274 THE SOLIDS. 



case in the large hairs of the whiskers of some animals, as, 

 for example, the tactile hairs of the seal, &c. The fact of 

 the hair usually penetrating below the level of the true skin 

 and into the subcutaneous fatty tissue seems to disprove the 



notion of a distinct and vascular papilla. 







DISTRIBUTION OF HAIRS. 



Hairs are distributed over the entire surface of the body, 

 with the exception of the palms of the hands, soles of the 

 feet, and last phalanx of the toes and fingers : there are, how- 

 ever, situations in which they are developed in increased 

 quantities, as on the integument of the scalp, on that of the 

 eyebrows, on the margins of the ciliary cartilages, and after 

 the period of puberty, on the chin, cheeks, axilla, pubis, 

 abdomen, chest, and at the entrance of the nares and ears. 



The number of hairs found in these several situations 

 differs very considerably in different individuals, according 

 to age and condition of health. 



Individuals of the male sex also are generally more hairy 

 than females, in whom also no development of hairs takes 

 place on the chin, cheeks, chest, and abdomen. 



Of the number of hairs which exist on the entire surface 

 of the body, some idea may be formed from the measurements 

 of Withof. The quarter of a square inch furnished 293 hairs 

 at the synciput, at the chin 39, at the pubis 34, on the fore- 

 arm 23, at the external border of the back of the hand 19, 

 and on the anterior surface of the thigh 13. Upon the same 

 extent of surface Withof counted 147 black hairs, 162 brown, 

 and 182 flaxen. 



Hairs of great length and strength are often developed in 

 considerable quantities in different parts of the body, in moles 

 and naevi. 



DIRECTION Or HAIR. 



The hair follicles are not placed vertically in the skin, but 

 obliquely, and the hairs which issue from them consequently 



