PERSONAL APPEARANCES IN HEALTH AND DISEASE. 73 



nothing more than modifications of epidermis. The 

 former consist of a transparent, horny substance, firmly 

 imbedded in the true skin, the pink colour of which can 

 be seen through them. Constantly growing by additions 

 at their posterior ends they project over the ends of the 

 fingers and toes, and if uncut may attain extraordinary 

 dimensions. The nails are never coloured by the natural 

 pigment of the skin. They are narrow, long, sharply- 

 curved and pointed on the delicate fingers of the finely- 

 formed, clear-complexioned inheritant of a tendency to 

 consumption; whilst after acute illness they frequently 

 show ragged transverse lines and fissures denoting that 

 nutrition has been gravely affected. The hairs which 

 exist over nearly the whole of the body and attain their 

 greatest development on the scalp, are horny, fibrous- 

 looking structures which spring from little pits or follicles 

 imbedded in the true skin. The colour of the hair 

 depends upon the accumulation of fine granules of pig- 

 ment in its substance. 



In the accompanying sketch (Fig. 15) will be seen a 

 minute portion of three varieties of hair from the heads 

 of different individuals. One (a) is a portion of a white 

 hair from the head of an old man ;, the fibrous and scaly 

 character is well seen. It is absolutely devoid of pigment 

 in any part. Then comes a piece of a light yellow 

 hair (), and the main difference between this and the 



