NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
136 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
[ I, II
2. For adult buffalo bulls.
Weight in lbs.
Under 1,000
1,000—1,200
1,200—1,400
Over 1,400
....
CONCENTRATE MIXTURE
A
6
8
9
11
B
4
5
7
9
C
3
4
6
8
D
2
3
5
7
FODDER
QUANTITY
TO BE FED
If all dry
18
20
22
24
If all green
90
100
110
120
NOTE 1. If a bull is idle, the concentrate mixture should be reduced by 33 1/3 per cent.
TABLE E.
The farmer should feed extra ration to his cattle during the winter months as
follows:—
If the mean temperature of the week inside the cattle-
Nil.
shed is above
70° F
If the mean temperature of the week inside the cattle-
shed is between
60°—70° F 1 lb. of concentrate mixture.
If the mean temperature of the week inside the cattle-
shed is between
.
....
50°—60°
F 2 lbs.
ditto
If the mean temperature of the week inside the cattle-
shed is between
40°—50° F 3 lbs.
ditto
If the mean temperature of the week inside the cattle-
shed is between
30°—40°F 4 lbs.
ditto
NOTE 1. The above extra ration should only be fed to adult animals.
NOTE 2. To obtain accurate figures as to the actual temperature effecting the animals, the farmer
should hang a maximum and minimum thermometer in the cattle shed. If he has several sheds vary-
ing greatly in construction with resulting variations in daily temperatures, he should hang a thermo-
meter in each shed.
NOTE 3. The scale of extra ration to be fed for temperature given above is based on temperatures
prevailing inside the cattleshed, where the cattle are housed during the major and coldest portion of the
24 hours. This will be higher in the winter and lower in the summer than the temperatures shown in
the official meteorological reports.
NOTE 4. It has been assumed that when the mean temperature inside the shed falls below 60° F
animals will be bedded down, and when it falls below 50° F each animal will be jhooled up during the
night.
NOTE 5. The farmer should be careful to see that whilst his animals get ample fresh air they are
not exposed to draughts, and do not have to lie on wet standings, sodden bedding, etc., as no amount
of food will make up for actual discomfort.
NOTE 6. As a rule it is sufficient to make additions to the ration for temperature once a week. In
the case of a sudden marked drop in temperature the farmer may find it advisable to increase his ration
immediately.
NOTE 7. The mean temperature of the week can be calculated by adding together the daily mean
temperature of that week and dividing by 7. The daily mean temperature is arrived at by adding
together the minimum and maximum temperature of the day and dividing by two. The minimum
and maximum temperature should be taken daily by the person-in-charge of the cattleyard at 10 A.M.
and recorded in the temperature record book.
FEEDING TABLES FOR DAIRY CATTLE IN INDIA
137
TABLE F.
Mineral feeding.
Generally speaking, the danger of mineral deficiency in the dairy animals ration
in India is ever present. Although little experimental work has been done on this
subject, it appears that this danger is dependent to some extent on the following
factors:—
(1) The milking capacity of the herd. It is considered advisable to feed a
mineral ration to any herd with a lactation average of over 5,500 lbs.
(2) The percentage of dry non-leguminous fodder fed throughout the year.
Mineral shortage is very likely to manifest itself in those herds receiving
little or no green fodder, especially if the concentrate mixture also has a
low mineral content.
(3) The percentage of imported blood in the animals. It seems that animals
with imported blood require a higher standard of available (or more
easily available) minerals in their food.
(4) The locality. A little data has been collected on this point, but it cannot
be discussed in this paper.
Mineral deficiency is often indicated by malnutrition, contagious abortion (?),
the birth weight of calves or milk yields. The last is not very informative, unless
studied in conjunction with a large amount of accurate experimental data.
As a guide, if the weight of calves born are consistently below the following
formula, then deficiency of minerals should be one of the factors suspected.
(Weight of Dam)×2+weight of bull/60=Weight of female calf at birth.
Male calves usually weigh about 20 per cent. more.
If mineral deficiency is suspected, minerals should be fed daily to animals over 9
months old in the following proportions :—
(a) Animals 9 months to 2½ years
....
(6) Animals over 2½ years
The mineral mixture should consist of:—
Steamed bone meal
Ground limestone
Common salt
.
. 2 oz. of mixture.
4 oz. of mixture.
40 lbs.
20 lbs.
20 lbs.
