Part 16

The =mandible= is very strong, and differs very much from that of the horse or ox. The body narrows decidedly in front; the lingual surface is deeply concave; the mental surface is strongly convex, slopes downward and backward, and forms a distinct prominence at the point of divergence of the rami. Above this prominence is a pair of foramina. The alveolar border presents six alveoli for the incisor teeth, and a little further back two large cavities for the canine teeth. There are two pairs of mental foramina of considerable size and a variable number of smaller ones. The rami diverge more than in the horse or ox, and the upper part is somewhat incurved. The horizontal part is very thick and strong. Its outer surface is strongly convex from above downward. The inner surface is prominent over the roots of the molar teeth and overhangs the concave lower part. The alveolar border is thin in front and widens behind; it does not follow the axis of the ramus, but runs nearly straight and produces the marked overhang noted above. There are seven alveoli for the lower cheek teeth, which increase in size from before backward. The first is small, not always present in the adult, and is separated by short spaces from the second and the canine alveolus. The vertical part is relatively wide above. The condyle is convex in both directions, wide in front, narrow and declivitous behind. The very small and thin-edged coronoid process is not quite so high as the condyle, from which it is separated by a very wide notch. The mandibular foramen is large. The two halves of the bone unite soon after birth in the improved breeds.

The body of the =hyoid bone= is broad from before backward, short transversely, and bears on its ventral aspect a very short pointed lingual process. The thyroid cornua are wide and curved, concave and grooved dorsally; their ends are attached to the thyroid cartilage of the larynx by rather long bars of cartilage. The small cornua are short, wide, and flattened dorso-ventrally; they are attached to short bars which project from the junction of the body and thyroid cornua. The middle cornu is a little longer than the small cornu, but is relatively slender; it is largely cartilaginous in the young subject and does not ossify at either end. The great cornu is a very slender rod, slightly enlarged at either end; the upper extremity is attached to the hyoid process of the temporal by a rather long and wide bar of cartilage.

[Illustration:

FIG. 112.—MANDIBLE OF PIG.

_a_, Body of mandible; _b_, horizontal part of ramus; _f_, vertical part of ramus; _c_, interalveolar border; _c′_, interval between canine and corner incisor; _c″_, interval between first and second premolars; _d_, mental foramina; _e_, vascular impression; _g_, coronoid process; _h_, condyle; _i_, sigmoid notch; _k_, mandibular foramen; _1–7_, cheek teeth, _8_, canine tooth; _9_, _10_, _11_, incisors. (Ellenberger-Baum, Anat d. Haustiere.) ]

THE SKULL AS A WHOLE

The =length= and the =profile= contour vary greatly in different subjects. Primitively the skull is long—especially in its facial part—and the frontal profile is almost straight. The condition is very pronounced in wild or semi-feral pigs, and exists also in the improved breeds during extreme youth. Most of the latter are decidedly brachycephalic when fully developed; the face is “dished” in a pronounced fashion. The frontal region slopes sharply upward, and the nasal region is shortened, and in some specimens even distinctly concave in profile. The supraorbital foramina are about midway between the orbital margin and the frontal suture. The supraorbital grooves extend forward from the foramina to the nasal region and turn outward and downward toward the infraorbital foramina over the ridges which separate the nasal and lateral regions.

