NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
236
THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ I, III
The discovery of an easily marketable anti-fluke remedy is not only a progress
for treatment of the malady, but should have its effect and repercussence on pro-
phylaxis.
In practice fluke epidemics have for origin and point of departure the
scattering of marshy grass land, pools, ditches, and stagnant ponds with excrement
charged with eggs which emit individual parasites each day. The first thing to do
then is to suppress these sowers of germs, and this can be done by systematic ad-
ministration, preventive in some measure, of an anti-fluke agent to all the animals
(ailing or not) of a flock one knows to be affected ; one thus rids them of their
parasites in such a way that at this time they cannot any longer throw out infective
dejections. But to be effective this anti-fluke remedy should be administered three
times.
(1) Before putting out to pasture (about April) to expel the flukes of indivi-
duals affected, and thus avoid contamination of the ground.
(2) Five months later (about September) for that is about the necessary time for
adult worms to become egg layers. In effect it has to be recognised that a few
sheep escape the first treatment; their helminths therefore lay eggs which after two
or three months from cercaria, which in their turn, after two or three months, are
transformed after ingestion into adult distomes ; total five months. If one expels
them before this delay, one is then sure that they will not yet have been able to
produce eggs, and this is the reason for the September worming.
Finally, the third intervention two to three months later (towards November) after
the return from pasture, to destroy the trematodes, the issue of some cercaria which
may have been swallowed after the second treatment.
Thus, nothing but this rule of a three period anti-fluke treatment before, during,
and after pasturage will rid surely and periodically all the animals of their distomes
almost immediately after the arrival of these in the liver, before in all cases they
have had time to become adult egglayers. Vitan suppresses the voiding of eggs,
therefore no more flukes are possible.
With male fern this therapeutic preventive was not realisable, as stated before,
notable due to its too high and prohibitive price. But with a remedy as active, as
handy, and as marketable as Vitan, I am sure that breeders and rearers—far from
jibbing at the expense—will, on the contrary, ask for it. The benefits that they
will derive will far outweigh the monetary cost. Monsieur Marotel concludes by
hoping that all sheep breeders will unite for defensive measures against fluke, and
that the regional veterinary surgeons of departments will support measures against
fluke, and he assures them that if Vitan is used as he directs, the flukes of their
region will be suppressed, and that the terror of sheep-breeders in France and her
colonies will be definitely cleared away.
CLINICAL NOTES
Echinococcosis and Carcinomatous Growth in a Cow.
(I. P. No. 144, Subject Cross-bred Ayr. Scinde Cow No. 17, aged 9 years.)
The cow delivered a full grown calf normally on 3rd August 1930. She was
brought to the hospital again on 7th August 1930 looking very dull and with
impaired appetite. The temperature was throughout about normal except for a few
days when it rose up by one or two degrees. A growth, as large as a man's fist, was
observed in the abdominal cavity just below the lumbar region. On rectal exami-
nation it was found to be very hard and adherent to the roof of the abdomen.
Throughout her illness she was given only symptomatic treatment with stimulants,
iodides, laxatives, etc., as the progress of the case indicated. The condition of the
animal gradually became worse and the swelling became more-prominent. The
milk yield also steadily decreased until, towards the close of the cow's illness, it was
almost nil.
From 28th August 1930 the animal showed great weakness and was noticed to
turn constantly to the left. The concentrated food consumed also became less and
less day by day. On 5th November 1930 swellings were noticed in the front legs
and below the temporal region. The cow appeared to be semi comatose. On 6th
November 1930 she assumed a recumbent position and was unable to get up until
she died on 13th November 1930.
Post-mortem examination revealed extreme congestion of the liver with
innumerable echinococcus cysts. Posteriorly a growth of the size of a cocoanut soft
and friable in consistency was seen. A bonelike growth of the size of a small
cocoanut was found adherent to the right kidney. This is the growth that was seen
on the right side of the animal during life. The right lung also contained many
echinococcus cysts.
The growths from the kidney and liver were sent to Madras Veterinary College
for microscopical examination.
