LIX.—LIPIDS OF THE SKIN: A REVIEW

The skin is one of the largest organs in the body, weighing, according to the data recorded by Vierordt, 1 approximately three times as much as the liver. It is surprising, therefore, that aside from a partial understanding of its obvious protective, heat-regulating and sensory functions, there is little knowledge of its physiologic activities or chemical composition and the factors that influence it. In the literature, moreover, there are many facts indicating the metabolic importance of the skin and suggesting that its functions may be as many and as varied as those of the liver. An inherent metabolism in the skin has been established by demonstrating the presence of enzymes affecting many of the complex constituents of the blood stream. Through the efforts of Wohlgemuth and his co-workers, 2 and of Buschke and Klopstock 3 and Melczer, 4 the skin has been shown to contain an

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