NERVUS FACIALIS OF ALBINO MOUSE 123 



Fibers from the sphenopalatine ganghon terminate in the 

 gland of Stenson, in the medial part, at least, of the lacrimal 

 gland, in the glands of the nasal septum, and along the blood- 

 vessels of the nose and in the palate (general visceral efferent 

 component). If fibers of the great superficial petrosal nerve 

 supply the taste-buds of the palate, which, in the mouse is by no 

 means certain, they probably pass through the sphenopalatine 

 ganglion without connection with the ganglion cells. The nerve 

 supply of the glands of the palate could not be determined. 



The afferent fibers in the chorda tympani carry taste impulses 

 from the anterior part of the tongue (special visceral afferent 

 component). The efferent fibers of the chorda tympani termi- 

 nate in the ganglia in connection with the submaxillary and sub- 

 lingual salivary glands, each fiber ending in relation with more 

 than one ganglion cell. There is also some clinical evidence that 

 the chorda tjrmpani contains afferent fibers which carry impulses 

 of certain kinds of common sensation from the tongue. 



The afferent fibers of the ramus cutaneus facialis terminate in 

 the skin of the external auditory meatus, in the skin of a part of 

 the auricule and possible a part of the tympanic membrane (gen- 

 eral somatic afferent component) . Fibers from the ramus auric- 

 ularis vagi are distributed as a part of this nerve, and cutaneous 

 fibers from the facial nerve are distributed through the ramus 

 auricular] s vagi. 



There are several unsolved problems in connection with the 

 anatomy and function of the mammalian facial nerve which have 

 been suggested by this work. Among these may be mentioned: 

 1) The presence and the termination of cutaneous fibers in the 

 facial nerve of larger mammals and man. 2) If such be found 

 present, the central connections of the cutaneous fibers. 3) The 

 term^ination of the afferent and efferent facial fibers and the 

 sympathetic fibers of the nervus canalis pterygoidei in the 

 sphenopalatine ganglion and the function of each set of fibers 

 4) The nerves within the tongue, especially the termination of 

 the fibers and the significance of the large numbers of ganglia 

 and ganglion cells along the nerves. 



It is hoped that in the near future the time and the material 

 will be available for the working out of some of these problems. 



