442 CONJUNCTIVA AND SCLEROTIC. 



loose fibrillar connective tissue, in the anterior layers of which 

 especially are many branched cells, and it is moreover poor in 

 elastic fibres. 



The subcutaneous tissue consists of a superficial dense, and 

 of a deeper and less dense, fibrous structure. A few fat cells 

 appear in the deeper layers, near the margin of the orbit. The 

 anterior layer of the integument extends over about one half 

 of the margin of the lid, which is about two millimeters in 

 thickness ; the rete Malpighii, however, is here much thicker, 

 and the papillae of the corium are more numerous and larger 

 than on the anterior surface of the lid. 



The integuments of the lids are provided with hairs and 

 glands. 



The hairs of the anterior surface are larger in the new-born 

 child than in the adult, in whom they are sparingly distributed 

 and very thin and small. The hair follicles and the sebaceous 

 glands belonging to them dip into the superficial denser layer 

 of the subcutaneous tissue. 



The cilia are slightly curved, and are planted in from two to 

 four rows into the anterior integument at the margin of the 

 lid. Their circular muscular layer is very strongly developed, 

 especially in the deeper part of the follicle. A sebaceous 

 follicle opens on each side of the neck of the hair follicle. 



The duration of the life of each cilium, according to the 

 researches of Moll, is about 100 days. As a consequence of the 

 obviously rapid succession of hairs, the several stages of 

 development are usually found coincidently present in sections 

 of the margins of the lids. 



Besides the succession of the hairs, which proceeds in the 

 manner already described in vol. ii., p. 255, a formation of new 

 hairs occurs, independently of the already existing hair follicles, 

 by direct involution of the rete Malpighii. 



The sweat glands in the anterior integument are small 

 roundish bodies, composed of a canal convoluted into a knot. 

 A short excretory duct springs from the knot, and runs in a 

 tolerably straight direction towards the surface, where, after 

 perforating the thin epidermal layer, it opens. As the epidermis 

 is very thin, the corkscrew-like portion of the course of the 

 duct is here scarcely perceptible. 



