NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
MULTICÆCUM AGILE FROM STOMACH TUMOURS OF THE INDIAN CROCODILE
251
DESCRIPTION.
The body is straight and cylindrical and the males as well as the females have a
tendency to coil their posterior extremity ventrally. The entire surface is covered
with striated cuticle. The lips have one large and close to it one small papilla on
each side and in addition to these there is a small papilla in the centre of each lip
anteriorly. These papillæ on the lips appear to have escaped the notice of the
previous authors. Small interlabia are present with well-marked grooves running
along the bases of the lips. Dentigerous ridges are also present. Cervical papillæ
are very inconspicuous and are situated somewhat midway between the anterior
termination of the intestinal cæcum and excretory pore. The excretory pore is
slightly posterior to the nerve ring. The œsophagus has a small posterior ventri-
culus from which arise two anterior and three posterior appendices. The intestine
has a finger-shaped process, the intestinal cæcum, passing anteriorly.
Male. The length is 24.5—26.2* and the maximum thickness which is attained
towards the posterior extremity is 0.425— 0.53. The diameter of the head is 0.16—
0.2. The cuticular striations are 0.003—0.004 apart. The nerve ring, the excretory
pore and cervical papillae are situated at a distance of 0.6—0.71, 0.67—0.78 and
0.87—1 respectively, from the anterior end. The intestinal cæcum ends at a
distance of 1.17—1.185 from the anterior extremity. The length of the œsophageal
appendices are: anterior, 0.22—0.37; two outer posterior, 0.48—0.63; and the
middle posterior which is the smallest 0.135—0.16. The tail of the male is 0.145—
0.16 long, gradually curving ventrally and tapers conically and suddenly into a
narrow tip. The caudal alæ are absent. There are ten pairs of caudal papillæ :
five being preanal and five postanal. Of the preanal series, the first, third, and the
fourth are subventral and are fairly close together, the second is lateral. The fifth
is situated at a considerable distance from the fourth, more or less close to the
anterior extremity of the spicules. Of the postanal series the first, second, fourth
and the fifth are subventral while the third is lateral. There is a median papilla on
the anterior lip of the cloaca. Although it was not possible to examine the worms
ventrally on account of the coiled nature of the tail, the presence of the papilla was
observed in the lateral view in all the cases examined. The gubernaculam
measures 0.133—0.153 in length and is like a curved rod tapering posteriorly and
having lateral expansions beginning a short distance from its proximal end. These
expansions also diminish in width posteriorly. At its proximal end it has a solid
knob. The spicules are equal, rather sharply bent and measure 1.04—1.23 in
length. Their anterior fourth is like a rugged rod with a groove ventrally. At
their anterior fourth there are very broad chitinous expansions on either side which
diminish in width posteriorly and terminate at their posterior fourth. These
* All measurements in_millimeters.
252 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ IV, III
expansions form a deep groove on the ventral aspect of the spicules. The posterior
quarter of the spicules is a conical rod tapering posteriorly. These details of the
spicular structure appear to have been overlooked by the previous authors.
Female. The length is 9.3—28.2 and the maximum thickness which is attained
somewhere near the posterior end is 0.23— 0.56. The diameter of the head is 0.11—
0.225. The cuticular striæ are 0.003—0.0035 apart. The nerve ring, the cervical
papillæ and the excretory pore are situated at a distance of 0.37—0.66, 0.57—0.98
and 0.47—0.77 respectively, from the anterior extremity. The intestinal cæcum
terminates at a distance of 0.92—1.47 from the anterior end. The length of the
œsophageal appendices are : anterior, 0.15—0.43 ; two outer posterior, 0.345—0.59
and the middle posterior which is the smallest 0.145—0.23. The tail is 0.22—0.4
long, straight, sharply conical in fully developed forms, but gradually tapering in
immature specimens. Situated at a distance of 0.02—0.06 from the posterior
extremity is a pair of small caudal papillæ. The vulva is situated at a distance of
12.26 from the anterior end. In the immature forms examined there was no
development of the female genitalia nor could the opening of the vulva be detected
in them. The vagina measures 1.25—1.8 in length. It may be straight or various-
ly disposed. The remaining portion of the female genitalia are as described by
Baylis. The ova measures 0.063—0.1 × 0.058—0.07.
