NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
388 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ IV, IV.
ingested by the flies. The sources of infection in flies may be the post-flagellate
stage passed in faeces of flies as suggested by Patton and Cragg [1913] or it may
be from the latex of certain plants as suggested by Davidson quoted by Warren
[1932] with regard to the tsetse fly, or it may be from the blood of an animal
containing hæmoflagellates. The necessity of blood for their development in the
alimentary tract of Tabanus appears to suggest that there is some connection
between these crithidia and a hæmoflagellate. Patton and Cragg [1913] said that
there are two broods of tabanus flies in Guindy (Madras). If this were so, a certain
number of months would elapse between the 1st and the 2nd brood, during which
period no flies would be met with. Hence, even if the 1st brood had contaminated
the blades of grass overhanging water or other places with the post-flagellate stages
of the crithidia in their faeces, these could not have remained viable long enough
under the conditions of heat, etc., in South India, nor could the blades of grass
remain unaltered during the period. It therefore seems unlikely that the source
of infection is from the faeces of the previous brood as suggested by Patton and
Cragg. It is also unlikely that these flies pick up the infection from the latex
of certain plants which become evident only after a feed on blood later. This
remains to be proved. In any case, such a supposition seems improbable because
no leptomonas or phytomonas have yet been seen in the female flies which
had not fed on blood or in male flies which are supposed to feed on juices of plants
and flowers. The negative results obtained by us after injecting the crithidia and
their post-flagellate forms into experimental animals, suggest that these may not
have any connection with surra.
Old [1909] suggested that the ova or larvae of the tabanidae, eaten with grass
might give rise to trypanosomiasis through a stage latent in them. This suggestion
was tested during the present investigation by feeding a pony and a few white rats
with ova of tabanus collected from grass on the banks of the Adyar river near
Saidapet and Guindy (Madras) where surra breaks out periodically among ponies.
The results of these experiments were negative. There is a belief among people
here that when ponies are fed with grass cut from the banks of streams they
contract surra and die. This looks doubtful in the light of our observations and
requires further verification. The experimental evidence detailed above
confirms that no cyclical development of T. evansi takes place in Tabanus. Leese
[1908] observed in Bikaner that when Lyperosia in plenty were biting camels,
they rubbed against each other and the blood drawn out at the punctures, in an
infected animal, may have infected similar punctures in the healthy ones. The
spread of the disease in Mesopotamia seen by Patton [1920], may have been due
to such a thing which may have escaped his notice at the time and not by the
ingestion of the faeces of the flies containing crithidia, etc., as suggested by him.
OBSERVATIONS ON TRYPANOSOMES OF CATTLE IN SOUTH INDIA
389
A graph of surra cases detected in ponies brought for treatment at the
Ranipet Veterinary Hospital is appended (Fig. V.). A reference to this shows
FIG. V.
Positive cases of surra in ponies recorded at Ranipet Veterinary Hospital, 1928 to 1932.
Note the absence of cases in the so-called surra season.
that no cases of surra occured during the so-called surra season and this coinci-
des with the observations of Allen [1930] at the Mona Remount Depot. Hence
it would appear that tabanus flies need not be important vectors in natural
outbreaks of surra in horses or other animals. Most workers in discussing the
genesis of outbreaks of surra in animals appear to be satisfied in assuming the
hypothesis that the trypanosomes were derived from a bovine, buffalo or a
camel by Tabanus flies, but the experimental evidence, if any, put forward
by them is not convincing. It has been shown in the preceding pages that there
K
390 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ IV, IV.
is not much evidence to definitely prove that bovines and buffaloes are the
reservoirs of surra, at any rate in the Madras Presidency, where camels are absent,
though there is the possibility of those animals being foci of infection in the early
phases of the disease in them.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE OCCURRENCE OF TRYPANOMIASIS IN RINDEPEST VIRUS
PRODUCING CALVES.
A statement is appended noting the number of cases showing trypanosomes
in the virus producing calves and also the percentage of infection of surra and
piroplasmosis in them. The virus producing calves are housed well and no tabanus
flies have been seen biting them though s tomoxys flies are almost always present.
