394 On the Gastric and Intestinal Mucous Membranes. 



" The lamina of the mucous body resembles exactly that of 

 the epidermis : quite rough, like it, with small projections on 

 its external surface, and covered all over with small depres- 

 sions on its internal surface. 



" It is necessary, however, to add that, whUe the sheaths of 

 this mucous body remain attached to the papillae of the dermis, 

 this body forms a true network ; but a factitious network, a 

 network which, like the famous network of Malpighi, or of the 

 mucous body of the tongue, only depends on the artificial ad- 

 herence of the sheaths of the mucous body to the papillae of 

 the dermis. 



" I have found this same structure of a raucous membrane 

 composed of three superimposed membranes, the dermis, the 

 mucous body, and the epidermis, on the stomach ; and that 

 notwithstanding the extreme fineness of the raucous merabrane 

 of this organ. 



" I may say that the papillae, and particularly the papillae 

 of the small intestine, otherwise so remarkable, only appear in 

 all their richness and admii*able regularity when they are, as 

 they are seen on the piece No. 1, which I present to the Aca- 

 demy, stripped both of the mucous body and the epidermis, 

 which, in their ordinary state, mask and cover them. 



" I may say farther, that it is only then that one is fully 

 assured of all the generality of this fact, already established in 

 my preceding memoirs, \iz. that the villosities or papillae are 

 every where productions of the dermis, that they belong every 

 where to this dermis, and that the mucous body and the epi- 

 dermis only serve as sheaths or envelopes to them. 



" A second fact, not less important, and which acquires 

 new force from these new researches, is that the general cha- 

 racter of mucous raembranes, even those most deeply situated, 

 is to present a dermis covered with a mucous body and an epi- 

 dermis, just as the general character of the skin is to present 

 a derrais covered with a double epidermis. 



" Finally, it is easy to see that an improved knowledge of 

 the structure of the stomach and intestines, gives a new aid to 

 the physiological study of these organs. It has always been 

 repugnant to physiology, and that, notwithstanding the autho- 

 rity of the very great observers Glisson, Bichat, Beclard, and 



