DISTRIBUTION OF PACINIAN CORPUSCLES IN THE CAT FOREFOOT

The distribution of pacinian corpuscles in the cat forefoot was invest igated using celloidin sections stained with haematoxylin and eosin. T he corpuscles were oval or elliptical, their longitudinal and transver se diameters being 590.0 +/- 207.6 mum and 320.0 +/- 119.6 mum. There were 667 corpuscles (mean value for 4 feet) in each forefoot, 80% of w hich were in the toe region and the remainder in the palmar region. Th e number of corpuscles was similar in both forefeet. There was no diff erence in light microscopic structure. Corpuscles were located (1) in the dermis and subcutaneous tissue of the skin folds covering the claw , (2) between the flexor digitorum tendon and middle phalanx, (3) in t he subcutaneous adipose tissue of the metacarpal pad and (4) in short digital muscle of the carpal pad. Scattered corpuscles were found in c ontact with the periosteum of distal and middle phalanges and with fle xor tendon sheath, and in the dermis of the palm. Corpuscles were obse rved to be clustered in the skin folds of the toes. Skin folds, made o f dorsal hairy skin, covered the claw on both sides, with most corpusc les in contact with hair follicles and others scattered between hair f ollicles. Forefoot corpuscles were often in proximity with blood vesse ls. Corpuscles in the palmar region were seen to be arranged along the superficial palmar metacarpal nerve.