PANARITIUM. 
According to its seat we distinguish panaritium of the toe and bulbs, 
and interdigital panaritium, all of which have been carefully described 
by Harms. Being essentially due to infection, this disease sometimes 
extends very widely, appears more frequently in certain establishments, 
and even becomes enzootic, while outbreaks are favoured both by neglect 
of cleanliness in the stalls and by travelling on hard ground. Schleg 
noted inflammation of the interdigital skin, which often led to necrosis 
in cows at grass during the autumn. Of twenty-eight animals which 
stood together, eight were attacked, whilst those standing on the other 
side of the stable entirely escaped. The exact cause of panaritium is yet 
unrecognised. Fliigge’s bacillus of necrosis is very often present, but it 
cannot with certainty be regarded as the sole causative agent. 
( 1 ) Panaritium of the toe develops at the anterior end of the inter¬ 
digital space. An inflammatory swelling appears, without any visible 
external injury, involves the coronet and skin of the interdigital space, 
and may extend beyond. Where pigment is absent, the skin appears 
reddened, swollen, and painful ; and in walking, weight is only momen¬ 
tarily placed on the foot; the slightest pressure causes the animal to 
groan loudly. The attack is ushered in by fever and loss of appetite. 
After some days a separation occurs at the coronet, and soon afterwards 
a thick fluid pus is discharged. At this stage the symptoms usually 
moderate, granulation occurs, and is soon followed by complete recovery. 
Even when a piece of skin is destroyed, recovery occurs in two to 
three weeks. 
The condition consists of cellulitis of the cutis and subcutis, accom¬ 
panied by necrosis, and may therefore be described as panaritium 
subcutaneum. Harms views this as the first degree of panaritium. 
Inflammation often attacks the connective and adipose tissue lying 
above the interdigital space, and the tendons and ligaments of the pedal 
and coronet bones. The symptoms are then very severe ; both swelling, 
redness, and pain are greater, scarcely any weight is placed on the foot, 
the swelling extends further backwards and downwards over the skin of 
the interdigital space, and fever, loss of appetite, stoppage of milk 
secretion, and general wasting ensue. The skin becomes gangrenous, or 
an aperture forms, from which ichorous pus is discharged in large quan¬ 
tities. The symptoms then moderate, and recovery follows in about three 
weeks under appropriate treatment. This process might be described 
as panaritium profundum. 
But if such an attack be improperly treated, or the infectious material 
be particularly virulent, necrosis may extend to the coronet or pedal 
bone, or to one or other of the joints, and septic arthritis develop, i.e., 
panaritium ossium vel articulare. The animal then shows intense pain. 
Immediately a joint is attacked, the swelling extends to the cannon bone, 
