NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
THE EFFICACY OF TINCTURE OF TOBACCO IN THE TREAT-
MENT OF MANGE IN RABBITS*
By PARAMJIT R. PABRAI, K. VENKATACHALAM† and K. N. OJHA, Department of
Pharmacology, Orissa Medical College, Cuttack
(Received for publication on 13th September 1949)
(With Plate I)
PARASITIC infection due to Sarcoptes scabiei cuniculi (Sarcoptic mange) and
Notoedres minor cuniculi (Notoedric mange) is not so rare as reported. [Meek,
1943.] The condition has been frequently observed in rabbits kept for experimental
purposes in the departments of Pharmacology and Pathology of the Orissa Medical
College, Cuttack.
ETIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY
The presence of both kinds of mites on the same animal has been recorded. The
mites, which are less than 1/50 inch in length, burrow into the skin and produce an
exudate which forms scabs and sets up an intense itching. The rabbits scratch at
these parts which may result in open sores with secondary bacterial infection.
The condition is very contagious in rabbits, spreading rapidly through the rabbitry,
if not checked, and in the course of several weeks killing the affected animals through
exhaustion, emaciation and resulting starvation. A microscopical examination is,
therefore, necessary for a correct early diagnosis [Schwartz and Shook, 1928].
Symptoms
The lips, chin, nose, face and head and roots of ears and circles around the eyelids
are affected in succession. It gives the animal a bespectacled appearance. When
around the nose, the nose tip has a probosis-like aspect. The animal scratches at
these parts very often. Yellowish or greyish crusts appear when the fur falls off.
Besides the above symptoms commonly noticed, the animals under our observation
showed lesions at the back, round the nails of the legs and drooping of the ears as
well (Plate I, fig. 1).
Treatment
Most authorities believe that affected animals should be destroyed at once when
mange is discovered to prevent spreading of the disease. Grey [1932] advises that
the disease should not be allowed to spread by treating all the affected animals being
treated at the same time and hutches cleaned from time to time. Davies [1919]
recommends that a thick application of soft soap is to be made to the affected areas
* Read at the 36th Indian Science Congress, Allahabad (Section of Medical and Veterinary
Sciences).
† Since deceased.
13
c
Indian J. vet. Sci., Vol XX, Part I]
Plate I
FIG. 1. Before treatment
FIG. 2. After treatment
March, 1950] P. R. PABRAI, K. VENKATACHALAM AND K. N. OJHA 15
that the alcoholic extract is much more potent as compared to the aqueous one
possibly due to a higher solubility of the parasiticidal principle in tobacco in spirit
than in water. Moreover, an alcoholic extract of the drug can be preserved
indefinitely.
All the seventeen rabbits without exception proved amenable to this treatment
and local applications did not produce any toxic symptoms except signs of mild
irritation for not more than a minute after the application is made possibly due to
irritation caused by diffusion of some spirit into the eyes and the nasal mucous
membrane.
SUMMARY
A 1 in 10 alcoholic tincture of tobacco has been found to be useful in the treatment
of Sarcoptic and Notoedric mange in rabbits.
Complete cure is effected within 2 to 3 weeks depending upon the degree of infec-
tion.
The drug has been found to be harmless to the skin when applied locally.
The drug may be useful in the treatment of alopecic conditions due to parasitic
infections in man. It is under trial.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are thankful to the Principal, Orissa Medical College, Cuttack, for providing
the necessary facilities for carrying out this work. Our thanks are also due to
Mr. P. S. Kupuswamy who collaborated with us in this work. We are grateful to
Mr. A. C. Mitra, Artist, Chitralaya, Cuttack, for taking photographs of the rabbits
from time to time.
REFERENCES
Davies (1919). Rabbits for Fur and Flesh
Grey (1932). Diseases of Rabbits
Meek (1943). Diseases and Parasites of Rabbits and their Control
Schwartz and Shook (1928). Farmers' Bulletin December
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON INVESTIGATION OF
JOHNE'S DISEASE IN MYSORE STATE
By K. RANGANATHA RAO, Veterinary Research Officer, Mysore State
(Received for publication on 8 November 1946)
T HE prevelance of Johne's disease in India was first reported by Sheather in
1917. The reports of the Disease Investigation Officers from the different
provinces have lately confirmed that the disease also occurs in many parts of India.
In Mysore its occurrence was first noticed in the year 1927. An intensive investiga-
tion was undertaken under a scheme subsidized by the Indian (then Imperial) Council
of Agricultural Research with effect from July 1935, with a view to studying the
incidence and pathology of the disease and to find out the curative effect of oleum
chaulmoogra.
