NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
TREMATODE PARASITES OF INDIAN ELEPHANT
115
Railliet, A. (1924). Les helminthes des animaux domestiques et de l'homme au indochine.
Bull. Soc. Zool. France, 49, 589—608.
Railliet, A., Henry, A., & Joyeux, C. (1912). Sur deux Trematodes de Primates. Bull. Soc.
Path. Exot., 5, 833-837.
Singh, V. P. (1924). Dropsy in elephants Ind. Vet. Journ., 1, 35-59.
Stiles, C. W. & Goldberger, J. (1910). A study of the anatomy of Watsonius (n. g.) watsoni
of a man and of nineteen allied species of mammalian trematode worms of super-family.
Paramphistomoidea Washington Hyg. Lab. Bull. No. 60, 1—264.
Stossich, M. (1892). I Distomi dei mammiferi. Program. d. Civ. Senola r. Sup., Trioste, p.
42.
ON A NEW SPECIES OF GONGYLONEMA (NEMATODA)
FROM THE DOMESTIC FOWL
BY
G. D. BHALERAO, M.Sc,
Helminthologist, Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar.
(Received for publication on 8th August 1932.)
(With three text-figures.)
The material available for study consists of two collections from the crop of
fowls in Lucknow made by Capt. S. G. H. Hickey, Director, Civil Veterinary De-
partment, United Provinces, and I take this opportunity of expressing my indeb-
tedness to Capt. Hickey for forwarding the specimens to this Institute for examina-
tion.
The worms are filiform and whitish in colour. The cuticle has transverse
annulations on it. The anterior end of the body is covered with cuticular bosses
or plaques. On each side of the anterior end is a narrow lateral membrane which
gradually narrows down and disappears quickly. A large plate-like shield in con-
nection with the excretory pore found in G. ingluvicola [Ransom, 1904], is not
present in this species. The mouth is surrounded by a chitinous collar and six
papillæ. It leads into a short, cylindrical buccal capsule. The œsophagus is
divided into a short, thin, colourless, muscular portion and a long, thick, yellowish
portion whose walls are glandular. The cervical papillæ are situated at the
posterior end of the nerve band. The " semilunar depressions " referred to as
suckers by Stiles [1892] or the thickenings of the cuticle as described by Baylis
[1925], situated at a short distance from the mouth are absent.
Male.—The length is 18.3—21.6* and the greatest thickness which is attained
somewhat in front of the caudal end is 0.21—0.29. The cuticular bosses extend
to a distance of 0.62—0.67 from the anterior end. The cephalic portion of the
body up to a short distance behind the posterior end of the buccal capsule is free
from the cuticular bosses. These latter are of unequal size and lie scattered
anteriorly. Posteriorly to this they are disposed in four irregularly longitudinal
lines in each quadrant, the arrangement in the male being different from the one
described in the case of G. ingluvicola. The buccal capsule is 0.03—0.04 long.
The muscular anterior portion of the œsophagus measures about 0.43 in length
and the glandular posterior one 2.58. The nerve ring is situated at a distance of
* All measurements in millimeters.
( 116 )
FIG. 1.
Gongylonema sumani. Dorsal view of the anterior
end of male.
FIG. 2.
Gongylonema sumani. Ventro-lateral view of the
posterior end of male ; al. ala ; cl. cloaca ;
Gub. Gubernaculum ; r. sp. right spicule.
FIG. 3.
Gongylonema sumani. Ventral view of the anterior
and of female: c. al. cervical ala ; ex. p. excretory pore
GONGYLONEMA FROM THE DOMESTIC FOWL
117
0.223 from the anterior end. The tail is straight and tapers to a point. The
caudal alæ are broad and are somewhat asymmetrical. The ala on the right side
extends slightly further forwards than the one on the left side. Near the posterior
extremity of the tail the alæ on either side narrow down abruptly giving it a
mucronate appearance. There are five pairs of pre-anal pedunculated papillæ of
which the first and the last pairs are somewhat smaller than the middle three.