The =lateral surface= is triangular when the mandible is included. The temporal fossa is entirely lateral and its long axis is almost vertical. It is bounded above by the occipital crest, behind by the temporal crest, in front by the parietal crest, and is marked off from the orbital cavity by the supraorbital process and a curved crest which extends from it to the root of the pterygoid process. The zygomatic arch is strong, high, and flattened from side to side. Its root is notched above and bears a projection below. It curves sharply upward behind and forms a pointed recurved projection above and in front of the external auditory meatus. The orbit is small. Its margin is deficient behind in the dry skull, thick and rounded in front and below. The cavity is limited below by a ridge on the frontal and lacrimal bones, and is separated by a crest from the temporal fossa. The inner wall is perforated above by the orbital opening of the supraorbital canal, and below by the optic and ethmoidal foramina; on its antero-inferior part is the fossa in which the inferior oblique muscle of the eye takes origin. Two lacrimal foramina are found on or close to the anterior margin. The pterygo-palatine fossa is well defined; its upper part forms a deep groove which leads from the large foramen in the sphenoid (like that of the ox) to the very large maxillary foramen. The preorbital region is deeply grooved in its length and is clearly marked off by a ridge from the nasal and frontal regions. The facial crest is short, usually thin-edged, and lies above the fifth and sixth cheek teeth. A little (ca. 2 cm.) in front of it is the infraorbital foramen. There is a ridged prominence over the canine alveolus. In some skulls the anterior part of the upper jaw is inclined upward.

The most striking features of the =basal surface= are as follows: The paramastoid processes are extremely long, less flattened than in the horse and ox, and nearly vertical. At the inner side of the root of each is the hypoglossal foramen, and in front of it are the stylo-mastoid foramen and a deep cavity in which the hyoid process is concealed. The bulla ossea is long, compressed laterally, and bears a sharp, short, muscular process. The basioccipital is wide and flattened; it bears a median crest and two lateral tubercles. The posterior nares are small and are wider below than above. On either side of them is the tuberosity of the palate bone, and above this is the pterygoid fossa. The palate is remarkably long and is relatively narrow. It constitutes about two-thirds of the entire length of the skull. It is widest between the canines and premolars and narrow at each end. It is marked by a crest medially and by the palatine foramen and groove laterally. The anterior part bears transverse ridges. It is moderately arched from side to side. In some specimens it is nearly straight or slightly concave in its length; in others it curves upward to a variable degree in front. The posterior end always slopes upward more or less.

The =posterior= or =nuchal surface= is remarkable for its height and the breadth of the occipital crest. The central part above the foramen magnum is smooth and concave from side to side, and is bounded laterally by ridges, which converge below and end on two tubercles at the upper margin of the foramen magnum. The surface is separated from the temporal fossæ by the temporal crests, which curve downward and outward and blend with the external auditory canals. The mastoid process has the form of a plate which overlaps the root of the paramastoid process and bears a crest on its anterior part.

The =cranial cavity= is small, in spite of the great size of the cranium; the discrepancy is due to the enormous development of the frontal sinuses in the adult. It is relatively longer, but much lower than that of the ox. Its width is greatly diminished between the orbits. The olfactory fossæ are extensive and very oblique. The floor resembles that of the ox, but the foramen ovale is absent, the dorsum sellæ is more developed, and the foramen lacerum basis cranii is like that of the horse. Two oblique lateral crests clearly mark the limit between the cerebral and cerebellar compartments. The tentorium osseum and the parieto-temporal canals are absent.

The =nasal cavity= is very long. Its posterior part is divided by a horizontal plate into olfactory and respiratory parts. The olfactory part or fundus is above, and contains the ethmoturbinals and ethmoidal meatuses. The lower part is continuous with the inferior meatus and leads to the pharyngeal orifice; hence it is sometimes called the naso-pharyngeal meatus. The bony roof is almost complete in front on account of the great length of the nasal bones.

The =frontal sinus= is a vast excavation in the adult animal. It involves all of the roof and almost all of the sides of the cranium, and extends forward into the roof of the nasal cavity a variable distance—sometimes as far as a transverse plane through the infraorbital foramina. The septum between the right and left sinuses is usually deflected in an irregular manner in its middle part, but is practically median at either end. Each sinus is subdivided by numerous septa, some of which are complete. Thus the sinus is divided into compartments, each of which communicates with an ethmoidal meatus.

In the young pig the sinus is small and is confined to the anterior part of the frontal bone. Later it extends backward, outward, and to a less extent forward. In the old subject it penetrates laterally into the supraorbital process and the root of the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, and behind almost down to the foramen magnum and the occipital condyles. It then consists of six to eight compartments usually.

