Electro-physiology and electro-therapeutics : showing the best methods for the medical uses of electricity / By Alfred C. Garratt.
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Superficial Nerves in the Occipito- Cervical Region. The first or highest four of the eight cervical nerves interest us here more particularly. It is the anterior branches of these upper four that, by loops of communication, go to form the great cervical plexus. This plexus we find to be situated upon the levator angitli scapula and posterior scalenus muscle, to be there partly covered by the posterior edge of the sterno-mastoid, but more completely by the plati/sma. The anterior branches of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth cervical nerves will be examined with the brachial plexus, of which they form the greater part. The posterior division of the first cervical nerve, also called the sub-occipital nerve, passes out of the spine between the occipital bone and the atlas, in the there triangular space, and at this spot forms a long ganglion that connects with the second cervical, and then divides into two branches, one of which soon becomes superficial, and again divides into a number of branches, which are all distributed to the integuments and muscles of the upper and back part of the neck; but the larger and longer branches mount upon the occiput and expand so as to cover the occipital region, and are traced even up to the parietal pro- tuberance. The anterior branch of this first cervical nerve, and those of the three other upper cervical nerves, go, as we have said, to form the great anterior cervical plexus; but the posterior branches are those that just here most concern us. These not only form the smaller or posterior plexus, but seem'to have an almost common destination; and that is, first, to supply the muscles of the back of the neck, to form numerous anastomoses, and then to become cutaneous. We find, by dissection, that the whole surface of the nucha, as high as the first four verte- bra?, also as low down as to the seventh and eighth nerves, is occupied with a very remarkably profuse supply of these short posterior nerve fibres, that mostly terminate abruptly in the flesh, skin, and fascia along the spine, while their roots are thus embedded so near by in the spinal marrow. The first superficial nerve trunk I will notice here, is the super-