The statement shows that all the attacks in each year were during the so-called
surra season—July to October—and some cases have been noted from November to
the end of February. It is possible that most of these calves purchased during
the surra season were incubating trypanosomiasis, or were in the early phases of
spontaneous recovery at the time of purchase. In these, therefore, the trypano-
somes relapsed when they were infected with rinderpest. The fact that no cases
of trypanosomiasis occured between March and June is significant in showing
that none of the calves used then were in a state of premunition. This period
apparently should be the gulf between one surra season and the next, and therefore
among the calves no " reservoirs " existed then. It is known that surra sometimes
may exceptionally break out late in the cold season (December) and when this
happens, some of the animals in the early phases of recovery may show up trypano-
somes in January, February or even later when infected with rinderpest. Such
exceptions should however not be taken as evidence to prove the converse and there
is evidence that cattle are not in state of premunition after recovery. Hence it is
doubtful if they can be made to relapse excepting during the early phases of spont-
aneous recovery and it seems doubtful from the above observations, if bovines can act
as carriers of surra, in the strictest sense of the term, from one season to the next.
PROTOCOL VI.
Statement of occurrence of trypanosomiasis among virus producing calves.
—
March
....
April
....
May
....
June
....
1928-29.
..
..
..
..
1929-30.
..
..
..
..
1930-31.
..
..
..
..
1931-32.
..
..
..
..
1932-33.
..
..
..
..
Remarks.
OBSERVATIONS ON TRYPANOSOMES OF CATTLE IN SOUTH INDIA
391
—
July
....
August
....
September....
October...
November...
December..
January...
February...
Percentage of Trypano-
some infection . .
Percentage of Piroplasma
infection
Total number of calves
used
....
1928-29.
..
..
..
..
..
..
1
1
0.45
20.0
218
1929-30.
..
15
7
3
..
1
..
1
6.0
11.0
478
1930-31.
2
..
..
2
..
..
..
..
0.7
15.0
454
1931-32.
..
..
1
..
..
..
. .
..
0.3
17.0
367
1932-33.
..
. .
. .
1
2
5
. .
2
2.1
17.5
427
Remarks.
Total 9.55
„ 80.5
„
1944
THE LARGE TRYPANOSOME IN THE BLOOD OF BOVINES AND BUFFALOES (T. theileri
LAVERAN 1902).
In Northern India Durrant and Holmes [1904] appear to be the workers who
first described the large trypanosome in the blood of a bull and they observed that
that bull had diarrhoea, intermittent fever, loss of appetite, staring coat and anæmia.
Six days after the development of the symptoms, they found the animal dead.
Lingard [1907] was the next who wrote on this giant trypanosome in the blood
of cattle in Northern India and gave it different names, viz., T. himalayanum, T.
indicum, T. mukteseri, etc., which are now taken as synonyms to T. theileri Laveran,
[1902]. Lingard found them mostly in hill cattle injected with rinderpest blood
and not in the blood of plains cattle or in untreated hill cattle. He observed
urticarial eruptions on the bodies of some of those that showed these trypano-
somes.
Valladares [1908] found this trypanosome in the blood of a Nellore-bred bull
in the Madras Presidency and recorded the symptoms he observed in this case.
It had fever, urticarial eruption on body, was off its feed, dull, listless and exhibited
a tendency to lie down in preference to being on its feet. The spine was arched,
and the animal was severely constipated. It died within a couple of days after it
came under observation. Valladares considered that the death of the animal in
all probability was due to T. theileri because of the absence of piroplasma in its
blood.
K 2
392 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ IV, IV.
Pease [1908] doubted whether T. theileri gave rise to any disease in cattle
because it appeared to him from investigations and enquiries that that trypanosome
is fairly common amongst cattle and buffaloes, and the true nature of the disease
caused by it is difficult to decide. Sowerby had shown Pease trypanosomes identi
cal with T. theileri in the blood smears of buffaloes that were dying in Bombay but
unfortunately no symptoms of these cases were recorded.
In December 1930, a bull (Ongole breed) belonging to the Madras Corporation
was reported sick some time after serum-virus method of inoculation. The blood
smears revealed a very large number of T. theileri (Plate XXX, Fig. 1) and the
animal died with symptoms similar to piroplasmosis. There were no piroplasma
in the blood smears nor did the blood of this bull produce piroplasmosis in two
experimental calves into which it was injected. The experimental calves showed
T. theileri in their blood for a few days and then the organisms disappeared. The
bull showed symptoms exactly similar to those described by Valladares. It would
appear therefore that under certain conditions, which we do not know definitely,
these trypanosomes cause death in cattle. It is of interest that other bulls and
bullocks that were with this animal in the sick line, did not show any T. theileri
in their blood, though large numbers of stomoxys flies were present in the shed.