The mineral mixture should be measured out for each animal and well mixed
with the concentrates. The quantity allowed being divided up according to the
number of concentrate feeds an animal receives.
138 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ I, II
TABLE G.
Salt.
Each adult animal should receive approximately one ounce of salt per diem.
This may be given:—
(a) As rock salt hung up so that an animal can lick it whenever desired.
(b) As fine salt in the grain mixture.
The former is preferable.
When a mineral mixture is fed, there is no need to feed an extra quantity of
salt. Rock salt may, however, continue to be hung up.
TABLE II.
Water.
The importance of water is often forgotten by farmers. Unless the milking
herd can get their full requirements, the yields, despite any feeding, are bound to
suffer. Water should be provided in every paddock frequented by the herd. If
this cannot be done, they should be given plenty of time at the watering place to
satisfy their thirst at least four times a day.
In the hot weather the need for water is, of course, even greater.
When the mean temperature of the week drops below 40°F, the drinking water
should be warmed.
Automatic watering bowls in the sheds are convenient and appreciated by the
animals but not a necessity.
APPENDIX I.
The form given overleaf has been drawn up to facilitate rationing the milk,
separated milk, and concentrates fed to calves as per Table ' A'.
NOTE 1. If a calf is not making satisfactory progress, a slightly increased ration than that laid down
in Table ' A' may be given. The extra ration should be written in red ink after the standard ration
and connected with it by a plus sign. As a guide, up to the age of four months, the weight on birth in
pounds plus age in days should not be less than the present weight in pounds.
NOTE 2. The total milk, separated milk and concentrates issued for the day should connect up
with the other accounts maintained on the farm.
NOTE 3. Calves born after the commencement of the ration statement week can be entered
thereon.
NOTE 4. For convenience, all calves, irrespective of age, should be weighed on the day the ration
statement week commences. The present weight indicates weight on that day.
NOTE 5. Colostrum from the dam should be fed to the calf for the first four days. This should
be shown as milk on the ration statement.
FEEDING TABLES FOR DAIRY CATTLE IN INDIA
139
Ration Statement I for calves from birth to nine months for week ending
Date
Number
Name
Weight on birth
Age in days
Present weight
Good
Condition { Fair
Bad
Milk
Sep. Milk
Concentrates
Milk
Sep. Milk
Concentrates
Milk
Sep. Milk
Concentrates
Milk
Sep. Milk
Concentrates
Milk
Sep. Milk
Concentrates
Milk
Sep. Milk
Concentrates
Milk
Sep. Milk
Concentrates
Total.
Initial of the person incharge of
calves.
Initial of the Manager of the Farm.
140 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ I, II
APPENDIX II.
The form overleaf has been drawn up to facilitate the rationing of concentrates
to adult milking stock, dry stock, bulls and young stock over 9 months.
NOTE 1. It is advisable to use a separate form for different classes of animals.
NOTE 2. In column 6 ' milking average for the week ' of course only applies to animals in milk.
By ' service' is meant whether bulls are in service or idle. These animals should be marked I for idle
and S for service and fed accordingly, see note to Table D.
NOTE 3. In column 7 'month to calve' only applies to adult female not in milk (Table C).
NOTE 4. The condition of the animal should be noted in column 5 by using the appropriate letter.
If the animal is too fat, the ration should be reduced and if its condition is bad, the ration should be
increased. See column 10.
FEEDING TABLES FOR DAIRY CATTLE IN INDIA
141
Ration Statement II for milking stock, dry stock, bulls and young stock over nine months for the week ending
1
Number
of
animal
2
Name
of
animal
3
Ration scale
being fed
as per
Table
4
Weight
lbs.
5
Physical
condition
F— Fat
G—Good
M—Medium
B—Bad
6
Milking aver-
age for the
week
Service
7
Months
to
Calve
8
Concen-
trate
Mixture
allowed
under
3 and 6
lb.
9
10
11
Mixture allowed
under
4
lb.
5
Plus
or
minus
lb.
7
lb.
12
Extra
mixture
allowed
for tem¬
perature
Table G
lb.
Total
13
Total of
columns
8, 9, 10,
11 and
12
lb.
142 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
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APPENDIX III.
The form given below has been drawn up to facilitate the serving and drying off
of animals at the proper time and estimating with reasonable accuracy the calving
date. It is necessary to have the latter information to utilise Table "C"
correctly.
