CUT 
cutis, of which it seems a part, and to which 
it adheres very firmly, being assisted by the 
intervention of the corpus reticulare. 
CUTIS, the skin, in anatomy, is that 
strong covering which envelopes the whole 
external surface of animals. It is composed 
chiefly of a thin white elastic layer on the 
outside, called the epidermis or cuticle, and 
a thicker layer, composed of fibres thickly 
interwoven, and disposed in difierent direc- 
tions, which is the cutis or real skin. The 
epidermis is that part of the skin which is 
raised in blisters. This is readily separated 
from the cutis by maceration in hot water. 
It is very elastic and insoluble in water and 
alcohol. Pure fixed alkalies and lime dis- 
solve it entirely. Mr. Hatchet, from many 
experiments, has shewn that the epidermis 
resembles albumen in many of its proper- 
ties, or rather that it is nothing more than a 
peculiar modification of coagulated albumen. 
The cutis is a thick dense membrane, com- 
posed of fibres interwoven like the texture of 
a hat. When it is macerated some hours in 
water, and agitation and pressure are em- 
ployed to accelerate the effect, the blood, 
and all the extraneous matter with which it 
w'as loaded, are separated from it, but its 
texture remains unaltei'ed, On evaporat- 
ing the water employed, a small quantity of 
gelatine may be obtained. No subsequent 
maceration in cold water has any farther 
effect. When distilled it yields the same 
products as fibrin. The concentrated alka- 
lies dissolve it, converting it into oil and 
ammonia. Weak acids soften it, render it 
transparent, and at last dissolve it. Nitric 
acid converts it into oxalic acid and fat, 
while, at the same time, azotic gas and prus- 
sic acid are emitted. When heated it con- 
tracts, and then swells, exhales a fetid odour, 
and leaves a dense charcoal, difficult to inci- 
nerate. By spontaneous decomposition in 
water or moist earth, it is converted into 
a fatty matter, and into ammonia, which 
compose a kind of soap. When allowed to 
remain long in water, it softens and putre- 
fies, being converted into a kind of jelly. 
When long boiled in water it becomes gela- 
tinous, and dissolves completely, constitut- 
ing a viscid liquor, which, by proper evapo- 
ration is converted into glue. Hence the 
cutis of animals is commonly employed in 
the manufacture of glue. 
From these facts the cutis appears to he 
a peculiar modification of gelatine enabled 
to resist the action of water, partly by the 
compactness of its texture, and partly by 
the viscidity of the gelatine of which it is 
CUT 
formed ; for those skins which dissolve most 
readily in boiling water afford the worst 
glue. The skin of the eel is very flexible, 
and affords v^ readily a great proportion 
of gelatine. 'Hie skin of the shark also rea- 
dily yields abundance of gelatine ; and the 
same remark applies to the skins of the 
hare, rabbit, calf, and ox; the difficulty of 
obtaining the glue and its goodness always 
increasing with the tonghness of the hide. 
The hide of the rhinoceros, which is ex- 
ceedingly strong and tough, far surpasses the 
rest in the difficulty of solution, and in the 
goodness of its glue. When skins are 
boiled, they gradually swell and assume the 
appearance of horn ; then they dissolve 
slowly. 
CUTLERY. Though cutlery in the ge- 
neral sense comprises all those articles de- 
nominated edge-tools, it is more particu- 
larly confined to the manufacture of knives, 
forks, scissars, penknives, razors, and swords. 
Damascus was anciently famed for its ra- 
zors, sabres, and swords. The latter are 
said to possess all the advantages of flex- 
ibility, elasticity, and hardness. These 
united distinctions are said to have been 
effected by blending alternate portions of 
iron and steel, in such a manner, that the 
softness and tenacity of the former could 
prevent the breaking of the latter. 
The Germans, it appears, were acquaint- 
ed with tlie art of making various cutlery, 
previous to such manufacture being known 
in this country. The steel employed for 
cutlery in Germany, is immediatly made 
from the crude iron into bars, without re- 
quiring afterwards to be converted. It is 
generally of great tenacity, but does not 
take a good polish, and in consequence has 
been long superseded by the artificial steel 
of this country, made from the bar-iron of 
Sweden and Russia. 
All those articles of cutlery which do 
not require a fine polish, and are of low 
price, are made from blistered steel. Those 
articles which require the edge to possess 
great tenacity, at the same time that supe- 
rior hai-dness is not required, are made 
from sheer-steel. The finer kinds of cut- 
lery are made from steel which has been 
in a state of fusion, and which is termed 
cast steel, no other kinds being susceptible 
of a fine polish. See the article Steel. 
Table knives are mostly made of sheer- 
steel, the tang and shoulder, or bolster, 
being of iron, the blade part being attached 
by giving them a welding heat. The 
knives after forging are hardened by heat- 
