Chap, vii.] THE FACE. 85 



against the bone, or ligatured. The anastomoses of the 

 artery upon the face are so free, that, when the vessel 

 is divided, both ends, as a rule, require to be secured. 

 The facial vein is only in contact with the artery near 

 the lower border of the jaw ; on the face it is sepa- 

 rated from it by a considerable interval. The vein is 

 not so flaccid as are most superficial veins; it remains 

 more patent after section, it possesses no valves, 

 and communicates at one end indirectly with the 

 cavernous sinus, and at the other with the internal 

 jugular vein in the neck. This vein has also another, 

 but less direct, communication with the iiitracranial 

 veins. It is as follows : the facial vein receives the 

 " deep facial vein " from the pterygoid plexus, and 

 this plexus communicates with the cavernous sinus by 

 means of some small veins which pass through the 

 foramen ovale and the fibrous tissue of the foramen 

 lacerum medius. These dispositions of the facial vein 

 may serve to explain the mortality of some inflamma- 

 tory affections of the part. Thus, carbuncle of the face 

 is not unfrequeiitly fatal by inducing thrombosis of the 

 cerebral sinuses, and a like, complication may occur in 

 any other diffuse and deeply- extending inflammatory 

 condition. The unusual patency also of the facial 

 vein favours septic absorption, and its direct commu- 

 nication with the great vein in the neck may explain 

 those abrupt deaths from thrombosis that have fol- 

 lowed upon the injection of facial naevi in infants. 



Nerve supply. The nerves of the face are very 

 liberally distributed, the fifth being the sensory nerve, 

 the facial the motor. It follows, from the great 

 number of nerve filaments about the part, that severe 

 irritants applied to the face may set up a widespread 

 nerve disturbance. Dr. George Johnson mentions a 

 case where a piece of flint embedded in a scar on the 

 cheek set up facial neuralgia, facial paralysis, and 

 trismus, and induced a return of epileptic attacks. The 



