368 MOKBID ANATOMY OP THE SKIX. 



accumulates, which undergoes further chemical changes and so 

 o'ives rise to a most offensive smell. A catarrhal secretion of 

 cells often takes place from the upper surface of the growth ; 

 sometimes too, the suppurative process extends deeper into the 

 connective tissue. 



§ 311. In the soft or fleshy wakts (Verruca carnosa, 

 7noUis) the connective-tissue element of the growth preponderates 

 to such an extent over the epithelial one, that most writers only 

 refer to the epithelium because it not unfrequently presents a 

 deeper pigmentation than usual of the rete Malpighii. 



Many of the soft warts are congenital and are known as 

 " Mothers' marks" (Ncevi materni) ; others originate in advanced 

 life, chiefly on the face and trunk. " The skin exhibits in these 

 cases very gradual elevations, whose surface is usually flat, 

 sometimes irregular, tuberculated or even warty. The epidermis 

 and rete Malpighii, which extend over the gro^^^th, are seldom 

 much altered; the cuticular investment is sometimes thicker 

 than usual; but it never attains the same thickness as in the 

 hard warts. If the growth be cut into, we see the cuticle spread 

 over it in a uniform, rarely undulating layer. The growth itself 

 is mainly situated in the cutis. It usually implicates the true 

 papillary body and a certain part of the dermal tissue ; in rare 

 instances it involves the entire thickness of the cutis, or may 

 even penetrate into the subcutaneous areolar tissue. In every 

 case however, it contrasts markedly with the tougher and whiter 

 tissue of the cutis, inasmuch as its texture is more transparent, 

 of a bright grey or yellowish hue, often reddish-grey, more soft 

 and juicy, occasionally gelatinous ; not unfrequently too it is 

 more coarsely vascularised. On investigating its structure, it is 

 usually found to be very rich in cells , often indeed, it is all but 

 entirely made up of relatively small cells with but little inter- 

 cellular substance, and that little of soft consistency." 



The above description of the soft wart is borrowed from 

 Virchoic ; he goes on to direct attention to the histological 

 identity of the tissue in question with granulation — (embryonic) 

 — tissue, using this as a basis on which to build his explanation 

 of the intimate connexion between soft warts and cutaneous 

 sarcomata (see below). 



§ 312. Let us linger a moment over the pigmented fleshy 

 warts. Virchow has taught us to distinguish broadly between 