The =maxillary sinus= is relatively small. Its anterior end is a little less than an inch (ca. 2 cm.) behind the infraorbital foramen, and it extends upward into the lacrimal and backward into the malar bone. The infraorbital canal passes along its floor, and the roots of the molar teeth do not project up into it. It does not communicate with the frontal and sphenoidal sinuses, but with the posterior part of the middle meatus by means of a considerable orifice.

The =sphenoidal sinus= is very large. It involves the body, pterygoid processes, and temporal wings of the sphenoid bone, and extends into the squamous temporal. It communicates with the ventral ethmoidal meatus.

There is a small sinus in the perpendicular part of the palate bone which communicates with an ethmoidal meatus.

BONES OF THE THORACIC LIMB

The =scapula= is very wide, the index being about 1 ∶ 0.7. The spine is triangular and is very wide in its middle, which curves backward over the infraspinous fossa and bears a large tuberosity. Its lower part bears a small projection (rudimentary acromion). The anterior border is strongly convex in profile, sinuous when viewed from the front, and thick and rough in its middle. The posterior border is wide, slightly concave, and bears an outer rough lip. The vertebral border is convex, and the cartilage is not so extensive as in the horse and ox. The cervical angle is thin and bent inward a little. The dorsal angle is thick and is about a right angle. The neck is well defined. The rim of the glenoid cavity is rounded and not notched. The tuberosity is just above the antero-internal part of the glenoid cavity and bears no distinct coracoid process.

The =humerus= has an appearance in profile somewhat like an italic _f_ minus the cross-bar; this is due to the marked backward and forward inclination of the proximal and distal ends respectively. The shaft is decidedly compressed from side to side. The internal surface is extensive and flattened; it is separated from the anterior surface by a distinct border, and bears no teres tubercle. The musculo-spiral groove is shallow. The deltoid tuberosity is small, and there is a larger rounded eminence midway between it and the external tuberosity. The nutrient foramen is on the posterior surface below its middle. The head is more strongly curved and the neck better marked than in the horse or ox. The external tuberosity is very large and extends upon the front of the extremity. It is divided into two high prominences by a wide deep groove. There is a third eminence below and externally for the attachment of the supraspinatus muscle. The bicipital groove is at the front of the inner side; it is undivided and is almost converted into a canal. The outer groove on the distal articular surface is so shallow as to give the appearance of two condyles of similar size. The olecranon fossa is very deep, and the plate of bone which separates it from the coronoid fossa is thin and sometimes perforated. The proximal end unites with the shaft at three and a half years, the distal at one year.

The =radius= is short and narrow, but thick. The shaft increases in size from above downward. The greater part of the posterior surface is in apposition with the ulna; this part is marked by a vascular furrow which runs downward from the upper interosseous space, and has the nutrient foramen at its proximal end. The bicipital tuberosity is represented by a rough area. The distal end is relatively large. Its carpal surface consists of concavo-convex facets for the radial and intermediate carpal bones. There is a wide shallow groove on the middle of the front. The proximal end fuses with the shaft at one year, the distal at three and a half years.

The =ulna= is massive. It is much longer and considerably heavier than the radius. The shaft is curved. The anterior surface is convex and most of it is rough and attached to the radius by the interosseous ligament. There is a smooth area on the upper third, which concurs with the radius in forming the upper interosseous space, and is marked in its upper part by the nutrient foramen. From this space a vascular furrow passes downward to the lower part of the shaft, where there is often a distal interosseous space for the passage of vessels. The internal surface is extensive, concave, and smooth. The external surface is slightly convex, and its upper part is marked by an oblique rough line or ridge. The proximal extremity is large and is bent inward somewhat; its length is more than one-third of that of the entire bone. The distal extremity is relatively small; it articulates with the ulnar and accessory carpal bones, and is notched in front to accommodate the ridge on the radius. The bone contains a considerable medullary canal. The bone is consolidated at three to three and a half years.