Result. Sections from the liver and kidneys revealed carcinomatous growths.
Appearances were highly suggestive of malignancy. The growth adherent to the
peritoneum was a lipoma.
The point of interest in this case is that this cow, though affected with so many
echinococcus cysts in the lungs and liver, and malignant growths in the kidney and
liver, was apparently quite healthy, yielding the usual quantity of milk, for a long
period, before she was actually noticed to be ill [G. KRISHNASWAMI MUDALIAR ].
( 237 )
238 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ I, III
A case of Sinusitis.
(I. P. No. 142. Subject Dairy Cow No. 93.)
This cow was admitted into hospital on 4th August 1930 for epistaxis. The
previous history of the case could not be traced exactly. There was a longitudinal
scar about 1½" in length on the left side of the forehead just above the eyeball.
From this it was inferred that there must have been some external injury due to
accident. The usual treatment for epistaxis was given, but the animal did not
show any improvement. The bleeding was usually only from one nostril but
occasionally it was observed from both the nostrils. The bleeding was scanty and
occurred at irregular intervals. At the commencement of the ailment the cow was
feeding satisfactorily and was otherwise quite normal. Gradually the milk yield
decreased and she was not able to consume her usual fodder ration which at a later
stage was refused completely. The concentrated ration was also refused now and
then. The breathing of the animal became more and more distressed with the pro-
gress of the disease and it was evident that the animal was suffering much pain. In
the beginning of the disease nasal exploration with a tube did not reveal anything
abnormal. A slight swelling was noticed in the region of the frontal sinus on the
left side. As the case was getting worse it was decided to trephine the frontal
sinus with a view to removing any obstruction found. This was done
on 16th October 1930. Only a small quantity of pus came away. The
animal showed slight improvement after the operation for a few days but again
became worse. The breathing was now very much distressed and suffering was
very intense. The left front leg showed slight swelling. As there was no free
drainage between the frontal and nasal sinus, it was suspected that the obstruction
was somewhere in the vicinity of the nasal sinus and so the lowest region of the
frontal sinus was trephined on 3rd November 1930 with the idea that this at least
might relieve the animal. The obstruction was not located however and the cow
continued to suffer excruciating pain. On 4th December 1930 the left nasal cham-
ber was again explored and a small piece of tissue was removed. This was sent to
Madras Veterinary College and the microscopical examination revealed granulation
tissue. The left eyeball was noticed to become opaque with lymph deposit from 5th
December 1930 and it was being slowly protruded from its socket, the sight being
gradually lost. On 12th December 1930 the greater part of the eyeball was out of
the socket and it had to be removed to relieve the animal of pain. On 8th Decem-
ber 1930 the cow aborted a foetus about 4 months old. As the case was incurable
and the suffering of the cow was increasing day by day it was thought advisable to
destroy the animal to relieve her of her sufferings and this was carried out, with the
permission of the Deputy Director of Agriculture, Livestock, on 16th December 1930,
CLINICAL NOTES
239
A Post-mortem examination was duly conducted. On making a vertical sec-
tion of the nasal chamber and the frontal region it was found that the whole of the
frontal sinus on the left side extending to the superior turbinated bones and involving
the sphenoid bones was affected. The membrane covering the sinuses was necrosed
and a large quantity of necrosed tissue was found. The condition was apparently
due to an injury resulting in sinusitis [G. KRISHNASWAMI MUDALIAR].
Bull Burn.
(I. P. No. 214. Subject Breeding Bull No. 106.)
Bull No. 106 was admitted into hospital on 13th October 1930 for coital
Exanthema or " Bull burn ". Vesicles and ulcers were noticed on the glans penis
and the anterior portion of the penis and there was a viscid yellowish white dis-
charge from the sheath. It was treated with usual astringents and disinfectants.
