PROGRESS OF MICROSCOPICAL SCIENCE. 27 



Professor Tomsa, of Kiev, in Russia. Dr. Pye-Smith says (' Medical 

 Eecord') tLat tlie autlior, starting from the zones recently sketched 

 by Langers, describes the felted arrangement of the fibrillfe in the 

 papillary layer of the coriura, and the looser texture of the deeper or 

 reticular layer, where the great bundles of fibrous tissue form rhombic 

 and polygonal spaces by their intersection, which make on section a 

 kind of lattice-work. There is also a distinct, though not uniform, 

 arrangement of this tissue in successive layers, parallel to the surface. 

 All this structure the author finds equally in the zones, which more 

 or less perfectly encircle the limbs and trunk, and in the spaces 

 between them. He then shows the arrangement of the hair-folHcles, 

 which are connected, not by their blind extremities, but by their edges, 

 with four bundles of fibres running obliquely up from the reticular 

 layer of cutis, and crossing each other obliquely before they expand in 

 the papillary layer so as to surround the mouth of the follicle. This 

 applies chiefly to the white fibres, as seen in tanned specimens of 

 human skin. The elastic tissue is more irregularly disposed, while 

 the inter-fibrillar cement {Kittsuhstanz) pervades all parts alike. 



The author does not find any continuous layer of endothelium 

 lining the spaces into which the cutaneous lymphatics open. 



The arrangement of the muscles of the skin is next described with 

 great minuteness, and illustrated by figures of a mechanical model 

 constructed for the purpose. 



The second part of this paper deals with the blood-vessels of the 

 integuments. The plan employed by the author was to inject first 

 the veins and then the arteries with different coloured fluids, so that 

 the place of meeting in the capillaries could be afterwards recognized. 

 Professor Ludwig's apparatus was used ; the injections consisted of 

 size, coloured with solution of Berlin blue, watery solution of hydrated 

 oxide of iron, dialyzed and afterwards concentrated by evaporation, or 

 ferrocyanide of copper dissolved with oxalate of ammonia. Carmine 

 injections did not succeed ; the colours stained the sm'rounding tissues 

 in spite of all precautions. Pieces of skin in which the injection had 

 run well, from the face, arm, foot, hand, scrotum, trunk, &c., were 

 hardened in alcohol : sections were made in various directions, and 

 cleared with acetic acid and glycerine, or with turpentine. 



The most important results of these observations, which are 

 illustrated by numerous well -executed coloured drawings, ai'e as 

 follows : — 



1. There is no direct communication between the cutaneous arteries 

 and veins, as supposed by M. Sucquet; the capillary network is 

 complete throughout. 



2. There is no special capillary system for the fibrous and elastic 

 tissue of the skin. Fine injections show that the capillaries are 

 arranged as follows : (a) in the papillfe, where their function is 

 supposed by the author to be the formation of epidermis ; (h) aroimd 

 the convoluted part of the sweat-glands, and the sacs of the sebaceous 

 and hair-follicles ; (c) among the arrectores pilorum and the muscular 

 fibres of the dartos ; {d) surrounding the nerve fibres and the minute 

 ganglioniform enlargements which have been described by the author ; 