EXPERIMENTAL HERD
In the beginning, a batch of clinically suspected cases comprising three cows and
one bullock taken over from a dairy farm constituted the experimental herd on which
the preliminary studies were started. Later, positive and suspicious cases which
were either received free of cost or purchased for a nominal cost were added to the
herd. In addition, groups of animals of varying ages and breeds free from the
disease were also added to the herd for the purpose of studying the course of the
disease under artificial infection. During the period of study a total number of
788 animals comprising 202 cattle, 31 sheep, 56 goats and 499 small laboratory
animals were used. The breeds of cattle represented were (1) Amritmahal (2) Sindl i
(3) Gir (4) Kangyam and (5) Cross bred. Naturally advanced cases of the
disease were encountered in both sexes in all these breeds of cattle.
Epizootology
With a view to ascertaining the extent to which the disease existed among cattle
in the two cities of Bangalore and Mysore, an epizootological survey was undertaken.
For this purpose, each city was divided into blocks on the same lines as the Municipal
divisions and with the help of the Municipal authorities, a house to house inspection
of cattle was conducted. In Bangalore, out of the total number of 6,512 cattle
inspected 2,975 were cows and heifers and the rest were buffaloes. Of the cows and
heifers four per cent were declared strongly suspicious for Johne's disease. Similarly
in Mysore 1.5 per cent were found suspicious. The source of most of these
suspicious cases could invariably be traced to farms known to harbour the disease.
Further, conditions under which cattle were housed in the cities were anything
but satisfactory. Illventilated, undrained and insanitary byres were largely in
evidence.
D
17
18
OBSERVATIONS ON JOHNE'S DISEASE IN MYSORE [Vol. XX, Part 1,
The existence of Johne's disease, in three big dairy farms which are run on
modern scientific lines, was established as a result of a detailed study on the clinical
material collected.
Evidence was available to show that Johne's disease occurred also among the
indigenous cattle in the interior of the State. This was confirmed, when during
July 1939 a cow belonging to a Government Cattle Breeding Station, where cattle of
Mysore breeds are reared, showed symptoms, suggestive of Johne's disease; it reacted
to Johnin positively and later was confirmed by a detailed post-mortem examination
to be a typical case of Johne's disease. The corrugations of the intestinal mucosa
often described characteristic were not present but bacilli in large clumps could
easily be demonstrated in smears.
Johne's disease, among sheep was also encountered in the course of the investiga-
tions. On two occasions sheep maintained on farms, where Johne's disease among
cattle had been known to exist were reported to suffer from diarrhoea and wasting,
detailed post-mortem examination and subsequent cultural tests undertaken on these
cases revealed that two out of six suspected cases died of Johne's disease. The
cultural and microscopical characteristics of causal organism recovered in pure cul-
tures from both these cases were in no way different from the organism generally
recovered from cattle. Appreciable growth was obtained after three to four weeks
of incubation. In view of the fact, that a separate sheep strain of Johne's bacillus,
which, is comparatively more difficult to grow than cattle strain has been described by
several workers, it would appear more probable, that the sheep mentioned above
had contracted the disease from the cattle.
Result of artificial infection
Repeated attempts were made to infect artificially different species of animals
other than cattle, with infective material collected from positive cases of Johne's
disease. Sheep, goats, rabbits and guineapigs were employed during these studies.
Sheep
Out of 15 sheep employed for the purpose 9 were infected per os 4 intravenously
and 2 intraperitoneally. All these 15 sheep either died or were destroyed at the end
of periods varying from 10 months to 2½ years. The results of detailed examination
showed that five out of nine infected per os, two out of four infected intravenously
and none out of two infected intraperitoneally harboured the infection.
Goats
Out of the 56 goats comprising 35 infected intravenously and 21 infected per os
it was found that only 13, all belonging to the former lot, had picked up the
infection.
The material employed for infecting sheep and goats consisted of an emulsion of
mesenteric lymph glands freshly collected from a positive case that died of Johne's'
disease. The dose was 5 c.c.