Some of the stomoxys caught in the shed showed a large number of these trypano
somes in their gut (Plate XXX, Fig. 2 and Plate XXXI, Fig. 4). Some of these
flies were kept alive for over a week and dissected. Only in a very few flies, well
preserved but apparently dead trypanosomes were found. There were no develop
mental forms such as crithidia, etc., in them.
The finding of T. theileri in the blood of that bull gave an opportunity to study
the parasites in blood smears and also in cultures. Cultures were successfully
obtained in blood and glucose broth, N N N medium and also in Ray's medium
which he used for culturing Leishmania. In all these media crithidia and leish¬
mania forms were met with. The growth appeared as a white or dull grey speck
on the surface of the blood cells in blood broth mixture and as dull white scales on
the Ray's medium. There were present more of the leishmania forms on Ray's
medium than in the fluid media or condensation water of N N N medium, in which
mostly the crithidia forms prevailed.
The study of the crithidial forms showed that they resembled the ones found in
tabanus flies—C. tabani Patton, 1909. The dimensions varied from 12 to 40 Μ in
length and 2 to 6 μ in width. Multiplication in rosette formation was also fairly
common in the culture media. The leishmania forms were fairly large, 4 to 6 μ in
diameter (Fig. 3, Plate XXXI). It is interesting to find that the curves
representing the percentage of the crithidial forms in culture, in respect to
their lengths, are almost identical with those of Crithidia tabani (Fig. VI). If the
PLATE XXX.
Fig. 1. T.theileri.
Blood smear of bullock.
Fig. 2. Smears of blood from the mid gut of
stomoxys soon after feed.
Fig. 3. T. theileri.
Blood agar.
Fig. 4. T. theileri.
Culture in blood broth.
PLATE XXXI.
Fig. 1. T.theileri.
Bunch of crithidia—Blood broth.
Fig. 2. T. theileri.
Crithidia. Culture in blood broth.
Fig. 3. T. theileri, large.
Leishmania forms dividing
(Blood agar.)
Fig. 4. Section of mid gut of stomoxys.
Seven days after feed.
PLATE XXXII.
OBSERVATIONS ON TRYPANOSOMES OF CATTLE IN SOUTH INDIA
393
FIG. VI.
Curves Relating to Percentage Lengths
394 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ IV, IV.
cultural changes represent the true developmental cycle, then there appears to be
some relationship between crithidia tabani and the cultural forms of T. theileri.
Noller [1916] concluded that Crithidia subulata Ledger, 1904, from the gut of
Tabanus glaucopis is the developmental form of T. theileri. Wenyon [1926] sug-
gests that if Crithidia subulata is the insect phase of T. theileri, the other similar
flagellates of tabanidae and their allies may also be the developmental form of the
trypanosomes. Noller [1925] appears to have established this identity in the case
of crithidia from Haematopota pluvialis. He injected clean calves with cultures of
flagellates of that fly and recovered T. theileri in the blood cultures of those calves.
We have said above that we injected crithidia found in tabanus flies caught in
Kaveripakam, into calves with negative results. In nature, if cattle are to get
infected with T. theileri, it should be with developmental forms directly from an
insect vector. Since the method employed by us is direct from the fly to the calf
through the needle, as done by Noller, it is not understood why our experiments
failed to produce T. theileri in the calves. One calf was drenched with the
crithidial forms of T. theileri in culture. Even this calf failed to show the trypano-
somes in blood cultures made from it.
During the past three years it has been possible to culture the blood of over
200 virus producing calves, and the blood of only one calf showed the cultural
forms of T. theileri. In one calf recently, T. theileri was seen in its blood in fairly
large numbers a few hours before it died of rinderpest.
In this Laboratory during the year 1928-29, T. theileri has been recorded in the
blood of a few calves used for rinderpest virus production, in a cow in a dairy at
Coonoor and a calf at Madanapalli [Rao and Ayyar,[1931]. The blood culture
experiments show that an extremely small percentage of animals show T. theileri
and it may be said that these parasites are not commonly found in bovines,
though it is possible that the regional distribution is wide. Our experimental work
also shows that it is doubtful if C. tabani have any relation to T. theileri.
SUMMARY.
Experimental evidence shows that the smaller trypanosomes found in cattle.
dogs and ponies in S. India are identical with T. evansi.
