458 
L. RANVIER. 
fibres of the organ of Eimer (fig. 2). These fibres divide so 
as to form rudimentary arborescences, which end in buds and 
button-like thickenings, which can equally be separated, 
travel towards the surface, and be thrown off to the exterior 
with the other products of the evolution of the epidermis. 
In preparations of the human epidermis (fig. 3) made with 
chloride of gold, the terminal branches of the nerves have 
an arrangement analogous to that of the peripheral nervous 
ramifications of the organ of Eimer. Only the nerves which 
penetrate into epidermis have a very inconstant diameter, 
and the ramifications they form are subject to great variations, 
upon which I need not insist further. I must content 
myself with saying that in proportion as they approach the 
corneous layer the ultimate nervous ramifications become 
more and more moniliform, and finally break up into 
granules, which are no longer connected with the nervous 
system, and which, mingled with the epithelial cells, 
appear, like these latter, to be subjected to a process of 
elimination. 
The theory, or rather the hypothesis, which I propose is 
founded on the facts which I have just briefly expounded. 
The nerves which enter the epidermis, whatever may be 
the form or extent of their ramifications, are subject to a 
continuous evolution. They grow while at the same time 
their terminations undergo a gradual degeneration ; this 
degeneration leads to the formation of granules of nervous 
substance, which become completely free, and are soon 
transported into the inert layers of the epidermis. 
