11G SPECIAL HISTOLOGY. 



taining serum, and but a small quantity of fat, are extremely 

 abundant, and exactly of the same form as those which are 

 found iu emaciated subjects, all with distinct nuclei; and, 

 besides these, there are numerous cells containing nothing but 

 serum and also nucleated. In cases where the fat may be said to 

 have altogether disappeared, and the colourless subcutaneous 

 cellular tissue is infiltrated throughout with water, I find the 

 last-mentioned cells in greatly preponderating quantity, and 

 associated with them, others of peculiar form. In the first 

 place, fusiform or stellate cells, with from three to five irregular, 

 often tolerably long processes, with a distinct nucleus, and 

 mostly only scanty and minute dark fat granules ; these, 

 as the very numerous and various transitionary forms indicate, 

 being developed from diminished cells containing serum, and 

 from which the fat has been partially or wholly removed ; 

 secondly, roundish or elongated minute (0-003 — 0-006'") cells 

 closely filled with dark granules, and without a visible nucleus, 

 which, as is also easy to be perceived, owe their origin to a 

 diminution of the fat-cells coincident with a change in their 

 contents, and, on the other hand, are metamorphosed into the 

 cellules with little or no fat, and containing serum, with which 

 they are found associated. I may also mention that, in the 

 inflamed medulla iu the articular ends of the bones, as, accord- 

 ing to Hasse, appears to be the case in rheumatism, I have seen 

 the common fat-cells transformed into round and even fusiform 

 cells, containing serum and little fat, and occasionally furnished 

 with nuclei.] (From Kolliker, ' Mikrosk. Anat./ Bd. II, p. 18.) 



§ 36. 



Vessels of the Skin. — In the subcutaneous cellular tissue the 

 arteries entering the skin give off many branches to the hair- 

 follicles (see below), the fat-lobules, and the smooth muscles, 

 which, for the most part, form wide-meshed networks of 

 fine capillaries ; more rarely, particularly in the fat lobules, 

 the network is closer. More externally they supply the sudo- 

 riparous and sebaceous glands (see below), and also form 

 terminal expansions in the inner part of the corium {pars 

 reticularis), but not many: finally, they penetrate into the 

 outermost part of the papillary layer, and into the papilla 

 themselves, where they terminate in a close network of capil- 



