62
Rectal Temperatures of Animals at Rest
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors express their grateful
thanks to Dr P.E. Lander, late Agricul-
tural Chemist to the Government of Punjab,
for initiating this piece of work. Their
thanks are also due to Mr Lal Chand
Dharmani, Assistant to the Agricultural
Chemist, for providing necessary facilities
and his valuable help in the course of the
investigation.
SUMMARY
(1) A study of the vitamin A and caro-
tene content of milk from five Sahiwal cows
was made throughout their lactation.
(2) The cows were on liberal green
ration getting up to 4,000 mg. of carotene;
but the daily output of vitamin A and
carotene in milk was about 4-5 mg. only
(3) Towards the end of the lactation
there was a rise in the vitamin A a
carotene content of the milk, although the
total output, due to fall in the milk yield
was not much affected.
REFERENCES
Bartlett, Cotton, Henoy and Kon (1938). J. Diary Res
273
Converse and Meigs (1938). J. Dairy Sci. 21, 114
Henry, Houstea and Kon (1840). J. Dairy Res. 11, 1
Hogdson, Knott, Murer and Graves (1938). J. agric.
57, 513
Kennedy and Dutcher (1922). J. biol. Chem. 50, 339
Kraus (1931). Bull, agric. Exp. Sta. Ohio 470
Kuhlman and Gallup (1941). J. Dairy Sci. 24, 522
Moore (1932). Bio-chem. J. 26. 1
Seshan and Sen (1942) J. agric Sci. 32, 202-86
Ward, Bechdel, and Guerrant (1938). J. Dairy Sci.
168
Watson (1932). J. Soc. chem. Ind. 51, 536
Willstaedt and With(1938). Z. Physiol. Chem. 258, 133
RECTAL TEMPERATURES OF CERTAIN ANIMALS AT REST
By F.C. MINETT and S. SEN, Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar
(Received for publication on 17 October 1944)
(With four text-figures)
IN view of the variable and frequently
high air temperatures in India and the
effect of air temperature on body temper-
ature of resting animals, it is important to
have as precise knowledge as possible on the
normal body temperature under different
conditions. This is particularly so with
relatively homothermous animals, i.e.
onés whose heat regulation is less perfect
than in man.
LITERATURE
The normal range of rectal temperature
for various domesticated animals in health
in temperate countries has been laid down
by numerous observers. For animals in
hotter countries there must be fewer
records. To obtain an accurate idea of an
animal's temperature important points are
that the thermometer must be properly
used and the observations repeated
throughout the 24 hours. Lazarus-Barlow
[1928] has shown with rabbits how incor-
rect an impression may be formed of the
normal swing of the body temperature
unless observations are made at interva
as short as, say four hours. Varrie
Jones and Sims Woodhead [1915] devise
a special apparatus by which the rect
temperatures of cattle could be recorded
mechanically and in a quasi-continuons
manner. In this way they were able to
show well-marked variations during the
24 hours. During most of the day the
temperature lies between 101 and 102°F
It is always highest during the day when
the animal is standing or moving about
has just been fed, and falls slow
during the night to reach its minimum
[100.7°F.] about 3-5 a.m. Milking almost
always caused a slight rise. The higher
points were at 8-9 a.m. and 4-6 p. m., the
diurnal range being about 1.2°F. Woold
ridge [1905] had likewise found that for
cattle in Ireland the average morning and
evening temperatures are 101.5 and 102°F.
Hobday [1896] gives figures of 101.3 and
101.8°F. for cattle in England.