20
OBSERVATIONS ON JOHNE'S DISEASE IN MYSORE
[Vol. XX, Part 1,
of the bacillus which was well adopted to grow on an artificial medium was used
for this purpose. The synthetic medium described by Henley [1929] and employed
by Dunkin [1931] was employed for the purpose. At the end of five weeks of in-
cubation a luxuriant surface growth with pellicle formation was obtained. In the
commencement, the whole culture was evaporated to one-tenth of its original volume
for purposes of concentration and then filtered but later the cultures were first
filtered through paper and the filtrate evaporated on water bath to one-tenth of its
original volume. This constituted the Johnin employed for the double intradermal
test. The test was conducted in the same manner as tuberculin test, with this
difference that the dose of Johnin was 0.2 c.c. at each injection instead of 0.1 c.c.
generally used in the case of tuberculin. The increase of thickening of fold of skin
obtained in positive cases varied from 6 mm. to even 21 mm.
Results of extensive field tests undertaken by the Director of Veterinary Services,
Assam, using Johnin supplied from Mysore also confirm these findings. According
to the first report, out of 262 cattle tested by him 86 were positive and bowel washings
from 54 among these showed Johne's bacillus.
Results of detailed post-mortem examinations undertaken on positive naturally
infected cases of Johne's disease showed that the so called corrugations of intestinal
mucosa were not a constant feature. In a number of animals there was absence of
corrugations of the mucosa but smears taken from them contained bacilli in clumps.
In such cases, however, the intestinal wall was thickened and the mucous membrane
looked coarse and granular. In one instance even this thickening was absent but
the smears were positive for organisms. An unusual finding was recorded in one
instance where there was evidence of necrosis in mesenteric lymph glands as well as
intestines. The smears showed acid-alcohol-fast organisms and tuberculosis was
raled out by guineapig inoculations. The following is the summary of the gross
pathology recorded from 29 cases :
Extensive corrugations
Patchy corrugations
Corrugations entirely absent
Necrotic change present
10
3
15
1
29
TREATMENT
Several attempts have been made in the past to treat cases of Johne's disease.
Drugs such as ferrous sulphate, sulphuric acid and formalin have been found to
check the diarrhoea but not to cure the disease. Williams [1928] in America, on the
similarity of the causal organisms of Johne's disease and leprosy, attempted the use
of chaulmoogra oil for treating clinical cases, with inconclusive results. Dawnham
[1929] also used chaulmoogra oil in six cases and reported 50 per cent success.
22
OBSERVATIONS ON JOHNE'S DISEASE IN MYSORE
[Vol. XX, Part 1,
Oleum chaulmoogra had no appreciable effect on advanced cases of Johne's
disease even after a prolonged course of treatment and the findings obtained with the
cases which were artificially infected with the disease do not admit of any definite
conclusions being drawn owing to the controls having failed to take up the infection
uniformly.
SUMMARY
The incidence of Johne's disease in animals on various Government Farms as well
as in villages is described.
The possibility of reproducing the disease in sheep, goats, guineapigs and rabbits
is discussed.
Johnin was found to be more reliable than avian tuberculin as adiagnostic agent.
Corrugations in the intestine were not present in all Johne's disease infected animals.
Treatment with oleum chaulmoogra was found to be of no use.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I have to thank the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for the financial
aid and technical guidance and the Government of Mysore for the facilities
provided for the work.
I wish to record the valuable cooperation of Shri K. Srinivasa Murthy, B.Sc,
L.V.P., and acknowledge the zeal and thoroughness with which he colloborated
with me in carrying out the investigations.
REFERENCES
Alexejee Golaff (1935). J. Comp. Path. Therap. 48, 81-82 Abstract
Dawnham (1929). Veterinary Record, Therap. 9, 549
Dunkin, G. W. (1928). J. Comp. Path. Therap. 41, 94
—
(1935). J. Comp. Path. Therap. 48 235-240
Hagan, W. A. and Zeissig, A. (1933). J. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc. 82, 391
—
(1933). Cornell Vet. 23
McFadyean, Sheather and Edwards, J. T. (1912). J. Comp. Path. and Therap. 25
Mohler, W. W. (1939). J. Amer. Vet. Med. Assoc. 590
Twort and Ingram (1913). A monograph on Johne's disease
Ware, F. F., Srinivasan (1941). Indian J. Vet. Sci. II, 289-307
Williams (1928). Veterinary Record, 8
March, 1950]
K.
RANGANATHA
RAO
23
APPENDIX I
Results of allergic tests with Johnin and avian tuberculin compared with autopsy results
Serial
Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Animal
Cow
Heifer
Cow
Cow
Cow
Heifer
Heifer
Calf
Calf
Calf
Calf
Cow
Cow
Cow
Heifer
Bull
Calf
Heifer
Result with
avian
tuberculin
R
R
R
N
R
R
N
R
N
R
N
R
R
R
R
R
N
N
Result with
Johnin
R
N
N
N
R
N
N
N
N
R
N
R
R
R
R
R
N
N
Autopsy
Positive
Negative
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
Positive
do.