Host.—Crocodile (Crocodilus palustris).
Location.—Stomach tumour.
Locality.—Jullundur (Punjab).
The specimens have been deposited in the helminthological collection of the
Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar.
It is my pleasant duty to acknowledge my indebtedness to Major C. S. Nuttall
for such interesting material, to the authorities of the Asiatic Society of Bengal for
the loan of the literature which could not be had anywhere else in India, and to
Mr. J. S. Rao, for fair-copying the diagrams.
REFERENCES.
Baylis, H. A. (1923). On the classsfication of Ascaridæ. III. A revision of the genus
Dujardinia Gedœlst, with a description of a new genus of
Anisakinæ from a crocodile. Parasitol. 15, 223-232.
Wedl, K. (1862). Zur Helminthenfauna Agypteus. Sita.
Math.-Naturw.
Akad.
Wiss., Wien.,
463-482.
SELECTED ARTICLES
WOOL-GROWTH IN SHEEP AS AFFECTED BY THE CARBO-
HYDRATE-CONTENT OF THE DIET.
BY
A. H. H. FRASER,
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen,
AND
J. E. NICHOLS,
Biologist to the Wool Industries Research Association, Leeds.
(Reprinted from the Empire Journal of Experimental Agriculture, Vol. II, No. 5, January 1934,
with the kind permission of the Clarendon Press, Oxford.)
INTRODUCTION.
It is known that the quantity and quality of wool is affected by the nutritional
plane of the sheep. Thus Hardy and Tennyson [1] showed that both the growth and
coarseness of wool were greatest in summer or autumn and least in midwinter, and
that there appeared to be a close relationship between the thriftiness of a sheep
and the quality and quantity of wool it produces. Wilson (2) and Weber (3), as a
result of feeding experiments, showed that the plane of nutrition had a marked
influence on wool-production. Weber found that sheep full fed on ground corn
and alfalfa meal produced more, longer, and coarser wool than those fed on alfalfa
meal in such amounts as to cause a slight loss in body-weight.
Owing to the protein nature of wool, nutritional research has been mainly
centred on the protein or constituent amino-acids of the sheep's diet. Thus
Marston and Brailsford Robertson (4) suggested that dietary cystine was the probable
limiting factor in wool-production. In the " Meteor Downs " experiment, Marston
( 253 )
254 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [IV, III
(5) found that bloodmeal (protein of high cystine-content), fed ad lib. to Merino sheep
under natural conditions, resulted in a 30 per cent. increase in average fleece-weight.
It was found that the in-take of bloodmeal varied with the prevailing fodder con-
ditions, more being taken in the winter months. On the other hand, Fraser and
Roberts (6) were unable to influence wool-production by a 50 per cent. variation in
the in-take of digestible protein.
Recently Duerden, Bosman, and Botha (7) have shown that a deficiency of
phosphorus in a sheep's diet results in a lighter fleece, of shorter length and finer
quality, as compared with sheep fed on a sufficiency of phosphorus. The food-
consumption of the sheep on the phosphorus-deficient diet was, however, very
considerably reduced (8).
The energy value of the diet is known to be of primary importance in body-
growth, but the influence of this factor on wool-production has been insufficiently
studied. Yet under range conditions of sheep-farming, whether during the cold
winters of temperate countries or the periodical droughts of warmer regions, it is
likely to be one of fundamental practical importance. For the investigation of this
question, a joint experiment between the Rowett Research Institute and the Wool
Industries Research Association was planned. One group of ten sheep was fed a
maintenance diet adequate in protein, minerals, and vitamins. A second group
of ten sheep received the same diet supplemented with maize starch. Any group
differences in the quantity or quality of wool grown could therefore be directly
attributed to the starch supplement or to its absence.
