The Description and Use of the Pores in the Skin of the Hands and Feet, by the Learned and Ingenious Nehemiah Grew, M. D. Fellow of the College of Physicians and of the Royal Society

The description and use of the Pores in the skin of the hands and feet, by the learned and ingenious Nehemiah Grew, M.D., fellow of the College of Physicians and of the Royal Society. By Pores, Physicians mean no more, than certain permeable spaces between the parts of a Body. Wherefore, that there are Pores in the skin of every man's Body, is no more to be question'd, than whether Men do ever sweat or perspire. But in the Hands and Feet, they are very remarkable; both in respect of their Position and their Amplitude, hitherto, so far as I know, describ'd by no Anatomist. For if any one will but take the pains, with an indifferent Glass, to survey the Palm of his Hand very well washed with a Ball; he may perceive (besides those great Lines to which some men have given Names, and those of a middle size call'd the Grain of the skin) innumerable little Ridges, of equal bigness and distance, and everywhere running parallel one with another. And especially, upon the ends and first Joynts of the Fingers and Thumb, upon the top of the Ball, and near the root of the Thumb a little above the Wrist. In all which places, they are very regularly disposed into Spherical Triangles, and Ellipticks; as in the Hand I have caused to be drawn Fig. 1. Upon these Ridges stand the Pores, all in even Rows, and of that magnitude, as to be visible to a very good Eye without a Glass. But being viewed with one, every Pore looks like a little Fountain, and the sweat may be seen to stand therein, as clear as rock water, and as often as it is wiped off, to spring up within them again. That which Nature intends in the position of these Ridges, is, That they may the better suit with the use and and motion of the Hand: those of the lower side of every Triangle, to the bending in or clutching of the Fingers; and those of the other two sides, and of the Ellipticks, to the pressure of the Hand or Fingers ends against any body, requiring them to yield to the right and left. Upon these Ridges, the Pores are very providently placed, and not in the Furrows which lie between them; that so their structure might be the more sturdy, and less liable to be depraved by compression; whereby only the Furrows are dilated or contracted, the Ridges constantly maintaining themselves, and so the Pores unaltered. And for the same reason, the Pores are also very large, that they may still be the better preserved, tho' the skin be never so much compressed and condensed by the constant use and labour of the Hand. And so those of the Feet, notwithstanding the compression of the skin by the weight of the whole Body. These Pores being thus made and secured, are a very convenient and open passage for the discharge of the more noxious and perspirable parts of the Blood. Which by the continual use of the Hands and Feet, are plentifully brought into them. Whence it is, that the sweat of the Feet, in many people, is much more offensive than that of any other part of the Body. And that many Hypochondriacal Men, and Hysterical Women, have almost a continual burning in the soles of their Feet, and the Palms of their Hands. Yet not on the top of their Feet or back of their Hands; which being not so much chafed nor kept so warm, are the less disposed to receive the said noxious parts; and are therefore unfurnished with this kind of Pores.