Negative
do.
do.
do.
do.
24
OBSERVATIONS ON JOHNE'S DISEASE IN MYSORE [Vol. XX, Part 1,
APPENDIX 1—contd.
Results of allergic tests with Johnin and avian tuberculin compared with autopsy results
—contd.
Serial
Number
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
Animal
Cow
Cow
Cow
Cow
Heifer
Calf
Heifer
Calf
Heifer
Cow
Cow
Cow
Bull
Cow
Calf
Bull
Result with
avian
tuberculin
R
R
R
N
R
N
R
R
N
R
R
R
N
R
N
N
Result with
Johnin
R
R
N
R
N
N
N
R
N
R
R
N
R
R
N
R
Autopsy
result
Positive
do.
Negative
Positive
Negative
do.
do.
Positive
Negative
Positive
Negative
do.
Positive
do.
do.
do.
N.B.—R=Reactor
N=Non-reactor
ABSTRACTS
Autopsy result
Positive for Johne's disease
Negative for Johne's disease
Reactors
Tuberculin
avian
8
14
Johnin
11
6
Non-reactors
Tuberculin
avian
4
8
Johnin
1
16
26
OBSERVATIONS ON JOHNE'S DISEASE IN MYSORE
[Vol. XX, Part 1,
APPENDIX III
Detailed relating to the animals that were left untreated as controls
Serial
num-
ber.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Animal
Cow K.R.P
Cow No. 55
Heifer S 107
Heifer A 33
Bull R.D.F.
Heifer miles
Buffalo
calf
39
Cow 64
Cow C 33
Cow A 47
Heifer S 106
Heifer A 44
Bullock 45
Heifer Q 24
Calf M 56
Heifer A 48
Bull 93
Weight
in
pounds
679
791
448
332
539
210
296
588
616
512
506
305
931
812
208
322
833
Result
of
allergic
test
before
infection
..
N
N
N
R
N
N
Clinical
case
N
N
N
N
N
N
R
N
Clinical
case
Date of
Infection
suspected
clinical
case
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
31-5-36
Result of periodical allergic tests after infection
1
R
R
N
R
N
N
N
R
N
R
N
R
R
R
R
N
R
2
R
R
N
N
N
R
N
R
N
N
N
R
R
R
R
N
R
3
R
R
N
N
R
R
N
R
N
R
N
N
N
R
R
R
R
4
R
R
N
R
N
N
N
..
N
N
N
R
N
R
R
R
..
5
R
N
N
N
N
N
N
..
N
R
R
R
N
R
N
N
..
6
R
N
N
R
N
N
R
..
R
N
N
R
N
N
N
..
..
7
R
N
N
R
R
R
N
..
R
N
R
N
N
N
..
..
..
8
..
..
R
..
R
..
R
..
N
..
N
..
N
..
..
..
..
9
..
..
..
..
R
..
R
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
Weight
increase
(plus) for
decrease
(minus)
—175
was not
weighted
+ 30
+114
+41
+222
+264
—148
—18
+48
+26
+31
+140
—44
—58
+95
—37
Died (D)
or
killed
(K)
K
D
K
K
K
K
D
D
K
K
K
K
K
K
D
D
K
Date of
post-mor-
tem exami-
nation
15-2-39
15-3-40
31-7-40
12-6-39
3-8-40
15-10-40
8-8-38
23-11-38
7-3-39
16-6-39
4-10-40
28-4-38
19-4-38
15-10-40
21-4-37
24-2-38
7-10-40
Post-mortem
findings
Positive for
Johne's
disease
Positive for
tuberculosis
Negative for
Johne's
disease do.
do.
do.
do. other
cause
Positive for
Johne's
disease
Negative
for do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
Positive for
Johne's
disease
Negative for
Johne's
disease (other
causes)
Negative for
Johne's
disease
N = Non-reactor
R=
Reactor
STUDIES ON THE METHODS OF PREPARATION OF
V*., MODIFICATIONS OF THE INDIGENOUS PROCESS
By K. S. RANGAPPA and B. N. BANERJEE, Department of Biochemistry, Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore
(Received for publication on 22 February 1947)
O NE of the defects of the desi method of manufacture is that butter is not
generally washed, and that it cannot be washed satisfactorily owing to its
lumpiness and pasty consistency. In the creamery or barrel process of churning
cream, the grains of butter are slowly built up, and they are washed twice with
water, so that the acidity is reduced to a large extent. The storage property of
creamery butter is therefore, about ten times better than that of desi butter. Im-
provements in this line are therefore necessary in the desi process also. After a
number of trials, a simple process of washing butter in the village on a small scale
has been devised.
