ANATOMY. 
substance, it spreads rapidly from the chest 
into the most remote parts of the body ; 
and has even been known to gain admission 
into the eye-ball. A similar diffusion of this 
fluid may be effected by artificial inflation, 
which is commonly practised by butchers 
on the carcases of calves. In anasarca, or 
preternatural accumulation of fluid in the 
cellular substance, the most depending parts 
are the mQst loaded ; and punctures in these 
drain the water off from the whole body. 
Adipous substance, or fat. — The cells of 
the cellular substance, in many parts of the 
body, are destined for the reception of a 
fluid, termed fat. This is of an unctuous 
nature, inflammable, lighter than water, 
usually inodorous, and, generally speaking, 
similar to the vegetable oils. It is white in 
young animals, and becomes yellower as 
they advance in age : this difference may be 
seen in the carcases of a calf and cow. It 
is always more or less fluid in the living sub- 
ject; in carnivorous animals, and in man, 
it retains much of its oily appearance after 
death ; but in herbivorous animals it con- 
stantly assumes a concrete form. Dr. Hun- 
ter called those parts of the cellular sub- 
stance, which contain fat, adipous cellular 
substance ; and distinguished the other by 
the epithet reticular. 
As the fat is deposited in cells, it assumes 
in general a kind of granular form. It va- 
ries considerably in consistence. That of 
the orbit is the softest in the body, and 
forms a well-known epicurean bonne louche, 
in a boiled calf’s head. The fat about the 
kidneys becomes particularly hard after 
death, and is called suet. The globules or 
portions of this are very large, and it con- 
tains on the whole less cellular substance 
than any fat in the body. There is gene- 
rally a layer of fat under the skin ; whence 
a membrana adiposa has been sometimes 
enumerated as one of the common integu- 
ments of the body. 
Some parts of the body never contain 
fat, even in subjects who have the greatest 
accumulation of this fluid. This is the case 
with the scrotum, the integuments of the 
penis, and the eyelids : it is obvious that the 
functions of these parts would be com- 
pletely destroyed, if they were subject to 
the enormous accumulations of fat, which 
♦ occur in other parts of the body. Several 
of the viscera also never contain any fat, 
probably for the same reason ; this is the 
case with the brain and lungs. 
The quantity of fat varies according to 
the age, the state of health, and the pecu- 
liar habit or disposition of the individual. 
It is not found in the early periods of foetal 
existence ; and cannot be distinguished with 
any certainty sooner than tire fifth month 
after conception. 
In the foetus, and for some time after 
birth, the fat is confined to the surface of 
the body, and is only found in a stratum 
under the skin. It begins, however, gradu- 
ally to be deposited in the intervals of the 
muscles, and on the surface of some viscera. 
In old subjects, however thin they may 
seem on an external view, there is always 
much fat, penetrating even the substance 
of the muscles : the bones are greasy 
throughout ; the heart is more or less loaded, 
as are also the parts in the abdomen. 
There is a considerable difference in the 
quantity of fat in different individuals ; and 
in some there is a propensity or disposition 
to its accumulation ; a sedentary life, co- 
pious food, and tranquil state of the mind, 
are particularly favourable to the increase 
of fat, which sometimes proceeds to such 
a pitch, from the continuance of these 
causes, that it must be considered as a dis- 
ease, and is attended with the greatest in- 
convenience to the individual. General dis- 
eases of the frame are commonly attended 
with an absorption of the tat from the cel- 
lular substance : acute disorders cause a 
very rapid emaciation. In no case is the 
adipous substance more completely removed 
from the whole body than in anasarca, 
where its place is supplied by a serous 
fluid. 
The uses of tire fat seem to be, in part, 
common to it with the cellular substance : 
it connects contiguous parts, and at the 
same time prevents their coalition. It ad- 
mits of their moving on each other with 
freedom and facility. Its deposition under 
the integuments gives a roundness and con- 
vexity to the surface, on which the beauty 
of the human form principally depends. 
Indeed, its accumulation in particular situ- 
ations immediately influences the outline of 
the part ; as in the orbit, the cheek, and the 
buttocks. The effects of its loss is most 
disagreeably manifested in the lank cheek 
and hollow eye of an emaciated patient. 
It has been supposed that the fat absorbed 
under certain circumstances is applied to 
the nutrition of the body ; as in hyhernat- 
ing animals. 
Membranes. — In the foregoing observa- 
tions on cellular substance, we have stated 
that membranes are formed by a condensa- 
tion of that substance. They consist of 