The four pairs of the post-anal papillæ are comparatively smaller than the pre-anal
and are more or less of the same size. Occasionally one or more papillæ of either
side may be suppressed. The two spicules are extremely dissimilar. The left
spicule is long, slender, with a narrow tubular shaft and a barb at a short distance
from its posterior extremity. The anterior end is broad and the posterior one
behind the barb is very faintly striated. It measures 10.6—12 in length. The
right spicule is short, tubular, measuring 0.13—0.145 in length and 0.017 in thick-
ness at its anterior extremity. Its anterior end is the broader and it tapers
towards its posterior end. It has a broad ala. The accessory piece or gubernacu-
lum has the characters described by Baylis [1925] for G. pulchrum. The anterior
limb forms a V with the right spicule and serves as a guide for the left one. Its
posterior expansion is at right angles to the rest of the organ and the tip of the
right spicule rests against it. The cloacal aperture is situated at a distance of
about 0.304 from the extremity of the tail.
Female.—The length is 24.9—56.5 and the maximum thickness which is
attained at about one-third of the body length from the anterior end is 0.25—0.5.
Like the male cephalic portion of the body up to a short distance behind the
posterior end of the buccal capsule is quite free of the bosses. These latter extend
to a distance of 0.93—1.24 from the anterior end. The arrangement of the bosses
is unlike that found in the male ; to a large extent it resembles the one found in
G. ingluvicola. At the anterior end of the body, more or less up to the nerve
band, there are a few shield-like markings which are scattered, but behind this
region a large majority of them are somewhat smaller in size and are very closely
situated. At the posterior end of this zone of bosses they appear to be disposed
roughly in four irregular, longitudinal lines. The buccal capsule is cylindrical and
measures 0.34—0.04 in length, but occasionally it may appear somewhat infundi-
bular on account of contraction. The excretory pore is situated at a distance of
0.56 from the anterior end. The anterior muscular portion of the œsophagus
measures 0.54 and the posterior glandular portion 5.13. The nerve band is
situated at a distance of 0.43—0.465 from the anterior end. The tail is bluntly
conical. The anus is situated at a distance of 0.165—0.35 from the end of the tail.
The details of the female genitalia correspond with the description of G. pulchrum
by Seurat [1916] The vulva is situated at a distance of 2.9—4 from the tip of the
I 2
118 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ III, I
tail. It leads into a long vagina measuring 6.7—17.3 in length. It is followed
by long, coiled, tubular portion, the sphincter. This latter leads into a long duct
which opens into a uterus having an anterior and a posterior limb. The former
extends up to a small distance from the posterior end of the œsophagus and the
latter ends at a short distance in front of the anus. The ovary is a long tube
leading into the receptaculum seminis which joins the uterus. The eggs are oval
in shape with a thick shell measuring 0.003 and containing a fully developed
embryo when laid. They measure 0.048—0.06 × 0.027 ×0.036.
Yorke and Maplestone [1926] have included only ten valid species in the
genus Gongylonema, seven others having been shown as synonyms of G. pulchrum
by Baylis [1925]. Subsequently to this Baylis [1926] added G. monnigi and
Lubimov [1931] added G. macrogubernaculum. Out of these only one species,
G. ingluvicola, has been recorded from birds up to the present time and this has
been obtained from the domestic fowl. The present species is the second member
of the genus Gongylonema recovered from the domestic fowl and also the second of
the bird parasites of this genus. It has got some affinities with the species
G. ingluvicola, but it varies from it in the following respects :—
(1) The arrangement of the cuticular bosses at the anterior end of the
male is different.
(2) The left spicule is much shorter than in the species G. ingluvicola ;
its proportion to the entire body length being 1: 1.7—1: 1.8 and
not almost 1 : 1 as in the species G. ingluvicola.
(3) Cram [1927] does not make any mention of the gubernaculum in
G. ingluvicola, whereas in the present species it is a well defined
structure. Ransom's [1904] original description was not accessible
to me.
(4) A " large plate-like shield " around the excretory pore is absent.
These points being sufficient to justify the creation of a new species I propose
the name G. sumani for it.
Specific diagnosis.—Gongylonema : Cervical alæ small an 1 narrow. Excretory
pore not surrounded by shield-like plate. The arrangement of bosses varies in the
two sexes.
Male.—Length 18.3—21.6, thickness 0.21—0.29. Cuticular bosses extend to
0.6—0.67 from the anterior end. Left spicule 10.6—12 long, right spicule alate,
0.13—0.145 long. Gubernaculum 0.12—0.13 long.
Female.—Length 24.9—56.5, thickness 0.25—5. Cuticular bosses extend
to 0.93 to 1.24 from the anterior end. Vulva 2.9—4 and anus 0.165—0.35 from
the tip of tail. Eggs measure 0.48—0.06 × 0.027—0.036. Egg shell 0.003 thick.