Methods.—Twenty Cheviot wether hoggs were divided into two groups of ten,
the groups being comparable in age, weight, and quality. The sheep were fed
indoors, with moss litter as bedding, for a period of 154 days (December 12, 1932 to
March 25, 1933). The animals were weighed individually at 7-day intervals. The
basal ration was adjusted from time to time to maintain the initial body-weight
of the basal group. Identical alterations were made in the rations of the two
groups. The details of the dietary plan are shown below :—
Group. I.
Basal ration.
Linseed-cake meal . . . .
Turnips . . . .
Oat straw . . . .
Lime 2.2 per cent. of linseed meal fed
C. L. 0. 2½ c. cm. per sheep daily
Water and salt-licks ad lib.
¼ lb.
3 lb.
½ lb
per
sheep
daily
Group II.
Basal ration.
plus
200-500 gm. maize starch per
sheep daily.
WOOL-GROWTH IN SHEEP AS AFFECTED BY DIET
255
The purity of the starch was tested by determining its nitrogen-content. This
was found to be 0.058 per cent. showing that the starch was sufficiently pure for
the purposes of the experiment.
At the beginning of the experiment a triangular area was mapped out by
iridectomy knife and Indian ink on the skin over the left shoulder of each sheep.
The wool within this area was closely clipped with scissors and the sample removed
for detailed examination. The fleeces were then shorn with a shearing machine
and individually weighed. At the end of the experiment samples were again
clipped from the tattooed areas, and the complete fleeces were shorn and weighed.
The second samples and second fleece-weights were therefore those of the wool
grown during the experiment on diets of known quantity and composition.
RESULTS.
Food-consumption.—The total food consumed during the experiment is shown
below :—
Total food consumption during 154 days.
Linseed cake
Turnips .
Oat straw
Group I (10 sheep)
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
749 lb.
6,860 lb.
770 lb.
Group II (10 sheep)
As Group I, plus 1,315 lb.
maize starch.
Body -weight.—The effect of the added starch in increasing body-weight is
shown in Table I. The percentage increase in body-weight of Group II was ten
times that of Group I.
WOOL-ANALYSIS.
In examining the effects of nutritional influences upon fleece-growth, both the
amount of fibre-material produced and the form which it assumes have to be con-
sidered. From the sheep-owner's point of view, the financial return is a function
of these factors and also of the proportion of non-wool materials in the shorn fleece.
In the discussion of experimental results, also, it is necessary to realize that the
fibres are not the only products involved in fleece-growth ; parts of the 'grease '
fraction constitute a like drain upon the activity of the follicles. In so far as these
are ancillary to elaboration of fibre, they may not be neglected from any estimate
of the requirements of the follicles in respect of any particular nutritional element;
so that the estimation of the demands for follicle-growth, derived from analyses of
fibre-constituents, may well be regarded as yielding a minimal figure.
F
256 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ IV, III
TABLE I.
Body-weight in lb.
GROUP I
Animal
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
20
Mean
S. E.
Pre-exptl,
64.5
57.3
64.6
69.6
65.8
53.6
69.0
53.0
77.0
57.5
63.19
±2.45
Exptl.
62.5
57.5
67.5
83.5
69.5
57.0
64.0
55.5
84.0
68.0
66.90
±3.20
Per
cent.
change
—3.1
+0.3
+4.5
+20.0
+5.6
+6.3
—7.3
+4.7
+9.0
+18.3
+5 83
±2.69
Animal
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
19
...
...
GROUP II
Pre-
exptl.
66.8
69.0
63.3
74.0
74.0
58.6
51.6
57.0
53.0
65.0
63.23
±2.54
Exptl.
