SiGERSox — On the Study of Nerve-Action. 259 



it furnished them with motor twigs. It is presumed that sentient 

 fibres are sent to the mucous membrane. The circumflexus or tensores 

 palati receive motor twigs from the inferior branch of the trigeminus, 

 contracting when it is stimulated. Again, stimulation of the pneu- 

 mogastric, a mixed nerve, induces contraction in some of the pala- 

 tine muscles (Bischoii and Eeid). From Meckel's ganglion, the 

 spheno-palatine (which receives its sensory supply from the superior 

 maxillary, or second division of the trigeminus), some branches proceed 

 to supply the hard and soft palate, tonsils, and uvula. Of these the 

 anterior palatine branches are described as sensory (Eobiu), whilst the 

 posterior ai'e mentioned as destined for the levatores palati and azygos 

 uvulae. A pterygo-palatine branch supplies the mucous membrane 

 of the Eustachian tube, and that of the adjacent nasal and phalangeal 

 region. The otic gangKon (Arnold's) receiving a root from the 

 inferior maxillary (said to be its motor supply), receives also in its 

 long slender root (Arnold's minor superficial petrosal nerve) a supply 

 from Jacobson's nerve which brings the glosso-pharyngeus into com- 

 munication with the trigeminus. It is asserted, however, that the 

 branches given off from this ganglion (which they merely pass 

 through) come from the motor portion of the trigeminus ; they supply, 

 according to Eobin, the levator palati, the internal pterygoid, and 

 tensor tympani. It does not appear to me to be demonstrated that 

 only motor branches are given off to the palatine region. Professor 

 Hermann, having stated that the otic ganglion gives off two branches, 

 one to the tensor tympani, and another to the tensor palati, remarks : 

 " The physiological importance of this little centre is, however, in all 

 probability, much greater than one would conclude from the fact of 

 its merely giving off these two small muscular branches, as it is pro- 

 bably through it that the fibres of the facial, contained in the small 

 superficial petrosal nerve, make their way to the auriculo-temporal 

 nerve (5th), and thence to the parotid gland, for which they are most 

 probably secretory. Further, it is probable that, through the otic 

 ganglion, fibres of the glosso-pharyngeal, derived from its tympanic 

 branch, make their way to the facial nerve." 



Incidentally, the importance of this ganglion, as a connecting junc- 

 tion, will be illustrated by the facts of the cases which follow. In the 

 first case, a patient affected by a pontine lesion had complete facialis 

 paralysis on the left side of the face. On that side, however, the 

 sense of hearing remained perfect, and the sense of taste was left intact 

 which would not be the case if, as some have asserted, the facial 

 nerve shared in it. On the right side there was paralysis of the 

 inferior maxillary branch of the trigeminus. There was, consequently, 

 absence of sensation in the external ear and integuments of the lower 

 jaw. Thus, owing to the anaesthesia and analgesia, the patient did 

 not feel the razor whilst shaving, and sometimes cut his cheek with- 

 out his attention being aroused by pain. There was a certain 

 degree of diminution of the senses of taste and touch observed on the 

 right anterior portion of the tongue, the cause of which I shall discuss 