NOTE 1. Names of animals should be entered on this statement as they calve.
NOTE 2. The date an animal should be served after calving depends on a large number of factors
which cannot be discussed in this paper.
NOTE 3. The date of service should be written in pencil until it is definitely known that the animal
has held to that service.
NOTE 4. The date of drying off will depend on several factors but as a rule should be 60 days before
the animal is due to calve. First calvers should not be kept in milk over 365 days.
NOTE 5. The date due to calve will be approximately date of service plus 282 days for cows and
date of service plus 306 days for buffaloes.
NOTE 6. The actual date calved should be recorded in the statement to facilitate checking the
correctness of service recorded.
NOTE 7. From this record the actual number of animals to calve in future months can be easily
tabulated.
Service and calving statement.
No. of
animal
Name
of
animal
Date
calved
Date due
for ser-
vice
Date
served
Name
of
bull
Date due
to be
dried off
Date due
to
calve
Date
calved
EQUINE MICROFILARIASIS: A SHORT REVIEW OF THE
LITERATURE.*
BY
S. K. SEN, M.Sc., F.E.S.,
Protozoologist, Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar—Kumaun.
(Received for publication on 17th January, 1931.)
Of late, inquiries have been addressed to this Institute concerning any known
remedy suitable for application under field conditions in the treatment of micro-
filariasis of the horse, and before the Institute felt itself in a position to advise
the correspondents concerned, the present writer was asked to prepare a résumé
of available literature on the subject, not only setting forth therein the main lines
hitherto evolved in the treatment of the disease, but also indicating, in the first
place, the extent to which the disease has been regarded by various workers as a
morbid entity of any importance as affecting the health of the equine species. In
what follows, it is proposed to discuss, as briefly as possible, certain points of
interest that emerged in the course of an analysis of the findings recorded by the
different workers.
THE SPECIES OF MICROFILARIÆ RECORDED FROM THE BLOOD OF EQUINES.
A perusal of the available literature shows that only two species of micro-
filariæ have been definitely recorded from the circulating blood of equines, namely,
Setaria equina, Abildgaard, 1789 (=Filaria papillosa, Rudolphi, 1802) and Filaria
spirovoluta, Smit and Ihle, 1925 1 . Curiously, the young forms of Parafilaria
multipapillosa, Condamine and Drouilly, 1876 (=F. hœmorrhagica, Railliet, 1885)
do not appear to have been observed in the circulating blood of equines, although,
as is well known, the adult filariæ of this species are of not infrequent occurrence
in the subcutaneous connective tissue of the horse. Neveu—Lemaire [1912] and
Hutyra and Marek [1926], in their recent edition of Special Pathology and
* Paper read at the Medical and Veterinary Research Section of the Indian Science
Congress, Allahabad, January 1930.
1 The identity of what is designated as S. labiato-papillosa (the immature forms of which occur
in the eye of the horse) would appear to be disputed, and certain authors (e. g., Underhill, 1924)
evidently regard S. labiato-papillosa as identical with S. equina.
Yakimoff and his co-workers (1915) recovered what they called Microfilaria ninac kohl-yakimoffi
from the blood of horses in Turkestan, but the identity of these is not clear.
( 143 )
F
144 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ I, II
Therapeutics state that the evolution of this parasite is unknown. Likewise,
Railliet's original description of this parasite, as published in Traile de Zoologic
[1895], does not contain any reference to the embryos of P. multipapillosa
occurring in the blood, although both Neveu—Lemaire and Railliet observe that
the liberated embryos measure 220—230 microns in length. As emphasized
by Foley and his collaborators [1928], however, the study of filarial embryos
is fraught with difficulty, and it must not be assumed that only one species is
present until the embryos occurring in the blood have been carefully compared
with those in the terminal part of the uterus of the adult female, if the latter has
been found. It is thus not improbable that, from a careful study on the lines
recommended by Foley and his co-workers, it may transpire that in a certain
proportion of the cases, the filarial embryos designated as S. equi are in reality
P. multipapillosa.
RELATIVE INCIDENCE OF MICROFILARIASIS AMONGST EQUINES AND OTHER S
OF ANIMALS.