The =carpus= comprises eight bones, four in each row. The bones of the proximal row resemble those of the ox, with the exception of the accessory, which is more like that of the horse, but has no external groove. The first carpal is small, elongated from before backward, rounded, and articulates in front with the second carpal. The latter is high and narrow, and articulates with the second and third metacarpal bones below. The third carpal articulates with the radial and intermediate above, the third metacarpal bone below. The fourth is the largest bone of the row; it articulates with the intermediate and ulnar above, the fourth and fifth metacarpals below, and bears a tuberosity on its volar aspect.

[Illustration:

FIG. 113.—SKELETON OF FOREARM AND MANUS OF PIG, ANTERO-EXTERNAL VIEW.

_a_, Radius; _b_, ulna; _c_, radial carpal; _d_, intermediate carpal; _e_, ulnar carpal; _f_, accessory carpal; _g_, first carpal; _h_, second carpal; _i_, third carpal; _k_, fourth carpal; _l-o_, second to fifth metacarpal bones; _p-s_, second to fifth digits; _1_, olecranon; _2_, beak of ulna (proc. anconeus); _3_, semilunar notch; _4_, styloid process of ulna; _5_, styloid process of radius; _6_, distal epiphyseal lines; _7_, first phalanx; _8_, second phalanx; _9_, third phalanx. (Ellenberger-Baum, Anat. d. Haustiere.) ]

Four =metacarpal bones= are present. The first is absent, the third and fourth are large and carry the chief digits, while the second and fifth are much smaller and bear the accessory digits. Their proximal ends articulate with each other and with the carpus as indicated above. The bones are consolidated at about two years of age.

The third and fourth metacarpals are flattened from before backward, three-sided, and placed close together. The distal end of each bears a trochlea for articulation with the first phalanx and the sesamoids. The third is the wider of the two, and articulates with all of the lower row of the carpus except the first. The fourth articulates with the fourth carpal chiefly, but has a small facet for the third. The second and fifth metacarpals are placed further back than the chief bones. The fifth is considerably the thicker of the two. The proximal ends are small and articulate with the corresponding carpal and metacarpal bones. The distal end is relatively large; its articular surface is condyloid in front, trochlear behind.

Each chief digit comprises three =phalanges= and three =sesamoids=. The bones of the chief digits resemble those of the ox in form, but there is no foramen on the interdigital side of the extensor process and the proximal sesamoids are narrow and ridged behind. The phalanges of the accessory digits (which do not reach the ground ordinarily) are similar in form but much smaller.

BONES OF THE PELVIC LIMB

The =os coxæ= is long and narrow. The ilium and ischium are almost in line with each other and sagittal in direction. The wing of the =ilium= bends outward much less than in the horse or ox. The gluteal surface is divided into two fossæ by a ridge, which is continuous with the superior ischiatic spine behind. The inner surface presents an extensive rough area behind, which is in apposition with the wing of the sacrum. The smooth iliac area is narrow, and is bounded above by a ridge. The crest or anterior border is convex, and is thick, rough, and prominent in its middle, which forms the highest point of the bone. The internal angle is lower than the crest, is directed backward, and articulates internally with the sacrum. The external angle is lower still and is very little thickened. The =ischia= in the female are somewhat divergent and flattened behind. The tubera are everted and bear three prominences. There is a crest or tuberosity on the ventral surface. The superior ischiatic spine is like that of the cow, but is slightly incurved and the muscular ridges on its outer face are more pronounced. The symphyseal part of the =pubis= is thick and the two bones are almost in a horizontal plane. The ilio-pectineal eminence is prominent and the psoas tubercle is well marked.

The =acetabulum= is placed a little further back than in the ox. The rim is thick and is cut into posteriorly by a narrow fissure, which leads into the deep fossa acetabuli. The three pieces of the os coxæ are fused by the end of the first year, but the crest and the ischial tubera are partially separate till the sixth or seventh year. The symphysis does not usually undergo complete anchylosis. Interischial bones are present.

