The Structure and Function of Skin

Dr. Montagna has made many contributions to our knowledge of the microscopic anatomy of the skin and its appendages. In this book he has tried to close the gap which so often separates structure and function. And he has succeeded in this endeavor. The book is directed to persons interested in the biology of skin. It is divided into the following eight sections: The general anatomy of skin, the epidermis, the eccrine sweat glands, the apocrine sweat glands, the pilary system, the sebaceous glands, the dermis, and a final chapter entitled "Reflections." Special attention is given to cytology and cytochemistry. This volume is not a substitute for Rothman's Physiology and Biochemistry of the Skin, but Montagna did not intend his book as a comprehensive reference for the investigator of metabolism of the skin. The author has emphasized the relationship of the cutaneous appendages both to one another and to the epidermis and connective tissue. Although the appendages appear very different when we see them as hair, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands, they have a basic similarity. Each is composed of indifferent or equipotential cells which have the ability to prolong the characteristics of the embryonic epithelium into adult life. For example, in wound healing the reformed epidermis may develop from any of the cutaneous structures in the area-from cells at the periphery of the wound, in the pilosebaceous unit or sweat gland. It is regrettable to find an occasional error in a piece of work which is otherwise lucid and accurate. Some pages are misnumbered. And the following statements serve to perpetuate old errors rather than to explain biological data: "The weight of skin is about 16 per cent that of the body. In man skin weighs about 4.8 kilograms... ." This arithmetic is incorrect if 70 kilograms is taken as an average figure of weight. Despite these minor objections the book is a good one. The illustrations, both photographic and diagrammatic, are excellent. And the writingwhich, after all, is what makes it possible both to read and retain a bookis far above the level usually attained in scientific literature. MARGUERITE R. LERNER