NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
TREATMENT OF BABESIA BIGEMINA INFECTION IN CATTLE
285
In this series a total of ten animals were treated at varying stages of the
disease and in all cases B. bigemina disappeared from the peripheral circulation
within forty-eight hours after the treatment with a single subcutaneous injection of
2 c.c. of ' Akiron R '. In none of the treated cases did a relapse occur during a
post-treatment period of observation of ten days. It has since been used as
routine treatment in cases of resuscitation of B. bigemina in rinderpest work as
well as remedy for obtaining ' bigemina-free' rinderpest bull virus. Over
fifty animals have been treated under the former category with a single subcu-
taneous injection of 1 c.c. for 100 lb. body-weight yielding 100 per cent cures.
Its effect in yielding parasite-free rinderpest bull virus was experimentally tested
on five artificially infected animals. These bulls were injected with 5 c.c.' Akiron
R ' on the day they were used as rinderpest virus producers and in no case did
B. bigemina appear during the course of the disease (rinderpest). As a control,
similar animals, nine in number, were used as virus producers without being treat-
ed previously with ' Akiron R ' and in seven cases out of nine B. bigemina was
resuscitated within three to seven days after infection with rinderpest. It may
however, be pointed out that for obtaining ' parasite-free ' rinderpest virus from
' carrier ' bulls treated with ' Akiron R ', the infective material should be free
from B. bigemina.
As a prophylactic against B. bigemina infection, ' Akiron R' proved to be
inert as observed in another series of experiment. Twenty bulls were used for the
purpose in the following manner :—
Two bulls were injected with 5 c.c. ' Akiron R ' subcutane¬
ously and infected with B. bigemina 10 days later.
Two bulls were infected after the same process 8 days later
Two bulls were infected after the same process 6 days later
Four bulls were infected after the same process 4 days later
Two bulls were infected after the same process 2 days later
Four bulls were infected after the same process 24 hours
later.
Four bulls were injected with 5 c.c. ' Akiron R.' and B.
bigemina blood simultaneously.
Both relapsed.
Ditto.
Ditto.
Three relapsed and
one proved refrac-
tory.
Both relapsed.
Two relapsed,
one
proved
refractory
and one died of
other causes.
Two animals relapsed,
one reacted on test
later and one proved
refractory on test.
286 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [VII, IV
Lastly, an attempt was made to gauge the duration of cure that ' Akiron
R' is capable of imparting after treating artificially infected bulls. A batch
of twelve healthy bulls was infected with the laboratory strain of B. bigemina
and treated soon after the development of the parasites with a single subcutane-
ous dose of 5 c.c. each and housed in an out-kraal. After the treatment was
completed these animals were allowed to mix with the others in the same shed
and left to graze out in the fields. Clinical observations were recorded and blood
smears were examined daily for a period of twenty-two days in four cases and
seventy-five days in the remaining eight cases. During this period three animals
showed rare B. bigemina only once on 21st day after the treatment while the rest
were negative throughout. Whether in these three cases the reappearance of
the parasites could be attributed to a relapse or whether the infection was su-
perimposed through the agency of the specific vectors, of which there appeared
to be no dearth in that area, could not be definitely determined in view of the fact
that these animals were not kept under tick-proof conditions. Seven clean animals
were subsequently used as rinderpest virus producers after a period of five to six
months and in no case B. bigemina was found to resuscitate. From these re-
sults, it is evident that the curative effect of ' Akiron R ' is sufficiently lasting.
Two other animals from the same batch of twelve bulls were infected with B.
bigemina five months later and both developed the infection. The drug ' Akiron
R ' has been put on the market under the name of 'Acaprin ' and is sold in 1, 5
and 10 c.c. ampoules in a 5 per cent solution. Smythe [ 1936 ] has successfully
used ' Acaprin ' in the treatment of red-water in cattle due to B. bovis infec-
tion. Cernaianu and collaborators [ 1936 ] report to have cured twelve bovines
in 1934 showing severe symptoms of B. bigemina infection, with 2-5 c.c. doses
of ' Acaprin '. In 1935, they treated fourteen animals obtaining nine recoveries
as a result of one injection of the drug. Professor Horlein [ 1936 ] of the Bayer
laboratories summarizing the results so far obtained with this product states that—
" It exerts a specific and energetic action in almost all the piroplasmosis of the
domesticated animals and it possesses a wide sphere of therapeutic action; it is possible
to administer it by subcutaneous, intramuscular and intravenous injection and also
per orally. It is a colourless substance and there is, therefore, no staining of the tissues ".