Compared with the dog, the equine species would appear to be little susceptible
to filarial infection, and during recent years, cases of canine microfilariasis have
come to the notice of this Institute on fairly frequent occasions. As an extreme
instance of the widespread occurrence of the disease may be cited the observations
published by Bodkin and Cleare [1916], according to which " it would probably
be a difficult matter to find [ in British Guiana ] a creole dog over two years of age
which does not harbour this parasite ". On the other hand, the rarity with which
the parasites have been found to occur in the blood of equines is illustrated by the
fact that a systematic examination of 19,000 blood smears in a certain Remount
Depot in India resulted in the parasites being " found once only in six mules and
five horses ". Information is not available concerning the incidence of equine
microfilariasis in other countries, except in Turkestan, where, according to Yakimoff
and his collaborators [1915], the rate of incidence of the disease varies within wide
limits—from 0.53 to 37.6 per cent., whilst in the case of the donkey, they found 19
animals to be affected out of 847 examined by them 1 . The figures obtainable for
camels are from 4 to 22.5 per cent. in four different districts in Turkestan (Yakimoff
and his collaborators, 1914), whilst, in a recent paper, Zeiss [1927] gives 0.25 to 0.5
only as the percentage of camels infected in South-Eastern Russia. In regard to
the incidence of the disease in the Indian Region, Leese [1908] reported that out
1 It is of interest in this connection that Yakimoff and his collaborators (1917), in Russian
Turkestan, found microfilariæ to be entirely absent in the circulating blood of sheep, although they
examined as many as 1844 of these animals for evidence of this infection.
REVIEW OF EQUINE MICROFILARIASIS
145
of 1,500 camels examined by him in various camel corps in India, only two cases
showed filarial infection, although, according to Cross [1922-1923], "the disease
is common in camels ".
CLINICAL SYMPTOMS OF MICROFILARIASIS IN EQUINES.
In a great majority of the cases of equine microfilariasis recorded by various
workers, no definite clinical symptoms have been reported, and in a few instances
where this has been done, the symptoms were not such as could not be ascribed to
causes other than microfilariasis. As a matter of fact, several workers have noted
the occurrence of microfilariasis in the horse as a condition concomitant with other
forms of blood infection, where systematic examination of blood smears has been
resorted to as a routine procedure, so that the possibility suggests itself that a
more extensive search would result in the finding that a proportion of the equine
species normally harbour these parasites without developing any visible clinical
symptoms. The more notable observations on record upon the nature and extent
of morbid disturbances evoked in the equine species by the presence of these para-
sites may be summarized as follows.
(a) Occurrence of Microfilariasis in Conjunction with other Diseases.
Macalister [1917], in India, in the course of a lengthy discussion upon the
ætiology of " Kumri" refers to the frequent association of this disease with Selaria
equina, and this would appear to lend considerable primâ facie support to the view
that the two are ætiologically connected. He concludes, however, that "this is
to be regarded as a chance conjunction and not implying a causal relationship".
Aldigé [1920], in French West Africa, observed that the occurrence of filarial
embryos was frequently associated with trypanosomiasis (Trypanosoma congolense
infection), especially in New Guinea and Senegal, and also with such other local
diseases as might be prevailing at the time, and in certain instances the parasites
were even detected by him in the blood of healthy animals, although their presence
was not revealed by any manifest symptoms.
In regard to the so-called "Fez" disease (infectious anæmia) of the horse in
Morocco, it was demonstrated by Velu [1921] that this disease did not represent a
single entity but that it comprised as many as four infections, namely, trypano-
somiasis, spirillosis, piroplasmosis, and microfilariasis.
The occurrence of microfilariæ in the blood of equines affected with trypano-
somiasis has been mentioned by a number of workers, and the presence of the
parasites has not infrequently been detected at this Institute in the course of the
F 2
146 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
[I, II
routine examination of blood smears from animals experimentally infected with
surra trypanosomes. Likewise, in the case of the Remount Depot mentioned
earlier in this paper, the parasites were found in smears taken from mules and horses
belonging to a " surra area ". Similar remarks apply also to the bovine species, for
Teague and Clark [1918] readily demonstrated the presence of filarial embryos in the
blood of Panama cattle affected with trypanosomiasis, and Ford [1919], in the Malay
States, found them in the blood of an Indian bull suffering from surra, whilst,
recently, Davis [1929], in the Sudan, has described the occurrence of filarial embryos
in the blood of a bull suspected of trypanosomiasis. The two infections have also
been sometimes found coincident in the camel, as is illustrated by an instance cited
by Littlewood [1919-20], in Egypt, whilst, in India, " surra and filariasis are often
found in the same animal " and " this has generally complicated the investigation
of the latter disease " [Leese, 1910].