During treatment there was a temporary subsidence of the disease but after some-
time it reappeared. Sterile swabs from the discharge were therefore submitted to
the Principal, Madras Veterinary College, and he was requested to supply auto-
genous vaccine for treating the case. The first dose of 1 c.c. of auto-vaccine was
injected subcutaneously on 23rd November 1930. The second dose of 2 c.c. was
given on 26th November 1930. The 3rd dose of 5 c.c. on 29th November 1930 and
the last dose of 10 c.c. on 2nd December 1930 was given. For a fortnight after the
injection the lesions on the penis were washed with an astringent lotion (Zinc
sulphate and lead acetate a.a. 6 grs. to an oz.). Afterwards local treatment to penis
was discontinued. On 3rd December 1930, viz., the day after the last injection a
circular swelling 3" in diameter and very hard to touch was noticed on the right
maxillary region. There was no rise of temperature at any time. The swelling
gradually went down with fomentation and application of resolvents and com-
pletely disappeared after 3 weeks. Two weeks after the injection the bull was
examined and there was no discharge or lesion in the penis. He was again examin-
ed from time to time and observed to be healthy. Again on 18th January 1931
I made a thorough examination of the bull and as he appeared to be cured of his
complaint he was discharged and allowed for service [G. KRISHNASWAMI MUDALIAR].
Foreign Body in the Oesophagus.
Subject. A country-bred heifer in apparent good health, 3½ years old, and owned
by a clerk, was admitted into the out-patient clinic on 15th September 1930. Cuo.
521.
History. Her appetite was reported to be not good for the last 2 days. She
took only a small quantity of green fodder with reluctance. She was very thirsty,
but drank only very little plain water, constantly sipping and leaving it.
240
THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ I, III
Symptoms recorded. The patient was restive and had an anxious facial
expression. Partial inability to swallow. Frequent extending and stretching of
the head. Odaema of the throat and oesophageal furrow. Pain and extreme
tenderness at the region of the throat. Rumen slightly tympanitic. Dung con-
stipated, conjunctive injected, breathing normal. No salivation or eructuation,
temperature normal. Frequent attempts to swallow something. Half a pint of
water was slowly given as a drench, which was swallowed with difficulty, producing
small intermittent gurgling sound during her act of deglutition. The region of the
throat and its adjacent parts in the oesophagus, on palpation, was found to have been
subjected to a traumatic injury with some hard and pointed object fixed in
the upper end of the oesophagus.
Diagnosis. Traumatic injury caused by the presence of a foreign body in the
oesophagus close behind the pharynx.
Prognosis. Not unfavourable.
Treatment. It was decided to remove the foreign body, if possible, through the
mouth by gentle traction and manual removal by hand, after the application of a
" Reliance Mouth Gag " on the patient. With this in view, the patient was kept
in a secure steady position, with her head kept extended and lifted up for the
operator to work upon, the gag having been duly fixed on her.
The foreign body could be felt with the tip of the middle finger, but could not
be extracted conveniently without injury to the glottis and its neighbouring tissues
during the process. With a pair of dressing forceps, and aided by gentle external
manipulation, the offending body was caught hold of and removed carefully, and it
was found to be an ordinary iron sewing needle 2" long, bent and rusty. It is
surmised that the animal must have picked it up along with her concentrated
ration, she was wont to get in the mornings.
Four ounces of Oleum lini with half a drachm of Acidum carbolici (3p) was given
as a draught after making it lukewarm, as an antiseptic soothing drench. Hot water
fomentations were given to the odaematous region followed by stimulating embroca-
tion.
Rice congee with common salt added to taste, was prescribed for diet, besides
ripe plantain fruits soaked in castor oil, 2 or 3 times daily.
The patient attended the infirmary for four more days, during which period the
treatment consisted only of a normal saline solution as a drench in the morning,
after repeating the hot fomentations.
The patient made an uneventful recovery and she was discharged cured on 19th
September 1930 [V. P. MENON].
250 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ I, III
The chemotherapy of infectious abortion with trypan blue.—[trans. title], SCHUBERT
(Deut. Tierärztl. Wohnschr., 37 (1929), No. 44, pp. 693, 694; abs. in Cornell Vet., 20
(1930), No. 4) pp. 399, 400. (From the United States Department of Agriculture, Experi-
ment Station Record, Vol. 64, No. 6.)