SUMMARY
1. In routine practice a large number of failures resulted in the control of
B. bigemina in cattle during rinderpest work with trypanblue. Controlled ex-
periments were undertaken to test the efficacy of larger doses of trypanblue in bulls
artificially infected with the local strain of the red-water parasites, but it failed to
produce sterilization of the blood.
TREATMENT OF BABESIA BIGEMINA INFECTION IN CATTLE
287
2. A proprietary preparation ' Akiron R', manufactured by Messrs. Bayer &
Co. was tried with very successful results. The maximum effective dose of the
drug was experimentally determined to be 1 c.c. of a 5 per cent solution per 100-
lb. body-weight.
3. ' Akiron R' was found to be entirely valueless as a prophylactic agent.
4. The curative effect of the drug proved to be sufficiently lasting.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author is greatly indebted to the Director, Mr. F. Ware, C.I.E., F.R.C.V.S.,
I.V.S., F.N.I., who as the head of the Protozoological Section gave all possible
facilities and guidance. Thanks are due to Mr. J. R. Haddow, M.R.C.V.S.,
D.V.S.M., I.V.S., who while officiating as Director, made several useful sugges-
tions. To Mr. S. K. Sen, the Entomologist, the author is deeply grateful for
his valuable advice and help.
REFERENCES
Cernaianu, C., Radef, I., and Redescu, T. (1936). Bull. Soc. Path. Exot. 28, 804-806.
Donation, A. and Lestoquard, F. (1927). Rev. Vét. 79, 133-139.
Edwards, J. T. (1927). Ind. J. Vet. Sc. & Anim. Husb. 1, 296-300.
Goodall, A. (1914). Parasitol. 7, 62-68.
Horlein, H. (1936). Proc. Roy. Soc. Med. 29, 313-324.
Mellis, M. C. (1914). Rev. Vét. 39, 321-334.
Nuttall, G. H. F. and Hadwen, S. (1909). Parasit. 2, 236-266.
Sergent Edm., Donation, A., Parrot, L., Lestoquard, F. and Plantureux, E. (1927).
Ann. Instt. Pasteur. 41, 721-784. [Abstr. seen in Trop. Vet. Bull. (1928). 16,
84-86.]
Smythe, A. R. (1935). Vet. Rec. 15, 635-637.
Stirling, R. F. (1927). J. Com. Path. Ther. 40, 274-281.
Theiler, A. (1912). Vet. J. 68, 64-73.
Theiler, A. (1930). Bull. Soc. Path. Exot. 23, 506-529.
Yakimoff, W. L., Schokher, N. I., Koselkima, P. M. and Paroisky, P. S. (1927). Bull.
Soc. Path. Exot. 10, 302-311.
E
THE EFFECT OF HIGH PROTEIN FEEDING ON MILCH
COWS
BY
P. A. SESHAN, B.A.
Animal Nutrition Section, Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar
(Received for publication on 8th April, 1937)
AMONG the several factors which have been studied for increasing the milk-
yield of cattle, considerable attention has been paid to the question of protein intake
and its possible effect on the quality and quantity of the milk. Weiser [1928]
observed that when the digestible protein feed of a cow was lowered from 1 • 534
kg. to 0.871 kg., there was no difference found in the milk-yield. Savage and
Harrison [1931] supplemented their roughage ration with concentrate mixtures
containing 16, 20 and 24 per cent of protein and found that the different levels of
protein feeding were of equal efficiency for purposes of milk-secretion. Henke and
Goo [1933] compared the milk production on rations containing 10.8 and 20.2
per cent of digestible crude protein and noticed no change. Horwood and
collaborators [1933] have shown that a concentrate mixture of 9.3 per cent
digestible protein content was as good a supplement as one containing 16 .7 per
cent in maintaining the milk-yield, health and body-weight of cows on pasture.
