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Scales, of which each little Stratum of the hard Skin 
confifted, becaufe, as I fancy’d, thro' the hard work- 
ing of the Man, the Particles of the laid Skin were lb 
prelTed upon one another, and lb clofely join’d, that 
they could be no longer leparated. 
Now foralmuch as the Hands of the Mafons or 
Bricklayers are often cover’d with the lharp Salts of 
the Chalk or Lime, which might prevent the Separa- 
tion of the very fmall Parts of the hard Skin ; I fent 
for a Mailer* Carpenter, who was likewife a diligent 
Workman, and viewing his Hands, in order to pare 
off Ibme of the Brawn thereof^ I found them as foft in 
the Palms, as if he had never been ufed to Labour ; 
upon which I faid to him, you walh your Hands very 
often I believe : to which he reply’d, ten times a Day 
at leall, for I hate to fee them foul. Then I fent for 
a Ploughman, who was mollly a Tiller of Corn- Land ; 
this Perlbn’s Hands were very hard ; however, I cut 
two Pieces of horny Skin out of them, which after I 
had done, I cut them in little Bits, but they were fo 
hard, that a lliarp Kiiife, which I us’d, got feveral 
Notches in doing it. And I obferv’d that the upper- 
mod part of the Skin was full of little Rents, and all 
the Strata prelTed fo clofely together, that I 
could not make any Dilcoveries therein, fave only 
that the little Beds lay on each other, and that the 
Thicknels of the Skin confided thereof. 
Furthermore I put the two Pieces of hard Skin into 
warm Water, in order’ to Ibfcen them, and then to 
feparate the Parts from each other, but could not do it, 
becaufe they were fo drongly joyn’d together. 
I have feveral times obferved, in walhing my Hands, 
that when I rubb’d the Palms *bf my Hands drongly 
againd one another, with very little Water between 
them, fome Particles would be rubb’d off from the 
Skin, and continue between my Hands. 
D d 
For 
