420 OF SECRETION. 



its cerumen or waxy matter, and which belong to the general Sebaceous 

 system, are formed of long tubes, highly contorted, and copiously sup- 

 plied with blood-vessels. In the hairy parts of the skin, we usually 

 find a pair of Sebaceous follicles opening into the passage through 

 which every hair ascends (Fig. 130, 9). The purpose of the sebaceous 

 secretion is evidently to prevent the skin from being dried and cracked 

 by the influence of the sun and air. It is much more abundant in those 

 races of mankind which are formed to exist in warm climates, than in 

 the races that naturally inhabit cold countries; and the former are 

 accustomed to aid its preservative power, by lubricating their skin with 

 vegetable oils of various kinds ; which process they find to be of use, in 

 protecting it from the scorching influence of the solar rays. The Seba- 

 ceous follicles are frequently the residence of a curious parasite, the 

 Demodex folliculorum, which is stated by Mr. Erasmus Wilson to be 

 present in great numbers in the skin of almost all inhabitants of large 

 towns; the activity of their cutaneous glandular system being much 

 checked, by the want of free exposure to pure air, and by inert habits of 

 life. 



748. To what extent the Sebaceous secretion can be regarded as 

 destined to free the Blood from deleterious matters, it may not, perhaps, 

 be very easy to say ; but with regard to the functions of the Skin taken 

 altogether, as a channel for the elimination of morbific matters from the 

 blood, it is probable that they have been much underrated ; and that 

 much more use might be made of it in the treatment of diseases, 

 especially of such as depend upon the presence of some morbific matter 

 in the circulating current, than is commonly thought advisable. We 

 see that Nature frequently uses it for this purpose ; a copious perspira- 

 tion being often the turning-point or crisis of febrile diseases, removing 

 the cause of the malady from the blood, and allowing the restorative 

 powers free play. Again, certain forms of Rheumatism are charac- 

 terized by copious acid perspirations ; and instead of endeavouring to 

 check these, we should rather encourage them, as the best means of 

 freeing the blood from its undue accumulation of lactic acid. And it 

 is recorded that in the "sweating sickness," which spread throughout 

 Europe in the 16th century, no remedies seemed of any avail but 

 diaphoretics ; which, aiding the powers of nature, concurred with them 

 to purify the blood of its morbific matter. The hot-air bath, in some 

 cases, and the wet sheet (which, as used by the Hydropathists, is one 

 of the most powerful of all diaphoretics), will be probably employed 

 more extensively as therapeutic agents, in proportion as the importance 

 of acting on the Skin, as an extensive collection of glandulse, comes to 

 be better understood. The absurdity of the "Hydropathic" treatment 

 consists in its indiscriminate application to a great variety of diseases ; 

 no person who has watched its operation, can deny that it is a remedy of 

 a most powerful kind ; and if its agency be fairly tested, there is strong 

 reason to believe, that it will be found to be the most valuable curative 

 means we possess for various specific diseases, which depend upon the 

 presence of a definite "materies morbi" in the blood, especially Gout 

 and chronic Rheumatism; as well as for that depressed state of the 



