/'///; A /:/;! />. 





immediately beneath tho temporo-tnaxilltfy articulation. There it ter- 

 minates in two or three branches, which anastomose with those of tin SUJMT- 

 ficial temporal nerve from the fifth pair, thus forming the /<.//;/"'/"'/" 

 plexus (pes anserinus, Fig. 110). 



Distribution. a. In its interosseons course, the facial nerve successively 

 furnishes : 



1. The great superficial petrous nerve (ncrvus petrosut guperficiaJis /<> 



2. The small superficial petrous nerve (nervus petrosus S'lperficialit ntlimr \. 



3. The filament of the stapedius muscle (tympanic bra wit). 



4. The chorda tympani. 



It communicates, besides, with tho pncumogastric nerve, by means of a 

 voluminous filament described as : 



5. The anastomotic branch of the pncumogasfric. 



b. The branches it emits on its course beneath the parotid gland arise 

 either from its superior or inferior border ; they are : 



6. Tho occipito-styloid nerve. 



7. The stylo-hyuid nerve. 



8. Tho digastric nerve. 



9. The cervical ramuscule. 



10. Filaments to the guttural pouch and parotid gland. 



Tho superior branches comprise : 



11. The posterior auricular nerve. 



12. The middle auricular nerve. 



13. The anterior auricular nerve. 



c. To this collection of collateral ramuscules are added the terminal 

 branches, formed by their anastomoses with the superficial temporal nerve : 



14. The subzygomatic plexus. 



A.. COLLATERAL BRANCHES. 1. GREAT SUPERFICIAL PETROUS NERVE. 

 This is a very remarkable ramuscule, which is detached from tho bend of 

 the facial nerve to proceed to Meckel's ganglion. The importance of tho 

 peculiarities attaching to the study of this nerve requires us to call special 

 attention to its origin, course, and termination ; though the details into 

 which we are about to enter may be omitted by tho student. 



Origin. Ganglion geniculare. The manner in which tho great super- 

 ficial petrous nerve comports itself at its origin is yet an obscure and 

 controverted fact, on which however light is beginning to be thrown. Tho 

 following is the most general opinion : This nerve arises from a small grey 

 enlargement, the genicular ganglion (or intumescenl! gangUforatM), placed 

 on the course of the facial nerve, at the summit of tho angle which that 

 nervous trunk describes after its entrance into the aqueduct of Fallopius ; and 

 tho presence of this small ganglion on the seventh pair should assimilate tho 

 facial to a mixed nerve, whose sensitive root would be represented by the 

 portio intermedia of Wrisberg a thin filament comprised between the seventh 

 and eighth pair, and which emanates directly from the medulla oblongata to 

 pass into tho posterior part of the ganglion geniculare. 



We have constantly found this ganglion in tho domesticated animals. 

 There exists, in fact, on this angle or elbow of the facial nerve, a very slight, 

 grey, conical prominence, composed of ganglionic corpuscles which a micro- 

 scopical examination readily reveals, and giving origin on its apex to the 

 great superficial petrous nerve. This prominence, which, we repeat, is very 



