The observation of sweating responses affords an excellent opportunity to study the vegetative cutaneous innervation. This is of particular physiologic and diagnostic interest in the region of the face, since other methods, such as observation of the pilomotor and vasomotor reactions, fail to give adequate information.
It has been established that the sweat glands of the face, similar to those of the rest of the body, are innervated by sympathetic fibers, but there is also evidence that a parasympathetic nerve supply exists. A review of the literature reveals considerable disagreement as to the course of the sweat fibers of the face. It is therefore our endeavor in this investigation (1) to trace the course and distribution of the sympathetic sweat fibers from the superior cervical ganglion to the skin of the face and (2) to analyze sweating responses of the face which are apparently not transmitted by sympathetic fibers. Particular