NERVE OF EXPRESSION. 329 



nerve, from the ganglion of Meckel, joins the facial. At 

 this point of junction there is seen a gangliform expansion, 

 receiving filaments from the sympathetic, and from the 

 otic ganglion of Arnold. Here the Vidian nerve separates 

 from the facial, and enters the cavity of the tympanum at 

 its superior and posterior portion, becoming, at this point, 

 the chorda tympani, which crosses the cavity of the tympa- 

 num obliquely forward and downward, between the han- 

 dle of the malleus and long leg of the incus, escapes through 

 a foramen on the inner side of the fissure of Glasser, and 

 joins the gustatory nerve, at an acute angle, between the 

 pterygoid muscles. At the angle of the jaw, it leaves the 

 trunk of the gustatory, and goes to the submaxillary gan- 

 glion, where it terminates. The chorda tympani has been 

 considered, by some anatomists, a branch of the facial; but 

 Mr. Jno. Hunter appears to have satisfactorily demonstrated 

 the Vidian to be the recurrent branch of the second division 

 of the fifth pair, and consequently a nerve of sensation. 

 From the circuitous route of the Vidian, it is seen to estab- 

 lish several very interesting connections. It connects the 

 ganglion of Meckel with the superior cervical ganglia, by 

 filaments which unite with sympathetic filaments in the 

 cavernous sinus, before entering the hiatus Fallopii; unites 

 Meckel's ganglion with the submaxillary ganglion con- 

 nects the superior and inferior maxillary nerves together, 

 and further unites both these with the facial. 



The branches of the facial are, 1. Tympanic, one or two 

 small filaments in the cavity of the tympanum, to supply 

 the stapcdius and tensor tympani muscles. 2. Three 

 branches, just as it emerges from the stylo-mastoid fora- 

 men, the posterior auricular, the stylo-hyoid, and digas- 

 tric, supplying the back of the ear, the stylo-hyoid, and 

 digastric muscles. 3. In the substance of the parotid, 

 the temporo-facial and cervico-facial, terminating branches 

 of this nerve, which send off numerous filaments that con- 

 nect and interlace, so as to form a plexus, called the 

 parotidean plexus, or pes anserinus. The temporo-facial 

 ascends over the neck of the lower jaw, to be distributed 