77.0
93.5
101.5
115.0
111.0
93.5
93.0
98.5
97.0
104.0
98.4
±3.35
Per
cent.
change
+15.3
+35.5
+60.3
+55.4
+50.0
+59.5
+80.2
+72.8
+83.0
+60.0
+57.2
±6.45
Differences : Pre-experimental, 0.04 ; experimental, 31.5±4.63 ; Percentage
change 51.4±6.99.
For the present purpose, however, these other products (9,10) will not be con-
sidered beyond their general inclusion in the greasy fleece.
(a) Fleece-weights. The sheep were clipped on December 15, 1932, and at the
end of the experimental period, on May, 25, 1933, the gross fleece-weights being
recorded. From December 6, 1932, until the start of group-feeding (December 22),
both groups were kept on the basal ration, hence the fleeces of Group I represent
161 days' growth with the animals on the basal ration. and those of Group II
represent 7 days on the basal ration and 154 days with the starch supplement.
Any difference in fleece-growth due to this relatively small discrepancy and also
to (a) the possible effects of portions of the fibres remaining within the follicles,
below skin or clipping level, and (b) any " carry over " growth influence, may be
regarded as negligible compared with the amounts grown over such an extended
period of experiment.
The pre-experimental fleeces include the changes of the natal coat and the
subsequent early stages of maturation ; moreover, the length of their growing
periods is not precisely known. They are therefore not strictly to be compared
with the experimental fleeces so far as fibre-characters are concerned, but the
procedure of expressing the differences as percentage changes serves to give
measures of the effects of the experimental feeding upon growth.
WOOL-GROWTH IN SHEEP AS AFFECTED BY DIET
257
Throughout the discussion the difference between the experimental growth and
that grown previously is expressed as a percentage change on the latter for each in-
dividual. In both groups alterations in production occurred in all animals, and the
directions and orders of the changes are considered. Also, and for the same reason,
the mean values of fibre-length, fineness, etc., for each individual are not weighted in
considering the differences between the groups.
The gross fleece-weights of the animals are given in Table II. Before being-
subjected to the experimental rations the mean fleece-weights of the groups were
not significantly different, but the difference in the amount produced during the
course of the experiment was significant.
TABLE II.
Fleece-weights (in gm.)
GROUP I
Animal
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
20
Mean
S. E.
Pre-exptl.
1,580
1,580
1,500
1,510
1,280
1,350
1.470
1,230
1,750
1,330
1,458
±50.70
Exptl.
494
304
305
605
524
534
223
302
648
662
460.1
±51.36
Per
cent.
change
—68.7
—80.8
—79.7
—53.3
—59.1
—60.4
—84.8
—75.5
—63.0
—50.2
—67.5
±3.84
Animal.
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
19
...
...
GROUP II
Pre.
exptl
1,730
1,910
1,580
1,500
1,350
1,780
1,380
1,660
1,330
1,280
1,550
±68.37
Exptl
725
540
1,105
1,170
928
872
858
965
835
1,065
906.3
±59.04
Per-
cent.
change
—58.1
—71.7
—30.1
—22.0
—31.3
—51.0
—37.8
—41.9
—37.2
—16.8
—39.8
±5.28
Differences of means : Fleece-weights : pre-experimental, 92±85.12 ; experi-
mental, 446.2 ±78.26 ; percentage change, 27.7±6.53.
The group receiving the starch supplement, as judged by the fleece-weights,
produced almost twice as much as those on the basal ration. The fleeces of Group
II, however, contained much adventitious starch, giving them a markedly different
appearance and handle, so much so that a trade estimation of yield of clean wool
could not be made. The effect on the amounts of wool grown can be judged from
the samples taken from the tattooed areas ; a rough estimate can be made on the
broad assumption that the clean yield of each fleece as a whole was the same as
that of the defined sample.