The small trypanosomes found in cattle are pathogenic to horses when inocu-
lated to them.
There appears to be little experimental evidence to prove that cattle and
buffaloes form reservoir hosts of T. evansi.
OBSERVATIONS ON TRYPANOSOMES OF CATTE IN SOUTH INDIA.
395
T. theileri is occasionally met with in the blood of cattle in South India.
The morphology of the cultural form of T. theileri appears to be identical with
the forms met with in the gut of T. theilri, but the identity could not be confirmed
by animal inoculation.
Acknowledgments. It is our pleasant duty to thank Mr. P. T. Saunders,
O.B.E., M.R.C.V.S., Director of Veterinary Services, Madras, for obtaining sanction
of funds to conduct experiments; and to Mr. T. J. Hurley, M.R.C.V.S., D.V.S.M.,
for the facilities given to us. Our thanks are due to Mr. S. K. Sen, Protozoologist,
Muktesar, for the help in getting at some references and to Mr. K. Kylasamier,
Superintendent, The Serum Institute, Madras, for making it possible for us to
obtain blood from virus producers for cultural tests. Our thanks are also due to
the College Artist, Mr. P. Doraiswamy Mudaliar for the illustrations made for us.
REFERENCES.
Allen, A. Major (1930). Observations on an outbreak of Equine Surra with special reference to
the question of vectors, etc., Vety. Jl. 86, 51—53.
Bruce, Sir David (1908). Reports of Sleeping Sickness Commission of the Royal Society, Uganda
(1908—10). Abstracted in the Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc, 6.
Cross, H.E. and Patel, P. G. (1921). A note on transmission of Surra by ticks. Vety. Bull.
No. 6, Dept. of Agri., Punjab.
(1922). Camel Surra. Vet. Bull. No. 8, Dept. of Agri., Punjab.
Davis L. J. and Brown, H. C (1927). The adhesion phenomenon. A specific serological
reaction occurring in Trypanosomiasis. Jl. Roy. Soc. Trop. Med. and Hyg., 21, 113.
Duke, H. L. and Wallace, J. M. (1930). Red cell adhesion in Trypanomiasis of Man and
Animals. Parasitology, 22, 414—456.
Durrent and Holmes (1904). Trypanosomiasis among cattle in India. Jl. Comp. Path. and
Ther., 17, 209—210.
Fraser, H. and Symmonds, S. K. (1909). Surra in the Federated Malay States. Jl. Trop. Vety.
Sc, 4, 345-389.
Gaiger, S. H. (1911). Further observations on Trypanosomes 1909-10. Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc,
6, 21—43.
Holmes, J. D. E. (1908). Investigation of an outbreak of Horse Surra, etc. Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc,
3, 157-172.
Kasai, K. and Akaza, S. 1927. Prophylactic action against experimental infection with a
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Trop. Bul., 15, 3, 97.
Laveran, A. (1908). Influence des passages pas cobayes sur la virulence do quelques trypano-
somes. Bull. Soc. de path. Exot., 1,198.
Laveran, A. and Mesnil, F. (1907). Trypanosomes and Trypanosomiasis 2nd edition. Bail-
liere Tindal and Cox, London.
Leese A. S. (1908). (Quoted by Holmes) Investigation of an outbreak of Horse Surra, etc.
Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc., 3,161-164.
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Leese, A.S. (1909). Experiments regarding the natural transmission of surra carried out at
Mohand. Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc., 4,107-132.
—(1912).
Biting flies and Surra. Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc., 7,19—32.
Lingard, A. (1899). Report on surra in equines, bovines, buffaloes and cannines. Vol. 2,
Part 1.
—(1907).
Different species of Trypanosomes observed in Bovines in India. Jl. Trop.
Vety. Sc., 2, 4-50.
—
(1906). Through what agency is T. evansi carried over from one surra season to
another. Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc., 1, 92—112.
Montgomery, R. E. (1908). On the prophylacxis of trypanosomiasis with particular reference
to the influence of the camel in India. Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc., 3, 301 —329.
Nattan Laurier, L. and Noyer, B. (1931). Trypanosomes of the Dormedery and of the horse
in the Morocco. Bull. Soc. Path. Ext. 24, 112—122. Abstracted in the Vety. Bull. 1931,
120.
Old, J. E. S. (1909). Contribution to the study of Trypanosomiasis and to the geographical
distribution of some of the blood sucking insects, etc. Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc., 4, 394—416.
