharynx. 

 Blending to some extent with the stylo-pharyngeus, it is inserted 

 into the posterior border of the thyreoid cartilage. Some of 

 its fibres, however, incline posteriorly and are inserted into 

 the pharyngeal aponeurosis. 



Musculus Uvulae. This delicate muscle is placed on the 

 upper aspect of the soft palate, and, posteriorly, it is covered 

 by the superficial fibres of the pharyngo-palatinus. These 

 must be removed to expose it fully. It consists of two 

 minute slips which, as a rule, arise from the posterior nasal 

 spine of the hard palate, and lie one on either side of the 



