400 



STUDIES IN ADVANCED PHYSIOLOGY. 



distributed beneath it. This is, of course, in accordance 

 with the common observation that blood is not drawn as 

 long as the cut is confined to the cuticle. 



Nerves also traverse the corium and are distributed to 

 the contained blood-vessels and glands, while the special 

 nerves of touch end in the touch corpuscles. Small rami- 

 fications of nerves penetrate the epidermis and run in 

 among the epithelial cells, ending usually between these in 

 little knob-like swellings, or terminating in certain espe- 

 cially modified cells which have been interpreted as sensory 

 cells in the epidermis. A detailed description of these cells 

 and the touch corpuscles is reserved for the chapter on the 

 4 ' Special Senses." 



Fig. 134. SBCTION OF THE SKIN SHOWING TWO PAPILLA. (After Biesiadecki.) 

 a, vascular papilla, containing a capillary loop from the artery c; fc, sense papilla, 



containing a tactile corpuscle t; d,f,f, three nerve fibers, running to and around the 



papilla. 



The corium is held to the underlying tissues by a loose 

 coat made up almost wholly of connective tissue fibers. 



In some places this binding coat is rather poorly de- 

 veloped, leaving the skin loose and giving it much latitude 

 of movement. * In others the skin is bound firmly down to 



