Where it is very thick, as on the concave surface of the foot and the hand, we see that it is evidently formed by layers added to each other, and which are separated with difficulty, because their adhesion is so intimate. Everywhere except in the foot and the hand, there is but a single layer; no fluid penetrates the epidermoid texture. Cut in different directions either in the living or dead body, it allows nothing to ooze through it. Their scales are always dry; no blood vessel exists in them. The absorbents and exhalants only pass through it without anastomosing, without winding on its interior before opening on its surface, as happens in the serous membranes, which on this account become black by injection, though but little blood appears to enter them during life. The epidermis on the contrary is never coloured by this means, even when the injection, being very fine and driven with success, oozes out on the external surface of the skin. Thus, in inflammation, in which all the cutaneous exhalants are full of blood which they do not contain in the natural state, this fluid never enters the epidermis, which is uniformly disconnected with all the diseases of the subjacent reticular body, and which, being only raised up by inflammation, is detached and afterwards renewed. The epidermis has evidently no nerves. It is also destitute of cellular texture; thus fleshy granulations, which are formed by this texture, never arise from this membrane; the excrescences of which it is the seat have not the character of the different tumours which the cellular texture especially contributes to form, such as fungi, schirri, &c. From this it is evident that none of the general systems common to all the organs, enters into the epidermoid system. It has not then the common base of every organized part; it is as it were inorganic in this respect. The epidermoid texture exhibits no fibre in its interior; it has in general but little resistance, and is broken by a slight distention, except on the fingers and the hand where it resists more, on account of its thickness.