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230 ANATOMY.

temporal bone, in Avhieli it re.^t.s. It gives off branches to the temporal
muscle^ and communicates with the deep temporal branches of the
internal maxillary artery. Occasionally it gives off an orbital branch,
which passes along the superior border of the zygoma between the two
layers of the temporal fascia. This branch is distributed to the orbicu-
laris palpebrarum muscle, and inosculates with the lachrymal and pal-
pebral branches of tlie ophthalmic artery.
The Anterior Temporal Aitery is the larger of the two terminal
brandies of the superficial temporal. It passes obliquely for\\ard and
slightly upward in a tortuous manner upon the temporal fascia, extend-
ing slightly above the orbicularis palpebrarum muscle, and terminates
in branches which anastomose with the corresponding artery of the
opposite side and the supra(M'bital and frontal branches of the ophthal-
mic artery. Branches are also given off which supply the skin, mus-
cles, and other structures in the anterior temporal region, the orbicularis
palpebrarum and frontal muscles.
The Posterior Temporal Artery is smaller, and its course is straighter,
than the anterior temjxjral. As it passes upward and slightly backward
toward the vertex of the skull, it rests upon the temporal fascia, and
anastomoses with ramifications (jf the corresponding artery of the opjio-
site side. It also gives off branches posteriorly M'hich anastomose witli
the occipital, and anteriorly whicli anastomose with the anterior tem-
poral. It supplies the skin and other tissues of the vertex of the
skull.
Variations.—Occasionally the anterior temporal artery passes verti-
callv over the vertex of the skull, giving off branches which anastomose
with the occipital artery. The transverse facial artery may arise
directly from the external carotid instead of from the superficial tem-
poral, and is sometimes very large, supplying the place of the facial
arterv. Occasionally the transverse facial is double. The orbital
brancli may be of large size and sujiply the eyelids and part of the
forehead, and communicate with the supraorbital. In aged people
the course of tlie temporal artery will be found to be more tortuous
than in early life.

The Internal Maxillary or Deep Facial Artery.
The Internal 3Iaxillary (Fig. lOll) su])plies all the deep portions of
the face, including the teeth, part of the floor of the mouth, the
palate, the nasal chambers, the maxillary sinus, the greater portion
of the ethmoidal sinuses, part of the ])harvnx, and the dura mater
of the brain. It is the larger of the two terminal branches of the
external carotid, being about 5 nmi. (1- inch) in calibre. It is given
off from the external carotid, within the parotid gland, a little below
and behind the condyle of the inferior maxilla, on a level with the
lower part of the lobe of the ear. In the first part of its course it
passes at right angles to the external carotid, and extends forward
in a tortuous manner between the inferior maxillary bone and the
internal lateral ligament, from which it passes obliquely upward
and forward upon the outer surface of the external pterygoid muscle