F 2
258 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ IV, III
The amounts of wool thus estimated are given in Table III, which indicates
that the wide difference in growth upon the two rations is also expressed when
the fibre-product alone is considered.
In general appearance the fleeces of the animals in Group II. exhibited longer,
denser, and thicker staples than those of Group I.
(b) Area samples. The samples were taken from the defined areas on Decem-
ber 6, 1932, and again on May 24, 1933, the wool-growths represented therefore
are those of 169 days on the basal ration, for Group I, and 15 days on basal ration,
followed by 153 days on the starch supplement for Group II. The samples were
exposed for two days in the laboratory atmosphere and weighed in the ' raw '
state before being subjected to the standard procedure of analysis [ 11 ], viz.,
washing with three changes of warm benzene, air-drying, and washing with three
changes of distilled water. After final drying the clean-dry weights were deter-
mined by weighing against a standard sample of known clean-dry weight. To
compare roughly the amounts of wool grown, the ' yield ' of wool was calculated
by expressing the clean-dry weights as percentages of the weights of the raw
samples. (It should be noted that the yields before and after experiment are not
strictly comparable, owing to possible differences in atmospheric humidity obtain-
ing when the samples were weighed.) These are the values given in Table III.
TABLE III.
Sample yield and estimated weight of clean fleece.
GROUP I
Ani-
mal
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
20
Mean
Pre-experimental
*Sample
yield
per cent
79.0
79.2
80.1
80.7
79.3
79.2
79.4
78.6
79.8
76.6
79.2
Estimated
clean
fleece.
weight
1,248
1,251
1.202
1,219
1,015
1,069
1,167
967
1,397
1,019
1,155.4
Experimental
*Sample
yield
per cent.
74.5
66.9
68.3
75.9
70.2
72.2
66.5
62.4
69.6
73.3
70.0
Estimated
clean
fleece-
weight
368
203
208
459
368
386
148
188
451
485
326.4
GROUP I
Ani
mal
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
19
...
Pre-experimcntal
*Sample
yield
per cent.
78 3
77.3
81.0
74.3
76.4
80.5
78.6
82.0
79.2
75.0
78.3
Estimated
clean
fleece-
weight
1,355
1,476
1,280
1,115
1,031
1,433
1.085
1,361
1,053
960
1,214.9
Experimental
*Sample
yield
per cent
56.7
65.8
47.9
52.8
57.4
62.9
56.4
67.9
66.7
55.3
59.0
Estimated
clean
flecce-
weight
411
355
529
618
533
548
484
655
557
589
527.9
* Clean-dry wool as percentage of raw (greasy) wool.
WOOL-GROWTH IN SHEEP AS AFFECTED BY DIET
259
A marked difference in yield between the groups occurred at the end of the
period, presumably much greater than would be expected from starch-contamination
alone. It is therefore concluded that a greater elaboration of non-wool products
had taken place in Group II, as well as a greater production of fibre.
The attempt was made to secure areas of similar size when they were first
defined, although this was only possible within wide practical limits. It is un-
necessary to give details of the raw sample-weights ; in general they followed
changes similar to those of the raw fleece weights, shown in Table II. The mean
raw sample-weights were, before experiment, Group I, 5.72 gm.; Group II, 6.51 gm.
with standard errors ±0.28 and ±0.60 respectively. After experimental feeding,
Group I, 2.04 gm. with error ±1.12, and Group II, 4.28±0.47. Between the two
groups there occurred a difference in the mean percentage changes in raw weight of
30.82, with standard error ±6.70 (of Table II).
The clean-dry weights of the samples are given in Table IV. Whereas prior
to experimental feeding there was an insignificant difference of 0.6 gm. between
the mean dry weights, after the period of feeding the difference was 1.1 gm., with
standard error ±0.33 ; and while the production fibre-substance in Group I, on
the basal rations, changed 67.4 per cent. (±3.27), the mean amount grown on the
defined areas of the sheep that were fed on the basal ration and starch, changed
by 49.8 per cent. (±4.30). The significance of this difference in production con-
firms the above conclusion to the effect that the starch supplement definitely
favour wool-growth.
