8 THE OKGANS OF TOUCH. 



The Pacinian corpuscles consist of a capsule formed 

 of several layers, one enveloping the other. The 

 undulating nerve-fibres, after several windings, enter 

 the capsule, which, indeed, seems to be nothing 

 more than a much-thickened end of the outer nerve- 

 coat. These corpuscles measure from ll to 4*5mm. 

 They occur principally on the hands and feet, and 

 in the flexures of the joints, but occasionally also 

 elsewhere. 





Fig. 9.— racinian corpuscle (after Leydig). Fig. 10.— Papilla from the surface of 



a. Neurilemma ; 5, nerve-fibril ; c, cap- the hand, x 350 (alter KiJlliker). a, 



Bule ; d, peculiar fibres ; e, central Cone-like body ; 6, nerve ; c, end of 



cylinder. nerve. 



Meissner's or Wagner's corpuscles are cone-like or 

 egg-shaped bodies, in each of which a nerve termi- 

 nates, after several convolutions. They are especially 

 numerous at the tips of the fingers, where there may 

 be as many as a hundred in a square line. They 

 occupy the papillae (which, however, do not always 

 contain one), which give the surface of the hand its 

 peculiar striped appearance. They also occur, though 

 less numerously, elsewhere, as on the feet, breast, and 

 lips. 



