THE SKIN AND BATHING. 



"PHYSIOLOGICALLY considered, it would 

 seem almost impossible to overestimate the 

 importance of the functions of the skin. Consider 

 for a moment the complex apparatus by which 

 these functions are carried on, and the enormous 

 amount of work accomplished through it. If the 

 reader will examine his hand with a simple jewel- 

 ler's lens, or with any of the cheap pocket micro- 

 scopes, he will notice that there are delicate grooves 

 crossing the furrows, and that a small orifice exists 

 in the centre of each of them. Some of these ori- 

 fices occupy nearly the whole of the groove, and 

 are the openings of the perspiratory ducts, from 

 which may be seen to issue, when the hand is 

 warm, minute shining dots of perspiratory matter. 



But perspiration is not held in the body as water 

 is held in a sponge, which can be squeezed out by 

 pressure or by throwing it about ; neither does it 

 exist ready formed within us, as are the juices in 

 apples and oranges. Upon the under surface of 

 the true skin there are a multitude of little cavities, 

 and in them are minute glands, which resemble 

 ravelled tubes, formed of basement membrane and 