Further work by the same authors [1936], where the above mixtures were fed
at the rate of 1 lb. for every 5 lb. of milk, showed that there was an increase of
3.6 per cent in milk-yield with the higher protein intake. Working on four dairy
cows, Stewart and Tocker [1936] fed rations with widely differing albuminoid
ratios, 1: 2.76 and 1 : 9.90, with no appreciable alteration in the milk-yield.
The feed as a factor in influencing the composition of milk has also been the
subject of study in some publications. Brouwer [1931] has stated that while the
fat and some fat-soluble substances of milk may be altered in quantity and nature
by a change in the feed, the protein and calcium in milk are relatively independent
of the composition of the feed. Perkins and co-workers [1932] have found that the
plane of protein intake had little effect on the composition of milk, except
as regards non-protein nitrogen which increased a little with increased intake.
According to the findings of Stewart and Tocker [1936] a high protein ration
decreased the solids-not-fat and lactose in milk and increased the total nitrogen
and albumin nitrogen, while the fat or ash content remained unaltered. Studies
by Turner [1936] of average data from different laboratories have shown that,
generally, the protein and ash in milk vary directly with the fat-content while the
lactose fraction does so inversely. High protein feeding levels, however, had very
little influence on the composition of milk.
( 289 )
290 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [VII, IV
It will be seen from the above review that no definite conclusions can be drawn
on the effect of varying the level of protein feeding on the milk-yield of cows. An
experiment was, therefore, conducted on similar lines to find out the response of
cows under Indian conditions to an increased protein intake. The results obtained
are presented in this paper.
EXPERIMENTAL
Twelve selected animals were divided into two groups so that their average age,
live-weight, stage of lactation and milk-yield were about equal. All the animals
were fed according to the computed requirements for maintenance and milk pro-
duction. The feed consisted, on the dry basis, of about 18 lbs. of roughage, one-
third of it being as jowar silage and Guinea grass and the rest as ragi straw. For
maintenance requirements alone this roughage had to be supplemented by 12 oz.
of groundnut cake. The animals received, besides, 1 lb. of concentrate mixture
for every 2 lb. of milk-yield. The difference in the levels of protein intake between
the two groups was effected by increasing the protein content of one of these mix-
tures, without greatly altering its energy value. All the animals were kept under
identical conditions, the feeding and milking being done twice a day.
The following table (Table I) shows the composition of the two concentrate
mixtures which were fed during the entire experiment. The digestible nutrients.
have been calculated on the basis of the coefficients given by Henry and Morrison.
It will be seen that the mixtures (Table I) provided a production ration con-
taining 20.7 per cent and 29.1 per cent of digestible crude protein for the normal
and high protein groups respectively. It may also be mentioned that the
maintenance ration yielded 0.5—0.6 lb. of digestible protein for the average
animal under experiment. On this basis a regular feeding trial was conducted, a
daily record of actual food consumption, milk-yield and live-weight being main-
tained for individual cows. The results obtained may be considered under two
different heads.
QUANTITY OF MILK-YIELD
The data obtained have been reduced to average daily performances of the
average cow of each of the two groups, over monthly periods. Such a presentation
would only show the broad effects, if any, which the increased protein intake may
have had on the quantity of milk produced. Table II gives the results obtained
from the first experiment. Table III shows the figures of a second experiment,
carried out two years later, on the same basis, but with a different set of cows.
These tables also give the average daily food consumption, milk-yield and
live-weight of each of the groups during the respective experiments.
EFFECT OF HIGH PROTEIN FEEDING ON MILCH COWS
291
TABLE I
Composition of concentrate mixtures
Concentrates
Groundnut cake . . . . . .
Wheat Bran . . . . . .
Gram husk . . . . . .
Brewery grains . . . . . .
Total .
Normal protein group
Weight in
lb.
3
4
2
1
10
Digestible
crude
protein
lb.
1.443
0.474
..
0.149
2.066
Starch
equivalent
lb.