WASHING OF BUTTER
Experiment
Two-litre lots of buffalo milk of 6.4 per cent fat and 0.13 per cent lactic acid
were boiled for five minutes, and seeded as usual in three earthen pots. After 18
hours the acidity of the curd was determined and churned in the vessels with a
country churn, until the butter granules were about 1 mm. in size. Water was
added from time to time during churning up to a volume equal to that of the curd.
In the first pot, butter was then collected into a lump. In the second pot the lump
of butter so collected was washed three times with twice its volume of water.
In the third pot, the bottom layer of butter-milk was carefully siphoned off
with a rubber tube, leaving behind the discrete butter granules. (The butter-milk
may be churned again and the last traces of fat recovered.) Four litres of water
(twice the volume of the curd) were then poured into the churning pot containing
the butter grains and gently rechurned for one to two minutes, taking care not to
overchurn the butter. This washed off the butter-milk from the grains. The
washed granules were then collected into a lump and converted into ghee both by
the boiling and the decantation methods. They were examined for acidity and
article quality as described in article III of this Series. The results are given
in Table I.
Discussion
The results in Table I clearly indicate the effectiveness of the simple method of
washing butter grains. Without reducing the yield, the acidity and quality of
ghee are very perceptibly improved. A result of this procedure worthy of notice in
that the acidity of ghee is very nearly the same as that of washed butter, which is
thrice as low as that of unwashed butter and about half as that of ghee from unwashed
* The earlier four articles of the Series were published in June, 1946 issue of this Journal.
F
27
28
METHODS OF PREPARATION OF
GHEE
[Vol. XX, Part I,
TABLE I
Effect of washing of butter on yield and quality of ghee
Boiling process=B
Decantation process=D
Method of washing
butter
No washing
As lump
As grains
Acidity
(per cent).
Curd
1.0
0.97
0.98
Butter
0.19
0.16
0.06
Butter quality
Greenish yellow,
slightly acidy,
lumpy
Good, firm .
Lighter
colour
and flavour ;
firm
Acidity
(per cent).
B. 0.10
D. 0.05
B. 0.09
D. 0.05
B. 0.05
D. 0.04
Ghee
Quality
Good
Light colour and
flavour ; gra-
nular
Good
Light colour and
flavour
Good
Light colour and
flavour
Induction
period
in hours
20
..
..
..
23
..
Yield
(per cent)
88
..
90
..
89
..
butter. The simplicity of the device and the large benefits resulting from its adop-
tion should recommend themselves to the farmer who makes butter for the market.
MODIFICATIONS IN THE METHOD OF PREPARATION OF GHEE
A number of attempts have been made to prepare ghee directly from cream or
cream-made butter. Kothavalla and Cox [ 1927 ] reported the preparation of
good-flavoured ghee with better yields by boiling butter made from soured cream.
Steward and Banerjee [ 1929 ], however, found that the distinctive aroma was
present only in ghee prepared from soured milk. This observation has been confirmed
by Doctor, Banerjee and Kothavalla [ 1940 ] who compared the qualities of ghee
made by the curd process and from unsoured milk. They found that ghee by the
latter process lacked flavour though it gained in keeping quality. But French
[ 1936 ] claimed to have obtained better flavoured ghee by boiling diluted and
reseparated cream than from soured-cream butter or soured-milk butter. Wright
[ 1937 ], however, states that experienced ghee merchants are of opinion that the
souring of milk in the ' country ' process imparts a particularly acceptable flavour
to ghee while ghee made by the separator method is of inferior quality. Workers at
the Imperial Dairy Institute (Annual Report 1940) reported that milk curdled with
0.5
reseparated cream yields 88 to 98 per cent of its fat as ghee against 80 to 84 per cent
without reseparation, and that the indigenous method gave the least yield, the loss
being as high as 24.7 per cent. But the acidity, storage property and other qualities
have not been studied. Experiments were, therefore, carried out to study these
properties in ghee as well as the yield.
The following series of experiments were conducted with cow's milk of 0.14
per cent acidity and 6.4 per cent fat and with buffalo milk of 0.13 per cent acidity
and 7.6 per cent fat. While boiling the butter or cream into ghee, the temperature