DESCRIPTION. 257 



ding of the same principle of utility, whatever thickness and deadness 

 is required. Formed out of flattened vesicles or cells, the cuticle, 

 in its adult condition, consists in point of fact of scales ; of which 

 our finger nails are the largest and strongest type. 



We have now considered a fourfold mechanism in the skin, deriv- 

 ing all from the general fact, that the skin gives an outline and end 

 to the body. We will briefly recapitulate our positions, in order to 

 cover in this part of the subject. The body requires to be levelled, 

 both for safety to its parts, and economy of space; this is brought 

 about by the fat, and the cellular frame-work, which round our 

 muscular ridges, fill their clefts, and give sweep and curve to our 

 plains. The body requires to be limited, as well in itself, as in 

 what it takes in and gives out ; this is accomplished by the elastic 

 garment of the corium, which follows our bodily fashions, and sits 

 upon us differently during every moment of our lives. Furthermore 

 the corium requires to do knowingly whatever it performs ; to act 

 discreetly in its functions; to animate reaction, absorption and ex- 

 halation, with the life of the brain, and this is insured by the papillae, 

 which are both brains and hands to the skin. The papilla? on their 

 part need support, encouragement and protection, which are accorded 

 to them in the kindly rete, and in the fine, half-earthly cuticle, which 

 latter is the direct medium between the little world and the great 

 world, or between sense and exterior nature. 



In these pages we do not treat of the sense of touch, excepting 

 so far as it may be necessary to the general consideration of the 

 skin, but we notice nevertheless from what has been said, that the 

 skin enjoys a triple sensibility. First there is the sensation of con- 

 tact from the three layers at once, that is to say, from the surface in- 

 wards; the papilke make common cause with the rete and cuticle, and 

 all feel together. This answers to cuticular sensation or gross touch, 

 and runs in direct lines from the cuticle, through the rete, to the 

 papilla). In the next order, arising from the first, we have those 

 perceptions of touch which are the consciousness of the papillae clad 

 with the rete alone, the cuticle not sharing in these inner feelings. 

 This species of touch is chiefly horizontal, and spreads over the live 

 velvet in sheets of vague sensibility. The last pinnacle of this 



touch, and whose activity is tact, belongs to the papilla? alone, with 



09* 



