ABSTRACT
Gangrene is an ancient term that describes a sequence of degradative changes that follow death of part of the body. It is synonymous with putrefaction. The provocative factor is a loss of blood supply, for example, to a limb or a segment of gut. Vegetative, saprophytic bacteria are already present on or in the limb just as micro-aerophilic or anaerobic bacteria commonly inhabit the bowel. The organisms multiply, breaking down the ischaemic tissues by proteolysis. The result is a mass of discoloured, softened, foul-smelling material, the high water content of which accounts for the description ‘wet gangrene’.
