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Effect of Diet on Complexion. As the color of the skin depends upon the secretions of the rete mucuosum, or skin, which lies immediately beneath the epedirmis, or scarf skin, and as diet is capable of greatly influencing the nature of these secretions, a few words respecting it may not be here entirely misplaced.

The membranes, like a monk's The throat, like a pincushion cowl. stuffed with oakum. The funnel, like a mason's chisel. The lungs, like a prebend's The fornix, like a casket. fur-gown. The glandula pinealis, like a bag- The heart, like a cope. pipe. The mediastine, like an earthen The rete mirabile, like a gutter. cup. The dug-like processus, like a The pleura, like a crow's bill. patch.

Then if by the laws of imitation, as explained in Section XII. 3. 3. and XXXIX. 6. the extremities of the nerves of touch in the rete mucosum be induced into similar action, the skin or feathers, or hair, may in like manner so dispose their extreme fibres, as to reflect white; for it is evident, that all these parts were originally obedient to irritative motions during their growth, and probably continue to be so; that those irritative motions are not liable in a healthy state to be succeeded by sensation; which however is no uncommon thing in their diseased state, or in their infant state, as in plica polonica, and in very young pen-feathers, which are still full of blood.

The immediate organs of sense consist in like manner of moving fibres enveloped in the medullary substance above mentioned; and are erroneously supposed to be simply an expansion of the nervous medulla, as the retina of the eye, and the rete mucosum of the skin, which are the immediate organs of vision, and of touch.

But among the great arterial vessels that sent forth arterial blood thus charged with vital spirits were certain vessels which ascended to the brain. This physiology, we may emphasize, is not derived from an investigation of human anatomy. In the human brain there is no rete mirabile, though such an organ is found in the calf.

It was shewn in Section XV. on the Production of Ideas, that the moving organ of sense in some circumstances resembled the object which produced that motion. Hence it may be conceived, that the rete mucosum, which is the extremity of the nerves of touch, may by imitating the motions of the retina become coloured.

True leukodermic patches show no vascular changes, no infiltration, but a partial obliteration of the rete mucosum. It has been ascribed to syphilis; but syphilitic leukoderma is generally the result of cicatrices following syphilitic ulceration.

"Usa ogn'arte la donna, onde sia colto Nella sua rete alcun novello amante; Ne con tutti, ne sempre un stesso volto Serba; ma cangia a tempo atto e sembiante." Tasso, Jerus. Del., c. iv., v. 87. What is the secret of this art?

While these changes are taking place in the deeper parts of the wound, the surface is being covered over by epidermis growing in from the margins. Within twelve hours the cells of the rete Malpighii close to the cut edge begin to sprout on to the surface of the wound, and by their proliferation gradually cover the granulations with a thin pink pellicle.

At last it is made so fine and subtle within the rete mirabile, that thereafter those animal spirits are framed and composed of it, by means whereof the imagination, discourse, judgment, resolution, deliberation, ratiocination, and memory have their rise, actings, and operations.