56
Distribution of Fat in Dahi
Since in previously unused animals the disease was not fatal, the white cell and differen-
tial counts up to the time of death were made on rinderpest discontinued animals, which
to all appearances were in good condition and which were being used for maintaining the
strain of theileria. In three good reactants, white cell counts were taken when the animals
were in extremis. There was found to be considerable increase in the number of leucocytes,
the count in one case being as high as 145,140 per c. mm. of blood. It would therefore
appear that a condition of marked leucoponia, which persists during the larger part of the
clinical period, suddenly develops into one of marked leucocytosis. In the differential white-
cell counts there was practically no variation from that recorded during the clinical period,
except that a few more immature mononuclears were noticed.
The increase in the number of leucocytes in the peripheral blood immediately before
death may be accounted for as follows. Numerous leucocytes were found to stagnate in the
vascular system; apparently they stuck to the walls of the vessels, perhaps due to some
alteration in the normal ionic charge of the blood elements and were thus prevented from
leaving the organs by the veins. It may be that immediately or shortly before death,
prevailing ionic conditions were disturbed and the leucocytes were no longer able to
remain adherent to the vessel wall and hence were carried into the circulation.
SUMMARY
In experimental theileriasis slight leucocytosis was observed during the sub-clinical period,
with increase in the number of lymphocytes, followed by a marked leucopenia. Differential
white cell counts showed a marked relative monocytosis, indicating that monocytes play an
important part in the blood pathology of theileriasis as met with in this country.
There was no noteworthy reduction in haemoglobin values.
Animals in good condition were comparatively resistant to the disease.
The sequence of anaemic changes occurring in the blood of an infected animal afforded a
fairly reliable indication as to its chances of recovery.
The morphological changes occurring in the blood do not afford a clue for evolving a
method of effective treatment. Further study to find out the exact nature of the agents
causing death is desirable.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am indebted to Dr S. C. A. Datta for his interest and to Dr F. C. Minett for correct-
ing the paper for publication.
REFERENCES
Delaune, E. (1940). Studies on the bovine blood picture in health and during parasitism. Proc. Soc. Exp.
Biol. N. Y. 41, 482-83
Manresa, M. and Reyes, N. C. (1934). Haematological studies on cattle
Sankaranarayan, N. S. (1937). Haematological studies in Indian dairy animals. Indian J. vet. Sc. 7,
97-107
Sen, S. K. and Srinivasan, M. K. (1937). Theileriasis of cattle in India. Indian J. vet. Sci. 7, 13-27
Steck, W. (1926). Haematologioal studies on East Coast fever. Rep. Dep. Agric. S. Afr. 12 and 13
(Part 1), 243-82
DISTRIBUTION OF FAT IN DAHI
By C. P. ANANTAKRISHNAN AND ZAL R. KOTHAVALLA, imperial Dairy Research Institute,
Bangalore
(Received for publication on 29 October 1945)
SINCE milk is a highly perishable article of food various methods of preserving it for
various lengths of time have been adopted in a tropical country like India Like yoghurt
of Balkans, koumiss of Russia and lebum of Egypt khoa, chinna and dahi are some of the
various forms in which milk is preserved in India. Of all these dahi, though having a
comparatively short life, forms part of the daily menu in Indian household and is immensely
popular. Besides possessing bacterial flora which are helpful to the human system
during digestion, it is found to be acceptable to even those who are more or less intolerant
to all other forms of milk product even to ordinary milk. It is also a marketable
product of great importance.
The Indian dahi or curd is prepared by boiling milk, cooling it to about 104°F.
and then inoculating it with a small amount of curdled milk as a 'starter'. Whole
milk from cows or buffaloes or a mixture of the two is fermented in this way with