THE FACIAL NERVE 



903 



In the internal acoustic 

 meatus . 



At the genicular ganglion 



In the facial canal . 



At its exit from the stylo- 

 mastoid foramen . 



Behind the ear 

 On the face 

 In the neck 



With the acoustic nerve. 



'With the sphenopalatine ganglion by the greater 



superficial petrosal nerve. 

 With the otic ganglion by a branch which joins 



the lesser superficial petrosal nerve. 

 With the sympathetic on the middle meningeal 



artery. 



With the auricular branch of the vagus. 

 With the glossopharyngeal. 

 With the vagus. 

 With the great auricular. 

 With the auriculotemporal. 

 With the lesser occipital. 

 With the trigeminal. 

 With the cutaneous cervical. 



In the internal acoustic meatus some minute filaments pass from the facial to 

 the acoustic nerve. 



The greater superficial petrosal nerve (large superficial petrosal nerve} arises from 

 the genicular ganglion, and consists chiefly of sensory branches which are dis- 

 tributed to the mucous membrane of the soft palate; but it probably contains a few 

 motor fibers which form the motor root of the sphenopalatine ganglion. It passes 

 forward through the hiatus of the facial canal, and runs in a sulcus on the anterior 

 surface of the petrous portion of the temporal bone beneath the semilunar ganglion, 

 to the foramen lacerum. It receives a twig from the tympanic plexus, and in the 

 foramen is joined by the deep petrosal, from the sympathetic plexus on the internal 

 carotid artery, to form the nerve of the pterygoid canal which passes forward 

 through the pterygoid canal and ends in the sphenopalatine ganglion. The genicular 

 ganglion is connected w r ith the otic ganglion by a branch which joins the lesser 

 superficial petrosal nerve, and also with the sympathetic filaments accompanying 

 the middle meningeal artery. According to Arnold, a twig passes back from the 

 ganglion to the acoustic nerve. Just before the facial nerve emerges from the 

 stylomastoid foramen, it generally receives a twig from the auricular branch of 

 the vagus. 



After its exit from the stylomastoid foramen, the facial nerve sends a twig to 

 the glossopharyngeal, and communicates with the auricular branch of the vagus, 

 with the great auricular nerve of the cervical plexus, with the auriculotemporal 

 nerve in the parotid gland, and with the lesser occipital behind the ear; on the face 

 with the terminal branches of the trigeminal, and in the neck with the cutaneous 

 cervical nerve. 



Branches of Distribution. The branches of distribution (Fig. 788) of the facial 

 nerve may be thus arranged: 



With the facial canal . 



At its exit from the stylo- 

 mastoid foramen 



On the face 



f Nerve to the Stapedius muscle. 

 ( Chorda tympani. 

 ( Posterior auricular. 

 < Digastric. 

 (. Stylohyoid. 



Temporal. 



Zygomatic. 



Buccal. 



Mandibular. 



Cervical. 



