550 THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 



Hence it would appear as if the influence on nutrition 

 were conveyed through the filaments of the sympathetic, 

 which join the branches of the fifth nerve at and beyond 

 the Gasserian ganglion, rather than through the filaments 

 of the fifth itself; and this is confirmed by experiments 

 in which extirpation of the superior cervical ganglion of 

 the sympathetic produced the same destructive disease 

 of the eye that commonly follows the division of the fifth 

 nerve. 



And yet, that the filaments of the fifth nerve, as well as 

 those of the sympathetic, may conduct such influence, ap- 

 pears certain from the cases, including that by Mr. Stanley, 

 in which the source of the paralysis of the fifth nerve was 

 near the brain, or at its very origin, before it receives any 

 communication from the sympathetic nerve. The existence 

 of ganglia of the sympathetic in connection with all the 

 principal divisions of the fifth nerve where it gives off 

 those branches which supply the organs of special sense 

 for example, the connection of the ophthalmic ganglion 

 with the ophthalmic nerve at the origin of the ciliary 

 nerves ; of the spheno-palatine ganglion with the superior 

 maxillary division, where it gives its branches to the nose 

 and the palate ; of the otic ganglion with the inferior 

 maxillary near the giving off of filaments to the internal 

 ear ; and of the sub-maxillary ganglion with the lingual 

 branch of the fifth all these connections suggest that a 

 peculiar and probably conjoint influence of the sympa- 

 thetic and fifth nerves is exercised in the nutrition of the 

 organs of the special senses ; and the results of experi- 

 ment and disease confirm this, by showing that the nutrition 

 of the organs may be impaired in consequence of impair- 

 ment of the power of either of the nerves. 



A possible connection between the fifth nerve and the 

 sense of sight, is shown in cases of no unfrequent occur- 

 rence, in which blows or other injuries implicating the 

 frontal nerve as it passes over the brow, are followed by 

 total blindness in the corresponding eye. The blindness 