GONGYLONEMA FROM THE DOMESTIC FOWL
119
Host.—Fowl (Gallus gallus domesticus).
Location.—Crop.
Locality.—Lucknow (United Provinces).
The type and the co-type material has been deposited in the helminthological
collection at Muktesar.
REFERENCES.
Baylis, H. A. (1925). Jl. Comp. Path. Ther. 38, pp. 46—55.
—
(1926). Ibid. 39, p.p. 134—137.
Cram, E. B, (1927). U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 140, pp. xvii+465.
Lubimov, M. P. (1931). Parasitol. 23, pp. 446—448.
Ransom, H. B. (1904). Bur. Anim. Ind., U. S. Dept. Agric., Cinc. 64, p. 3.
Seurat, L. G. (1916). Compt. Mend. Soc. Biol. 79, pp. 717.743.
Stiles, C. W. (1892). Jl. Comp. M. & Vet. Arch., New York, 13, p. 143.
Yorke, W. and Maplestone, P. A. (1926). The nematode parasites of Vertebrates, London,
X+536.
PRELIMINARY NOTE ON THE LIFE-HISTORY OF THE COM-
MON LIVER-FLUKE IN INDIA, FASCIOLA GIGANTICA
BY
G. D. BHALERAO, M.Sc.,
Helminthologist, Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar.
(Received for publication on 31st December 1932.)
(With Plate XI.)
On account of the great havoc that Fasciola gigantica plays in some localities
in India amongst domestic ruminants, particularly in cattle and buffaloes, work to
discover the intermediate host responsible for harbouring the larval forms of the
fluke and to elucidate its life-history was initiated about two years ago at the
suggestion of Mr. F. Ware, Director of this Institute. The observations were made
in the streams within a radius of about eight miles from Almora, United Provinces,
and a survey of the molluscan fauna of these streams was begun in April 1931. It
was found that about 40 per cent. of the molluscs, mostly Limnæa acuminata, were
infected with other cercaria, but cercaria resembling those of Fasciola were found
in one case only out of about two thousand snails examined. Starting on the
hypothesis that the infection may be seasonal, which later proved to be. true,
another tour was made to the locality in question in the month of July 1931. This
time the infection of the molluscs with the organism suspected at the time to be
the cercaria of F. gigantica was 60 per cent. Early in August 1932 another survey
of the infected snails was made and this time also the percentage of infection in
different streams in Almora District ranged from 40 to 60. In the middle of August
a large number of infected molluscs were brought to Muktesar and were kept in a
cement trough of water into which was also introduced some grass. Attempts were
then made to infect artificially two hill bulls and two hill goats by feeding them every
day throughout August and September on the grass from the trough as well as
drenching them with water from it. The experimental animals were determined
to be free from fluke-infection by examining their fæces for about three weeks
previous to the commencement of feeding and they continued to be so up to the
18th November 1932, when one of the bulls was noticed to be passing eggs in the
fæces. Within a week from this date all the experimental animals showed Fasciola
ova in their fæces. On the 9th December one of the bulls succumbed and the
other followed suit on the 12th. One of the experimental goats was destroyed on
the latter date. The liver of all the animals and, in the case of the bulls, the gall
( 120 )
PLATE XI.
Shells of Limnaea acuminata, the intermediate host of Fasciola gigantica.
LIFE-HISTORY OF LIVER-FLUKE IN INDIA
121
bladder also, was found to be teeming with F. gigantica on post-mortem examination.
This experimentation has therefore confirmed beyond all doubt my previous sus-
picion that Limnæa acuminata harbours the larval forms of F. gigantica. The
emergence of the miracidia from the eggs, their invasion of the mollusc and further
development in it, the development of the cercaria in redia, their liberation from
the molluscan host and the encystment of these on the grass have all been studied,
and a detailed communication on all phases of the life-history of this most import-
ant fluke will appear in one of the subsequent issues of this journal.
RINDERPEST: CLINICAL SYNDROME IN GOATS IN INDIA
BY
J. D'COSTA, G.B.V.C.,
Temporary Deputy Director,
AND
BALWANT SINGH, G.P.V.C.,
Officiating Veterinary Deputy Superintendent, Imperial Veterinary Serum Institute,
Izatnagar.
(Received for publication on 10th, December 1932.)
(With Plate XII.)