TABLE IV.
Clean-dry weights of samples (mgm.).
GROUP I
Animal
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
20
Mean
S. E.
Pro-
experi-
mental
5.33
4.46
5.15
4.86
4.10
3.50
5.00
5.29
4.31
3.34
4.53
±0.23
Experi-
mental
1.84
0.93
1.57
1.83
1.25
1.53
1.03
1.23
1.35
1.78
1.43
±0.10
Per
cent.
change
65.5
79.2
69.5
62.3
69.5
56.3
79.4
76.7
68.7
46.7
67.4
±3.27
Animal
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
19
...
...
GROUP II
Pre¬
experi¬
mental
5.65
4.86
4.82
3.08
3.13
7.82
6.15
7.21
5.03
3.51
5.13
±0.52
Experi-
mental
1.69
1.46
2.19
1.79
1.48
3.27
3.78
3.98
3.38
2.31
2.53
±0.31
Per
cent.
change
70.1
70.0
54.0
41.9
52.7
58.2
38.5
44.8
32.8
34.2
49.8
±4.30
Differences: pre-experimental, 0.6 ± 0.57, experimental, l.1 ± 0.33; percentage changes,
17.6±5.40.
260 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ IV, III
(c) Fibre-length. In the determination of mean fibre-length, the method of
zoning and measuring elaborated by Roberts [ 11 ] was used. The original
samples were each divided into eight zones, and the proportions of fibres measured
from the final sub-samples were 1 in 3 or 1 in 4, in the pre-experimental samples,
and 1 in 8 or 1 in 10 in the samples taken at the end of the experimental
period. The fibres were measured to the nearest half-centimetre.
In zoning and in counting out the fibres to be measured, great care was exer-
cised to reduce as much as possible the chance of breaking fibres. In some
samples, especially among those of Group I, taken after the feeding period,
a considerable number of very short fibres (of less than half the mean
fibre-length) were found. These caused the distribution of fibre-length in the
particular samples to exhibit marked skewness, but their contribution to the total
lengths of the fibre was small. (The greatest proportion was found in animal
number 4, Group II, after experiment, where short fibres of 2 cm. or less, formed
34.9 per cent. of the fibres measured ; their contribution to the total length was,
however, only 6 per cent.) In measuring, the short fibres were treated as
separate groups, and they are not included in the figures for mean fibre-length,
shown in Table V. Since the total length enters into the determination of fineness,
the short fibres are involved in the calculation of the results shown in the succeed-
ing sections.
TABLE V.
Mean fibre-lenglhs (in cm.) excluding short fibres.
Group I
Animal
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
20
Mean
S.E.
Pre-exptl.
9.5
9.2
10.4
10.8
9.3
8.9
8.2
8.1
9.5
8.3
9.22
±0.28
Exptl.
5.6
4.2
6.3
6.4
5.9
5.9
5.l
5.2
5.7
6.0
5.62
±0.21
Per cent.
change
—41.6
54.4
39.4
40.8
36.6
26.8
37.8
35.8
40.0
28.4
38.1
±2.40
Animal
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
19
..
..
Group II
Pre-exptl.
9.9
10.3
9.5
9.1
9.7
11.7
9.4
10.1
8.7
7.1
9.55
±0.37
Exptl.
5.5
6.7
6.5
6.4
6.7
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.2
5.6
6.65
±0.21
Per cent.
change
—44.4
35.0
31.6
29.7
30.9
38.5
22.3
26.7
17.2
21.1
29.7
±2.62
Differences of means ; pre-experimental, 0.33 ±0.47 ; experimental, 1.02 ±0.30 ; percentage changes, 8.4 ±3.56.