The course of post‐ganglionic sympathetic fibres distributed with the trigeminal nerve in the cat.

Abstract

1. The course of post-ganglionic sympathetic fibres to the jaws, face and eye was investigated in cats by observing the effects of nerve sections on responses evoked by stimulation of the cervical sympathetic trunk. 2. Sympathetic fibres were present in the infraorbital and inferior alveolar nerves. From the superior cervical ganglion, all of these fibres travelled in the internal carotid nerve and all but a few passed through the foramen lacerum and joined the trigeminal nerve at its ganglion. 3. Compound action potentials were recorded from sympathetic fibres in six out of twenty-seven teeth. These fibres followed the route described above. 4. Sympathetic fibres to the pupil and levator palpebrae superioris passed from the internal carotid nerve to the eye via the foramen lacerum and the superior orbital fissure. Some fibres causing piloerection in front of the ear travelled by the same route and some travelled with the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve. 5. Sympathetic fibres to the nictitating membrane followed a similar route to those supplying the pupil except that they entered the cranial vault through the pterygoid foramen. 6. The secretomotor fibres to the submandibular salivary gland and some vasoconstrictor fibres to the lip did not travel with the internal carotid nerve or major branches of the trigeminal nerve.