Patton, W. S. (1909). Archifus Protistenkunde. Band, 15, 331—362.
—
(1920). Some notes on the Arthropods of Medical and Veterinary Importance
and on their relation to disease, Part I. Gad flies of Mesopotamia. Ind. Jl. Med. Res., 7,
735—750.
Patton, W. S. and Craig, F. W. (1913). A text book of Medical Entomology. Christian Lit Soc.
India, London, Madras and Calcutta.
Pease, H. T. (1894). Horse Surra. Ledger Series No. IV, Civil Veterinary Dept.
—
(1906). Tibrasa Surra. Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc., 1, 71—91.
Rao, M. A. and Ayyar, L. S. P. (1931). Ind. Vety. Jl., 8,111-118.
Ritz, H. (1914). Deutsch Med. Wchnschr quoted by Taliaferro, W. H. 1930.
Schien, H. (1908). Contribution to the study of Surra in Indo-China. Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc., 3,
191—201.
Sowerby, W. H. (1911). Some experiments in Trypanosomes. An endeavour to discuss the
reservoir of T. evansi. Jl. Trop. Vety. Sc., 5, 584—591.
Taliaferro, W. A. (1930). The immunology of Parasitic infection. John Bale, Sons, and
Daniels, Ltd., London.
Terry, B. T. (1910). An attenuated Surra in Mauritius with immunity tests after recovery.
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Warren (1932). Veterinary Record, 12, 35, 3.
Wenyon (1926), Protozoology, 1. Bailliere, Tindal and Cox, London.
e and canine sources.
Serial
No.
.
.
.
.
.
1
1
Result.
—ive.
— ive.
—ive.
—ive.
—ive.
—ive.
Date of 6th
reinfection and
Strain ; No. of
days after last
reinfection.
22nd September 1933 .
Equine Strain from Dog,
527.
(4 days.)
22nd September 1933 .
Equine Strain from Dog,
527.
(4 days.)
18th September 1933 .
Equine Strain from Calf
and Dog, 527.
(10 days.)
18th September 1933 .
Equine Strain from Calf
and Dog, 527.
(10 days.)
22nd September l933 .
Equine Strain original
from Dog, 527.
(4 days.)
Results.
—ive.
D
rei
Sti
da
n
10th Oc
Equine
from
Died due to
other ca
—ive.
—ive.
—ive.
22nd Se
Equin
fro
22nd Se
Equlm
fro
Died due to other causes on 5th December
[IV, IV.
Date of 5th
infection and
train; No. of
ays after last
reinfection.
Result.
Date of 6th
reinfection and
Strain ; No. of
days after last
reinfection.
Died due to other causes on 10th November 1933.
ber 1933.
rember 1933.
1933 and the W. Rat died on 3rd December 1033.
This G. Pig had the strain unusually exalted, V.
Result.
PLATE XXXIV.
Complete arrangement of the apparatus when the plough is in operation.
PLATE XXXIII.
Skeleton attachment of the apparatus to the beam of the plough.
AN APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING URINE OF BULLOCKS AT
WORK.
BY
P. E. LANDER, M.A., D.Sc., F.I.C, I.A.S.
Agricultural Chemist to Government, Punjab, Lyallpur.
AND
AKBAR ALI B.Sc. (AGRI.)
Agricultural College, Lyallpur.
(Received for publication on 14th August 1934.)
(With Plates XXXIII and XXXIV and 1 text-fig.)
In a previous publication [ Lander, 1926 ] a description has been given of
the harness used for collecting dung and urine from bullocks and cows, whilst under
experimental metabolism trials. The harness there described is suitable only for
animals when stationary and cannot be employed for a bullock, when working
in the field. In this paper harness and apparatus are described which can be
employed for collecting dung and urine without loss, while bullocks are actually
at work with a plough or other implement. It is essential in such an apparatus
that urine shall not collect in the sheath bag but pass automatically, whatever
may be the position of the bullock, into a container attached to the plough,
from which it may be drawn off at intervals during the working period without any
loss, or derangement of the apparatus.
The contrivance now described is depicted in Plate XXXIV which shows the
complete arrangement when the plough is in operation. Plate XXXIII shows the
skeleton attachment to the beam of the plough, and the diagram shows the essential
features of the apparatus. This consists firstly of a metal beam ' A ' which can be
attached to the beam of the plough and admits of adjustment by means of bolts as
shown.
M
( 399 )
400 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ IV, IV.
Diagram.