THE SKIN. 277 



ter. The elastic-tissue fibres are developed from the processes 

 of the branched cells. 



Besides connective-tissue fibres and cells, lympJioid corpus- 

 cles are present in this layer. They exist in greatest number 

 near the blood-vessels and glands. In this situation they are 

 of a roundish form, but in the parts distant from the blood- 

 vessels they are more or less spindle-shaped, and are to be 

 regarded as wandering cells. 



The convoluted part of the sweat-glands and the lower part 

 of the hair-follicles of deep-seated hairs lie in this layer. 



Blood-vessels, lymphatics, and nerves are present. The 

 blood-vessels are large, and after giving off small branches to 

 the hair- follicles, sweat-glands, and fat-lobules, pass upward 

 to the corium. 



Pacinian corpuscles are found in connection with some of 

 the nerves. For a description of these bodies the reader is re- 

 ferred to the article on the nerves. 



The principal part of the corium consists of white fibrous and 

 elastic tissue, the latter increasing in amount with advancing 

 age. Here the white fibrous tissue forms a much denser, firmer 

 structure than in the previous layer. It consists of deep 

 oblique, and superficial horizontal bundles. The latter com- 

 prise fine bundles of connective tissue which run parallel with 

 the surface of the skin, and by their division and anastomoses 

 form a very fine network with small interfascicular spaces. 

 From this layer bundles pass upward into the papillae, and 

 these form a second denser network. The deeper layer is 

 formed by a continuation upward of the subcutaneous con- 

 nective-tissue bundles. These pass upward in an oblique direc- 

 tion, and as they reach the corium divide into fasciculi. Here 

 they continue to divide and anastomose with each other and 

 with fibres from the horizontally running bundles. The anas- 

 tomoses are very close ; hence, the corium is formed of a dense 

 network of connective tissue, except in those parts which are 

 traversed by blood-vessels, lymphatic vessels, nerves, hair-folli- 

 cles, and sebaceous and sweat glands. Immediately around 

 the hair-follicles, sweat-ducts, and sebaceous glands the con- 

 nective tissue is dense, and the fibres run parallel with the di; 

 rection of the organs. Owing to the greater size of the connec- 

 tive-tissue bundles in the lower part of the corium, and the 

 consequent looseness of the network formed by their anasto- 