The =inlet= of the =pelvis= is elliptical and very oblique. In a sow of full size the conjugate diameter is about five to six inches (10 to 12 cm.) and the transverse about three and a half to four inches (ca. 8.75 to 10 cm.). In the female the floor is relatively wide and flattened, especially at the outlet, where the tubera are everted; it also has a decided downward inclination behind. The pelvic axis is therefore correspondingly oblique. The ischial arch is wide. In the boar the pubis is much thicker and the ischia are not everted posteriorly. The inlet is smaller. The floor is concave from side to side and slopes decidedly less than in the sow. The superior ischiatic spines are more incurved, and the ischial arch is much narrower and deeper.

The =femur= has a relatively wide and massive shaft, on which four surfaces might be recognized. The principal nutrient foramen is situated in the proximal third of the anterior surface. The posterior surface is wide, and is limited outwardly by a ridge which extends from the trochanter major to the large external supracondyloid crest. There is no supracondyloid (plantar) fossa. The head is strongly curved, and is marked toward the inner side by a rather large depression for the attachment of the round ligament. The neck is distinct. The trochanter major, although massive, does not extend up as high as the head. The trochanteric ridge and fossa resemble those of the ox. The external (third) trochanter is absent. The ridges of the trochlea are similar and almost sagittal.

The shaft of the =tibia= is slightly curved, convex internally. The tuberosity is grooved in front, and a narrow sulcus separates it from the external condyle. The facet for the fibula is on the posterior border of the latter, and is bounded internally by an eminence. The upper part of the crest is very prominent and curves outward. The distal end resembles in general that of the ox, but is relatively narrower transversely and thicker from before backward.

The =fibula= extends the entire length of the region, and is separated from the tibia by a wide interosseous space. The shaft is flattened from side to side; the proximal part is wide and deeply grooved externally; the lower part is narrower and thicker. The proximal end is flattened, grooved externally, and articulates internally with the external condyle of the tibia. The distal end forms the external malleolus. It is grooved externally, and articulates with the tibia and tibial tarsal internally, with the fibular tarsal bone distally.

The =patella= is very much compressed laterally and presents three surfaces.

[Illustration:

FIG. 114.—COXAL BONES OF PIG, LEFT POSTERIOR VIEW.

_a_, Wing, _b_, shaft, _c_, external angle, _d_, anterior border, _e_, internal angle, _f_, gluteal line of ilium; _g_, great sciatic notch; _h_, smooth, _i_, rough part of ventral surface of ilium; _k_, psoas tubercle; _l_, ilio-pectineal eminence; _m_, acetabular branch, _n_, symphyseal branch of pubis; _o_, obturator foramen; _p_, _p′_, ischium; _q_, _q′_, tuber ischii; _r_, symphysis; _s_, ischial arch; _t_, _t′_, superior ischiatic spine; _u_, acetabulum; _v_, epiphyseal line. (Ellenberger-Baum, Anat. d. Haustiere.) ]

The =tarsus= comprises seven bones. The tibial and the fibular tarsal resemble in general those of the ox. The axis of the tibial is, however, slightly oblique downward and inward, and its distal end bears a double trochlea for articulation with the central and fourth tarsals. The tuber calcis is deeply grooved posteriorly. The central tarsal is narrow transversely and thick. Its proximal surface is deeply concave, and the posterior bears a large tubercle. The first tarsal is high and narrow; it articulates with the central and second tarsals and the second metatarsal bone. The second tarsal is small and somewhat prismatic; it articulates with the central above, the third in front, the first behind, and the second and third metatarsals below. The third tarsal is much larger, and is compressed from above downward, wide in front, narrow behind. It articulates with the central tarsal above, the third metatarsal below, the second tarsal internally, and the fourth tarsal externally. The fourth tarsal is large. Its external face is crossed by an oblique groove for the tendon of the peroneus longus. The internal surface articulates with the central and third tarsals. The proximal surface supports the tibial and fibular tarsal bones, and the distal surface rests on the fourth and fifth metatarsals. It ossifies from two centers.