CRANIAL NERVES. 313 



parietes and septum nasi. The Vidian nerve is com- 

 monly described as a branch of Meckel's ganglion. It 

 passes horizontally backward through the Vidian canal, 

 and communicates with the large petrosal of the facial ; 

 a filament also communicates with the carotid plexus 

 of the sympathetic. 



The inferior maxillary supplies sensation to the lower 

 teeth, gums, contents of oral cavity, skin of the lower lip, 

 and lower part of the face. Its motor root is distributed 

 to the muscles of mastication. One of its branches 

 the gustatory contributes to the special sense of taste. 

 The inferior maxillary passes forward and downward from 

 the Casserian ganglion to the foramen ovule, accompa- 

 nied by the motor root, which joins the inferior maxillary 

 division just beneath the greater wing of the sphenoid. 

 The nerve then divides into an anterior and posterior 

 trunk. The anterior trunk receives the motor root, and 

 is distributed to the muscles of mastication, namely, to 

 the masseter, buccinator, temporal, and the pterygoids. 

 The posterior trunk divides into three portions, the 

 inferior dental, gustatory, and auriculo-temporal nerves. 

 The inferior dental enters the inferior dental canal, 

 supplies the teeth, and, at the mental foramen, sends 

 forward a filament to supply the incisor teeth. The 

 bulk of the nerve emerges at the mental foramen, breaks 

 up into a leash of fibres, which are distributed to the 

 integument of the chin and adjoining surface. Just 

 before this nerve enters the inferior dental foramen it 

 gives off the mylo-hyoid, which is distributed to the 

 mylo-hyoid muscle and submaxillary gland. 



The auriculo-temporal accompanies the temporal 

 artery. It arises by two roots, between which runs the 

 middle meningeal artery. It gives sensation to the tem- 

 poral region, side of head, and ear. 



