178 GENERAL ANATOMY. 



and condensed cellular tissue, more and more distinct from 

 the cellular tissue, from the adhering surface where it insensi- 

 hly continues with it, to the free surface where it greatly dif- 

 fers; fibres or little interlaced fasciculi are not so manifest in 

 it as in the synovial membranes. The floating appendages of 

 these membranes contain, also, free cellular tissue, and often 

 fatty tissue ; they are much more vascular than the other serous 

 or synovial membranes. They contain an immense quantity 

 of white or serous vessels which become visible by injection, 

 congestion, or inflammation and some very delicate red ves- 

 sels, which belong to their external surface, and particularly 

 to the sub-serous cellular tissue, as may be proved by detach- 

 ing the membrane, which is found to be white in those places, 

 where one would have supposed there was a number of red 

 vessels that were in fact only seen through it. The red ves- 

 sels are particularly abundant in the loose or floating folds. 

 Nerves have been traced to these membranes, but not into 

 their substance. 



231. These membranes, when dried, become transparent, 

 elastic and tolerably firm, assuming a light yellowish colour; 

 by immersion in water they resume their original properties. 

 Maceration first renders them soft, opaque and thick, then 

 pulpy, and ends, but after a very long time, by dissolving 

 them. In bodies beginning to be decomposed, these mem- 

 branes impregnate themselves with liquids on the one hand, 

 and permit them to transude on the other, hence their diver- 

 sity of colour. Fire and boiling water render them horny. 

 Continued ebullition converts them into gelatine and a little 

 albumen. These different characters approximate them to 

 the cellular and ligamentary tissues. 



The force of formation is less developed in them, than in 

 the free cellular tissue. Irritation produces no sensible motions 

 in them, but it changes their secretion and texture; it inflames 

 them. They are sensible in this state only, in which they 

 usually become the seat of violent pain. 



232. In a state of life and health they are humected on 

 their contiguous surface by serum they are continually depo- 

 siting and absorbing. This secretion had been attributed to 



