376 THE SKIN AND THE SENSE-ORGANS. 



fused together, and cannot be distinguished from each other ; the 

 glands are, as a rule, smaller than on the general surface of the 

 skin. 



f. The blood-vessels and lymphatics of the skin. 



(i) The blocd- vessels of the skin are arranged in two networks ; 

 the one is situated immediately beneath the epidermis, and consists 

 of fine capillaries, forming a fine-meshed network, which enclose the 

 ducts of the glands. The meshes vary considerably in size and 



Fig. 235. 



The blood-vessels and lymphatics of the skin ; after Langer. Arteries striped, lymphatics shaded. 



I. Vertical section through skin of thigh. 



II. Horizontal view of arteries and lymphatics of the skin. 



III. Peculiar tortuous arteries of the lamina inguinalis. 



IV. Arteries and lymphatics of the web. 



shape (Hyrtl and Langer). The second network of vessels is situ- 

 ated under the cutis ; the vessels forming it are small, and the 

 meshes formed are large. From this network vertical branches 

 pass to form the superficial network ; these branches usually course 

 along the strands of vertical fibres already described, and break up 

 to form capillaries only when they reach the deeper surface of the 

 epidermis (Langer), (Fig. 235 I). 



In some situations, however, the vertical branches divide earlier ; 

 this is especially the case in parts where the glands are very closely 

 packed, as in the nictitating membrane, the upper lip, and the 



