Diseases of the Nose, Throat and Ear

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: mucous membrane, it is attached to the posterior portion of the hard palate and partially separates the mouth from the pharynx. The sides merge with the faucial pillars, but the PHARYNGEAJ, MUSCLtS Car Saata Poslerior vie (Pharynx opened) Fig. 7. lower border is free. As a rule, the raphe of the soft...
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Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: mucous membrane, it is attached to the posterior portion of the hard palate and partially separates the mouth from the pharynx. The sides merge with the faucial pillars, but the PHARYNGEAJ, MUSCLtS Car Saata Poslerior vie (Pharynx opened) Fig. 7. lower border is free. As a rule, the raphe of the soft palate is not as marked as that of the hard palate. The muscles consist of five pairs: the levator palati, ten- sores palati vel dilator tubae; the palato-glossi, which notonly form the anterior pillars of the fauces, but also act as constrictors of the fauces; the palato-pharyngei, which form the posterior pillars and the azygos uvulae, consisting of a pair of cylinder-like bundles placed side by side and parallel to the median line of the velum. This pair of muscles with the connective and glandular tissue forms the elongated portion called the uvula. The functions of the palatal muscles are aids in deglutition and vocalization, while the tensor and levator influence the opening of the Eustachian tube allowing free ventilation of the tympanic cavities, and for this reason play an important part in normal hearing. The action of the uvula has been a matter of much speculation, it undoubtedly acts as a drag or anchor in the act of swallowing, preventing the velum from passing upward into the post-nasal space which would allow food, and fluids to enter the nasal fossae. It also, probably, in connection with the rest of the palatine tissues and epiglottis, partially occludes the oral cavity from the respiratory region in normal breathing. Another function may be that of directing the nasal secretions to the glosso-epiglottic fossa?. (Dobell). When much relaxed or absent, either through ulceration or a faulty operation, phonation is not distinct, .and swallowing: s ..