MR. BELL ON THE NERVES OF THE FACE. 
321 
Such are a few of the facts which have been reaped from a patient reliance 
on the correctness of my first deductions, and I would now urge them in proof 
of the importance of reasoning upon the anatomy. All these nerves have been 
repeatedly divided, by almost every surgeon of eminence in the three kingdoms. 
Although some have performed the operation of dividing the nerves frequently, 
and one eminent gentleman had done it six times on the face of the same man, 
all these operations have been performed without giving rise to the suspicion 
that these nerves bestowed different properties. Even now, so slow is the 
progress of improvement, it is stated by a surgeon that he will not hesitate to 
cut the portio dura in the case of tic douloureux. My duty is performed when 
I give publicity to the facts which prove that horrible distortion of the whole 
countenance, the loss of distinct articulation, the loss of expression, the loss 
of motion of the eyelids, and consequent inflammation of the eye, must follow 
such an operation. 
Much has been said in favour of experiments when made by men who are 
positively without any expectation of the result, or, as they affirm, are unbiassed. 
The only instances of this that I can allow, are when the surgeon cuts the 
nerves of the face in a surgical operation. In such operations as these for tic 
douloureux, he is indeed unbiassed ; and we have seen the result, that after fifty 
years of such experience we remained quite ignorant of the distinctions in 
these nerves. But on the other hand when attention is roused to inquiry by 
aantomy, facts are obtained of the utmost importance both to the knowledge 
of disease and to the safe practice of surgery. 
Of the Motor or Manducatory portion of the Fifth Nerve. 
The fifth nerve is usually called Trigeminus, from piercing the skull in three 
grand divisions. But when it has been shown that it is composed of two 
distinct roots having different functions, the accidental circumstance of its 
divisions passing through the bones yields in importance to another inquiry, 
How is the muscular portion of the nerve distributed ? 
Since the publication of my first paper this inquiry has assumed importance ; 
although the principal facts of the anatomy were known to Wrisberg, San 
torini, Paletta, Prochaska, and Sosmmerring. But in no author is the ana- 
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MDCCCXXIX. 
