On the gross anatomy of the cranial cervical ganglion of the donkey (Equus asinus) in Turkey.

The cranial cervical ganglion comprises neurons of especial functional importance for the head. Six specimens of heads of adult donkeys of both sexes, all of which had been exsanguinated and perfused with 10% neutral formalin for teaching purposes, were dissected to derive a gross description of the location, arrangement and branches of the cranial cervical ganglion (ganglion cervicale craniale) bilaterally. The ganglion was irregular fusiform-shaped or flattened, and reddish-grey in colour. It was 1.9-2.1 mm in length and 0.7-0.8 mm in thickness. The ganglion was located beneath the mandibular gland, caudal to the ramus of the mandible and diverticle of the guttural pouch, and ventral to the atlanto-axial joint. The branches of the ganglion were the internal and external carotid nerves, the jugular nerve, and a branch communicating with the ventral branch of the first cervical nerve fibres.