466 KERVOI7S SYSTEM. 



stylo-mastoid foramen, having sent in this course one or more 

 filaments to the muscles of the little bones of the tympanum. 



Afterwards, the facial nerve gives off several branches, which 

 are distributed as follows: 



a. The Posterior Auricular (Auricular is Posterior) arises 

 near the stylo-mastoid foramen, as stated in the account of the 

 Nerves of the Ear; and having sent several filaments into the 

 mastoid process, it winds over the anterior face of the base of 

 the latter, and divides into two fasciculi. The anterior is dis- 

 tributed in filaments upon the back of the external ear, the car- 

 tilaginous meatus, and the posterior auris muscle; the posterior 

 ascends upon the mastoid portion of the temporal bone to the 

 posterior belly of the occipito-frontalis muscle, and is spent by 

 filaments to the latter, and to the corresponding integuments, 

 anastomosing likewise with ramifications of the occipital 

 nerve. 



b. The facial nerve then detaches filaments to the muscles 

 of the styloid process, and to the posterior belly of the digas- 

 tric muscle, h also sends filaments of anastomosis to the su- 

 perior part of the sympathetic nerve; to the cutaneous cervical; 

 and to ramifications of the glosso-pharyngeal, of the pneumo- 

 gastric, and of the accessory. 



The facial nerve, having given off the foregoing filaments 

 and branches, penetrates downwards and forwards into the 

 substance of the parotid gland, where it is divided into a num- 

 ber of branches, varying from two to five, which form a plexus 

 by their anastomosis.' This plexus is re-enforced, as mentioned, 

 by branches from the superficial temporal of the inferior max- 

 illary, which wind around the neck of the lower jaw. It is 

 then distributed to the side of the face in radiating clusters or 

 columns of filaments, called the temporo-facial, the buccal, and 

 the cervico-facial. 



The Temporo-Facial Nerves, or Branches, are hid, for some 

 distance, in the upper part of the parotid gland, which they 

 traverse below the neck of the lower jaw. They divide into 

 filaments, some of which go to the temple, and others to the 

 cheek. The temporal branches are commonly two or three in 

 number; they leave filaments with the parotid gland, mount 

 over the zygoma, and are distributed to the anterior auris 

 muscle, to the outer section of the orbicularis palpebrarum, 