The increasing recognition amongst Veterinary workers of the advantages of
using the so-called "goat virus" in preventive inoculations against rinderpest in
cattle makes it a matter of some urgency that a comprehensive account embodying
all the essential features of the rinderpest-syndrome in goats should be made avail-
able for field workers in India. The publication of an account of this kind would
also seem warranted in view of the remarkable similarity that is known to exist in
the case of goats between the clinical symptoms of rinderpest on the one hand and
those of pleuro-pneumonia on the other, this similarity having been long held to
render a correct diagnosis of rinderpest in this species of animal a matter of consi-
derable difficulty in practice. Edwards [1927] expresses the belief that some of
the out. breaks of pleuro-pneumonia in goats reported by workers in the past were
in reality those of rinderpest, and even to this day there would appear to exist a
certain amount of confusion as to the precise characters by which the two condi-
tions might be differentiated.
In what follows the writers of this note propose to present what they believe
to be an accurate picture of the rinderpest syndrome in goats, the details of this
picture having been drawn from their own personal experience with this disease
extending over a period of about five years, both at the Imperial Institute of
Veterinary Research, at Muktesar (altitude 7,500 ft. above sea-level) and at its
plains tributary station at Izatnagar.
Brief accounts of rinderpest, as it occurs in goats, are to be found in the
writings of such early workers as Galambos [1861] cited by Hutyra and Marek
[1926], Chicoli [1863] cited by Hutyra and Marek [1926], Koch [1897] and, latterly,
( 122 )
RINDERPEST : CLINICAL SYNDROME IN GOATS
123
of Topacio [1926], all working in countries outside India. In India itself, Hallen,
as far back as in the year 1871, mentioned the infectivity of the bull virus for goats
and also claimed to have successfully infected 3 out of a batch of 8 goats with this
disease. Oliver [1913], working in the United Provinces, mentioned the occurrence
of rinderpest in both sheep and goats, with a higher death-rate from this disease
in the latter species of animal. More recently, Edwards [1927] and Cooper [1931],
both working in India, have published brief notes upon the disease in goats, with
especial reference to the degree of rinderpest reaction requisite in these animals for
the production of a potent virus. The observations recorded by all these authors
upon the clinical symptoms of the disease will be referred to at relevant points in
the following pages.
SUSCEPTIBILITY.
The susceptibility of goats to rinderpest in this country, as in the case with
ruminants generally, varies considerably on account of certain factors, such as race,
region, climate, age, sex and condition, and therefore it is necessary that one should
take note of the above factors before making deductions as to the degree of reaction
exhibited by these animals to an artificial or natural infection with rinderpest virus.
PERIOD OF INCUBATION.
The period of incubation as observed by the present writers is from about 2 to
5 days, this depending, as one would expect, upon the susceptibility of the animal
and the virulence of the virus. In cases of acute type, the initial rise of tempera-
ture has been observed about the 52nd hour from the time of inoculation and in
rare cases as early as the 44th hour. These observations are therefore not quite in
accord with those of Beaton [ 1930 ]. who gives 4 to 5 days as the incubation period
for rinderpest in goats. In subacute cases, however, the initial rise of temperature
may occur as late as the 4th day from the date of inoculation and this was also
observed to be the case in a few instances of naturally contracted rinderpest.
SYMPTOMS.
The earliest symptom in artificially infected cases is a rise of temperature, which
may reach the maximum of 104° F. to 106° F. on the 4th or 5th day from the day
of inoculation of virus. In some cases an abrupt rise of temperature as high as
103° F. and 104° F. has been noticed as early as 2nd or 3rd day from the date of
inoculation. In a large proportion of goats there is a secondary rise of temperature
during the second week [ Topacio, 1926 ; Cooper 1931 ], with marked symptoms of
pneumonia and in such cases death usually supervenes. This elevation in tempera-
ture is followed by cessation of feeding, slackness in rumination and depression, the
124 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [ III, I
most prominent symptoms being an arched back, a rough staring coat and a dry
muzzle and the chest cavity is also affected. The respiration becomes disturbed
and hurried and, as noted by several previous workers [ Galambos, 1861; Chicoli,
1863; Koch, 1897 ; Beaton, 1930 ], there is discharge from the nose, accompanied by
a hard and suppressed cough, with occasional groaning especially on movement.
At this stage the pulse is frequent. The goat stands with its head stretched down-
wards and forwards and later becomes recumbent with the head still advanced,
(Plate XII).
