CHAPTER XXVI. 



THE THICK CUTIS VERA. 

 BY J. COLLINS WARREN, M.D. 



THE portions of the skin usually selected for liistological 

 purposes are those in which the papillae or hairs are best shown. 

 The glands are also carefully described ; but little attention, 

 however, has been given to the anatomy of the cutis vera as an 

 organ by itself, consequently those parts have not been ex- 

 amined where it is found in its most highly developed form. 



The skin varies greatly in thickness ; on the inside of the 

 arms and thighs, and on the anterior aspect of the body gen- 

 erally, it is much thinner than behind. In the former case, 

 particularly in delicate women, it is exceedingly soft and plia- 

 ble, a thin fold being easily raised and rolled between the 

 thumb and finger. In the latter it is exceedingly thick in the 

 back and shoulders of hardy adults, appearing as a veritable 

 hide, being much thicker than the skin of many pachyderma- 

 tous animals. Here it measures 5.5 mm. and even more in 

 thickness ; when tanned it resembles sole leather. This struc- 

 ture is composed of bundles of fibres interwoven in various di- 

 rections. On the surface of these bundles lie the flat connective- 

 tissue cells, disposed in rows and occupying the intervals, the 

 tissue being somewhat analagous to tendon. The cutis is, in 

 fact, a sort of tendon or aponeurosis ; from its under surface 

 it sends out fibrous prolongations of considerable size, and in 

 some animals these are actually attached to muscles. 1 In man 

 we find them dipping down into the subcutaneous fat, in the 

 back forming a very dense and firm mesh-work. Fatty tumors 



1 M. Renaut : Anatomie generate de la peau ; Annales de Dermatologie efc de 

 Syphilographie ; Tome neuvieme, No. 5 ; Satterthwaite : New York MedicalJournal, 

 July, 1875. 



