Excerpt from Applied Anatomy, Vol. 2: Surgical, Medical and Operative

In the Neck the trachea occupies the middle line, lying in front of the oesophagus and vertebral column. In front of it we find the skin, superficial fascia, communicating branches between the two anterior jugular veins, deep fiervical fascia, and then the sterno-hyoid and sterno-thyroid muscles, isthmus of the thyroid body, the inferior thyroid veins, and the thyroidea ima artery, if it exists. The anterior jugular veins lie a little to one side of the middle line, and above the deep fascia. At the sides we find the common carotid arteries, the lateral lobes of the thyroid body, inferior thyroid arteries, and the recurrent laryngeal nerves. At the root of the neck, in the episternal notch, the innominate artery and the left carotid cross it obliquely to gain its right and left side, respectively.

In the Thorax. - In front, the upper part of the sternum, and the origin of the sterno-hyoid and sterno-thyroid muscles, the remains of the thymus gland, left innominate vein, transverse part of the arch of the aorta with its branches, and the deep cardiac plexus. Behind is the oesophagus; on the right side the pleura and right vagus; and on the left side the pleura, left vagus, left recurrent laryngeal nerve, and left common carotid artery. The length of the trachea is about four and a half inches, and its diameter about three-quarters of an inch. The right bronchus is shorter, wider, and more horizontal in its course; the left is longer, narrower, and more oblique in direction. It is usually said that foreign bodies, for these reasons, are more apt to pass into the left bronchus; but the larger size of the opening of the right bronchus, and the fact that therefore the septum is to the left of the middle line, would seem to indicate that foreign bodies would more readily find their way into the right bronchus. Further, it has been shown by aeby, that the right bronchus proper is not more horizontal than the left, but, if anything, rather more oblique; the undivided part, however, of the bronchus is shorter, because it soon gives off a branch to the upper lobe of the right lung (epiartcrial bronchus). Ac'cording to this view, the upper lobe of the left lung is the homologue of the middle lobe of the right lung.

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