About the 3rd day from the date of virus injection the mucous membrane of the
nostrils becomes congested; there is sneezing and watery discharge from the nose,
followed by a profuse thick muco-purulent discharge. In some cases the discharge
dries up in the form of small crusts and causes serious obstruction in breathing.
A careful examination of the chest about the 4th or 5th day reveals the presence
of pleurisy and partial or complete consolidation of the lungs, especially of the
anterior and middle lobes. The presence of fluid may also be observed in the pleural
cavity in a few cases.
There is a slight congestion of the gums, the lower surface of the tongue and soft
palate, with dribbling of saliva from the mouth. The buccal lesions, such as
vesicles and ulcers on the gum and under the tongue so frequently observed in the
case of cattle are very seldom noticed in goats. The conspicuity of the absence
of these lesions has been mentioned by more than one worker [ e. g., Topacio, 1926
and others ], although Beaton [ 1930 ] describes pin-point eruptions on the lips and
gums on the 10th to 14th day from the date of appearance of the first symptom.
The conjunctivæ are congested and there is slight watery discharge which later
becomes muco-purulent. The fæces in the early stages of the disease are dry, hard
and dark and passed with difficulty, but later they become soft and pasty. A
watery diarrhœa is not of infrequent occurrence as already noted by Beaton [1930];
Hallen and others [1871]. The mucous membrane of the genital organs is deeply
congested and abortion in pregnant goats is very frequent. In acute cases the
animal may collapse and die suddenly on the 6th or 7th day.
In the subacute form, the symptoms are less pronounced and recoveries are
frequent. About the 3rd or 4th day from the date of virus inoculation, there is a
slight rise of temperature, which reaches the maximum of 104° F. and 105°.F. about
the 5th to 6th day. At the early stage the animal exhibits the usual febrile symp-
toms, viz., shivering, staring coat, slightly arched back and inappetence. There is
constipation with the passage of dark-coloured hard fæces. The gums and lips
become congested and, exceptionally, vesicles and ulcers may be seen, particularly
on the gums and the under-surface of the tongue towards the tip. There is a slight
PLATE XII.
Goats affected with rinderpest. Note the staring coat, arched back and the depressed appearance of the animals.
RINDERPEST : CLINICAL SYNDROME IN GOATS
125
watery discharge from the nose and eyes while sneezing and a small degree of cough
may also be present, but the severe pneumonic symptoms, such as laboured breath-
ing, cough and the distressed look, so frequently noticeable in the acute type, are
entirely absent in the subacute form of the disease.
The constipation is followed by the passage of soft fæces of pasty or even
watery consistency. The temperature returns to normal about the 7th or 8th day,
when the animal regains its appetite and about the 10th or 12th day it usually
starts feeding and shows complete signs of recovery.
The percentage of recovery in un-complicated cases of rinderpest is as high as
40 to 50, while in the acute type, with which the pneumonic symptoms are usually
associated, the estimated percentage of recovery is 10 to 25 only.
BLOOD PICTURE.
The blood throughout the course of the disease reveals anæmic changes only.
REPRODUCTION OF THE DISEASE.
The reproduction of the disease in susceptible goats and cattle is easily accom-
plished by the injection of blood drawn at the height of infection, i.e., about the 4th
or 5th day from the date of virus inoculation, although, in a number of instances,
goats have been successfully infected even when injected with blood taken as early
as the 3rd day after virus inoculation. Healthy goats kept in contact with infect-
ed goats were also found to contract the disease.
POST- MORTEM APPEARANCES.
(a) General.-—The body presents a markedly emaciated appearance ; the eyes
sunken; the nostrils are covered with a thick muco-purulent discharge with incrus-
tation and sloughing; the lips are profusely covered with tenacious mucus and
saliva. The anal region shows signs of dry fæces and in some cases may be badly
soiled with diarrhœic fæces.
(b) Digestive system.—The gums and the buccal membrane are only slightly con-
gested but the posterior portion of the hard and soft palates present evidence of
acute congestion. The mucous membrane of the pharynx and the surrounding parts
is likewise highly congested and, in addition, it is ulcerated with an aphthous deposit.
The oesophagus, rumen, reticulum and omasum apparently look healthy, but the
abomasum frequently presents evidence of deep profuse congestion, which is more
marked in the pyloric portion, and in some cases, ulcers have also been seen. The