The results obtained from the use of trypan blue in 27 herds heavily affected with abortion, in
which 463 cows were treated, were surprisingly good. The disease was completely eradicated from
22 herds following the trypan blue treatment, with the remaining 5 herds treated showing occasiona.
isolated cases. Among the 463 animals treated there was an abortion rate of 3.6 per cent., the other
96.4 per cent. carrying their calves to term. The treatment consisted of three intramuscular injections
each of a fresh solution prepared by dissolving 1 gm. of trypan blue in 100 c. c. of warm, sterile
water. The second injection is made three weeks after the first, and the third two months after
the second.
How long should Holstein calves receive milk? CRAWFORD C. H., and W. E.
KRAUSS—Ohio Agric. Exp. Sta., Bimo. Bull. 141, 183-187. 1 fig. 1929.—Holstein heifer
calves deprived of milk at 60 days of age were slightly below normal (Eckles) in wt.
and height at 6 mo.; at 15 mo. they were 13.3% above normal in wt. and 1.2%
below normal in height. Calves deprived of milk at 90 and 120 days, respectively, were
considerably above normal in wt. and height throughout.—W. E. Krauss. (From the
Biological Abstracts, Vol. 5, No. 2, February 1931.)
CORRESPONDENCE
MINERAL DEFICIENCY AND PARASITIC INFESTATION OF
CATTLE IN ASSAM.
To the Editor, The Indian Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry.
Sir,
The Editorial Note at the head of Mr. C. H. Parr's article " Some factors which
affect the supply and efficiency of cattle in the United Provinces "*, leads me to
offer some remarks on mineral deficiency and parasitic infestation in Assam.
Mr. Parr's remarks on conditions in the Terai might all be applied to Assam; but
the annual rainfall on the plains here runs from 60 to 200 inches and the resultant
effects on the cattle are probably even more extreme. Signs of deficiencies in the
nutrition of local cattle, apart from the quantity of feed, are very obvious. Height
behind the hump runs from 33" upwards in the cow, and from about 38" in the
bullock, the maximum being about 44". The horns of many of the cows are un-
developed, though existent; they give the impression of having oozed out of the
head in a soft state and then hardened; the horns of the bullocks are usually
more normal. Bone is poor; most cattle have a backward bend at the knee and
many are excessively ' cow-hocked'. During the monsoon lack of hair is common.
Almost every animal in the Province (excluding cattle in the hills which generally
are in all ways superior) carries a more or less permanent ' hump-sore ' which
expands in the rains and dries up somewhat in the cold weather. Cows taken
generally though, rather surprisingly, conceive regularly once a year, usually all in
the same season; but premature delivery seems to be common, though infectious
abortion is not.
It is a well-known fact that cattle imported from 'up-country', which means
from the United Provinces westward, deteriorate and do not live a normal length
of time; calves of such cattle reared in Assam do not reach the adult size of their
parents. The ' hump-sore' appears soon after they arrive in Assam and is more
prominent than in local cattle. In spite of this, I find in my short experience here
that any noticeably decent animal has up-country blood in it.
Local buffaloes do not seem to be affected physically by any deficiency, mineral
or otherwise. The only word to use in describing the physique of Assamese and
Cachari buffaloes is magnificent. The milk yield of females is undeveloped and
* Published in the Journal of the Central Bureau for Animal Husbandry and Dairying in India, Vol. IV,
Part II, p. 46.
( 251 )
252 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ I, III
rarely exceeds five pounds a day; one could scarcely expect more, considering that
they find their own feed throughout their lives.
I cannot give comparison of feeding and not feeding minerals, as in all cases
under my observation the matter has been confused by the presence of parasites.
There is a suspicion that shortage of minerals predisposes the cattle to the attacks
of the parasites, and that the two questions are closely connected.