(b) Clinical Symptoms definitely ascribed to Microfilariasis.
From the descriptions given by various workers of the symptoms of the disease,
one finds it difficult to resist the impression that microfilariasis of the horse is not
associated with any clear clinical picture. Symptoms have been described which
are characteristic of diseases referable to widely different categories (e.g., trypano-
somiasis, glanders), or, else, except for the occurrence of eosinophilia (indicative of
general verminous infections), the symptoms described are so diffuse (e.g., "debility",
'' wastage ", " anæmia ", etc.) as to be applicable to a number of other affections.
The truth of this statement is illustrated by the following citations.
Littlewood [1914], in Egypt, found that the occurrence of filarial embryos in the
circulating blood of equines was characterized by the presence of petechiæ, anæmia
and wasting. Wirth [1917], in Hungary, observed that microfilariasis of the horse
was associated with " general lassitude ", " somewhat diminished appetite " and the
heart action being " violent on slight exertion ", although the parasites were sometimes
detected by him in the blood of horses showing no apparent symptoms of disease.
Yakimoff and his collaborators [1915], in Turkestan, found the disease to be
characterized by the presence of abrasions (due to irritation), œdematous swellings
(sometimes) and rapid exhaustion. These authors also refer to the occurrence of
albuminuria as observed by Mandel [1910], although they themselves were unable to
confirm this observation.
Ford [1919], working in the West Indies and the Malay States, cites the re-
markable instance of an Australian race horse, in which the presence of filarial
embryos was associated with the development of clinical symptoms of glanders.
REVIEW OF EQUINE
MICROFILARIASIS
147
According to Vleming [1917], the acute form of equine filariasis in Surinam is
characterized by such general symptoms as wasting, anæmia, and œdematous swel-
lings, whilst the microfilariæ are said to resemble the involution forms of trypano-
somes, with the appearance of anaplasma—like bodies in the erythrocytes 1 .
Aldigé [1920], in French West Africa, refers to the similarity of the symptoms of
equine microfilariasis to those of trypansomiasis, with this difference that the former
were of " slower development " without any marked febrile crises or paresis of the
hindquarters, but the affected animals developed petechiæ on the conjunctiva and
œdematous swellings on the dependent parts, with other forms of dermatitis and
pastular eruptions. It is of interest that the swellings and eruptions were seen by
him not only in horses infested with microfilariæ, but also on others infected simul-
taneously with Trypanosoma dimorphon, or with T. dimorphon alone, although in the
conditions of the last category, the swellings were " less persistent, more doughy and
less hot and painful " than those due to microfilariasis.
Beal [1920], in the Gold Coast, regards microfilariasis in horses to be the cause
of an intermittent fever " associated with other symptoms," whilst Blanck [1927], in
the Sudan, noticed marked evidence of wasting and general signs of anæmia in a
horse infested with these parasites, and the condition of the animal appeared to him
to be one of oligæmia.
In the case of the affected horses in the Remount Depot in India mentioned
above, the presence of the parasites did not give rise to any notable symptoms,
beyond a slight elevation of temperature, although the parasites were sometimes
persistently present in the circulation, being detected twice in one horse, five times
in another, and as many as eleven times in a third.
It is of interest that the observations on record in regard to the clinical symptoms
of microfilariasis in other animals are no less divergent. Thus, while Teague and
Clark [1918] found filarial embryos generally innocuous for Panama cattle, Oguni
[1927] causally connected them with a form of scabies (so-called "wahi" or "kose")
in Japanese cattle. In the camel, Mason [1911], in Egypt, found the symptoms of
microfilariasis to resemble those of trypanosomiasis, whilst Leese [1910] and Cross
[1922-23], both in India, mention " loss of condition " and ' a considerable rise of
temperature " (when the parasites are present in the peripheral circulation) as notable
symptoms of the disease. In the dog, likewise, microfilariasis has been variously
characterized from being "very fatal" [Richardson, 1925, in Uganda] to being
devoid of noteworthy symptoms [Foley, 1921, in Algeria].
1 As remarked by a reviewer of Vleming's paper, one strongly suspects that the author was here
dealing with an outbreak of surra.