Parasites. The climate of these tracts of heavy rainfall would seem to be ideal
for the development of certain parasites. Moisture is always present (the dripping
of the dew on the leaves in an Assam jungle in the cold weather sounds like a
shower of rain); and variations of temperature are comparatively small. There is
no frost and no heat with drought. Hence that part of the life-cycle of worm
parasites which is spent outside the animal host is subject to few checks on
numbers; there is not even the check of an intermediate host as there is in the
case of flukes.
My own experience with up-country breeds here has been confined to a group
of 28 Sindhi cows which were brought into Assam early in 1928, and a few bulls
of various breeds; and that experience has been sufficient to make me very chary
of getting any more cows (I believe none the less that the local cattle can be
graded up successfully by using up-country bulls). The difficulties met with in
endeavouring to maintain them in condition, to breed from them, and to obtain
milk yields anywhere near their capacity have been enormous, and the main trouble
all the time has been infestation by parasites, in particular a wire-worm identified
as 'Mecistocirrus digitatus '.
Omitting one cow which lost her life by accident and taking 27 cows, the mor-
tality has been:—
1028 .
1029 .
1930 .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
1 Not due to parasites.
3 Two due to gastric parasites.
5 All due to gastric parasites.
The general health of most of the remainder is badly impaired, but six cows
are outwardly normal.
Treatment of these Sindhi cows against internal parasites was commenced by
the Civil Veterinary Department in 1929, and it soon had to be extended to all
cattle on the farm, including local cattle. Comparisons of various treatments
pointed to the conclusion that copper sulphate solution has as much effect as any
other treatment, though it was a small effect, and for the past eighteen months, first
monthly and later fortnightly, doses of this solution have been given to all cattle.
Comparisons of the results of dung examination under the microscope at the
beginning of this eighteen months' period and the end of it reveal that, whereas ova
CORRESPONDENCE
253
of distoma and amphistoma were present in many specimens at the beginning, the
most recent report shows only one case of distoma. But ova of Mecistocirrus
digitatus and of strongles and other nematodes have been present all through,
though in decreasing numbers during the last six months.
The dung examinations have also consistently shown that local cattle of Assam
and North Bihar are infested to an extent far less than the Sindhis. This indica-
tion of the action of copper sulphate on distoma must be qualified by the fact that
clearing, cultivation and drainage of hitherto wild and unbroken land has probably
reduced the distribution of the intermediate host—the snail.
The parasite which has been most numerous and has seemed to cause most of
the trouble is the wire-worm Mecislocirrus digitatus, inhabiting chiefly the fourth
stomach. All the deaths have been directly due to violent attacks by this parasite.
The quesion of preventing re-infestation of cattle presented great difficulties.
It was obvious that all grassland must be heavily infected with the parasite in
various stages of its development. The removal of all animals elsewhere would be
difficult and expensive, and in any case they would probably carry the parasite with
them. The first necessity was to know the life-history ; apparently it had never
been fully worked out; but the Hook-worm Specialist attached to the Tropical
School of Medicine, Calcutta, gave a probable life-history. This showed that the
most likely point at which to attack the thing was in the dung while it was in the
ova and first larval stages; once the second larval stage is reached, the larvæ become
active and move into the grass where they can wait for an indefinite time up to
several months for an animal to ingest them. By restricting the cattle as much as
possible while grazing, it was found possible to remove most of the dung soon after
it was dropped, and this has been done for the past nine months. The dung is
pitted and the pits are surrounded by trenches filled with an insecticide solution.
Known bad cases are confined and stall-fed; they exercise on ground kept bare of
grass, thus preventing them from infecting the grazing land and preventing re-
infestation of them. The result of this confinement is generally an improvement
in condition.
Out of 38 Sindhi calves raised to one year of age in Assam, two have died of
parasitic gastritis; some others have suffered badly, but not all. Examination of their
dung shows less ova present than in the dung of their dams. They seem to have
acquired a certain amount of resistance. The only Assam reared Sindhi heifer
which has calved up to date reached a daily yield of 28 lbs. of milk; others appear
promising, but some will mature late.
Individual reaction of animals to the infestations seems to vary in an extra-
ordinary way. Comparisons between condition and the number of ova present in