1.588
1.688
0.974
0.876
5.126
High protein group
Weight in
lb.
5
3
1
1
10
Digestible
crude
protein
lb.
2.405
0.355
..
0.149
2.909
Starch
equivalent
lb.
2.647
1.266
0.487
0.876
5.276
292
THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [VII, IV
TABLE II
Average daily food consumption, live-weight and milk-yield
Period
December . . .
January . . .
February . . .
March . . . .
April . . . .
May . . . .
June . . . .
July . . . .
August . . . .
September . . .
October . . . .
November . . .
Average .
Normal protein group
Rough-
age in
kg.
6.370
5.843
5.342
5.403
5.248
5 176
5.445
5.729
5.523
..
4.822
5.321
5.475
Concen-
trate
mixture
in
kg.
5.262
4.811
4.232
4.144
3.545
2.919
2.498
2.795
3.257
..
4.291
4.541
3.845
Total
feed
in
kg.
11.632
10.654
9.574
9.547
8.793
8.095
7.943
8.524
8.779
..
9.113
9.862
9.320
Milk.
yield
in
lb.
23.23
20.45
17.73
16.70
14.62
10.57
8.60
11.04
11.82
..
17.05
18.84
15.51
Live-
weight
in
lb.
743
729
728
740
735
733
745
732
720
..
684
701
726
High protein group
Rough-
age in
kg.
6.464
5.578
4.525
4.657
4.757
4.848
5.193
5.692
5.394
..
5.212
5.347
5.242
Concen-
trate
mixture
in
kg.
5.056
5.245
4.927
4.433
3.929
3.478
2.975
2.486
2.486
..
3.168
2.955
3.740
Total
feed
in
kg.
11.520
10.823
9.452
9.090
8.686
8.326
8.168
8.178
7.880
..
8.380
8.302
8.982
Milk.
yield
in
lb.
22.23
22.09
20.66
18.19
16.25
14.08
11.17
8.86
8.90
..
11.33
12.58
15.12
Live-
weight
in
lb.
757
749
751
759
759
762
755
756
734
..
726
710
747
EFFECT OF HIGH PROTEIN FEEDING ON MILCH COWS
293
TABLE III
Average daily food consumption, live-weight and milk-yield
Periods
December . . .
January . . .
February . . .
March .
.
.
.
April .
.
.
.
May
.
.
.
.
June
.
.
.
.
July
.
.
.
.
August .
.
.
.
September . . .
October . . .
November . . .
Average .
Normal protein group
Rough-
age
in
kg.
5.657
5.704
5.760
5.713
5.700
5.675
5.596
6.039
6.283
5.925
5.955
5.059
5.756
Con-
centrate
mixture
in
kg.
6.079
5.890
5.437
5.041
4.342
3.829
3.360
2.785
2.214
1.844
3.431
5.894
4.179
Total
feed
in
kg.
11.736
11.594
11.197
10.754
10.042
9.504
8.956
8.824
8.497
7.769
9.386
10.953
9.934
Milk¬
yield
in
lb.
28.60
26.58
24.22
21.71
18.69
15.95
12.85
9.72
4.85
2.49
14.13
26.36
17.18
Live¬
weight
in
lb.
822
831
841
851
848
850
861
879
891
889
900
844
859
High protein group
Rough-
age
in
kg.
6.145
6.186
5.937
6.142
6.3105
6.221
6.222
6.450
6.465
6.032
5.859
5.314
6.090
Con-
centrate
mixture
in
kg.
6.017
5.889
5.215
4.815
4.367
3.877
3.500
2.966
2.399
2.512
3.935
5.092
4.215
Total
feed
in
kg.
12.162
12.075
11.152
10.957
10.472
10.098
9.722
9.416
8.864
8.544
9.794
10.406
10.305
Milk¬
yield
in
lb.
27.60
26.30
22.84
20.70
18.46
16.17
13.13
9.15
6.40
8.43
16.91
21.25
17.28
Live¬
weight
in
Ib.
839
852
863
870
872
884
898
922
939
917
866
867
882
294 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [VII, IV
The following conclusions can be drawn from the data presented in the above
tables. The extra protein feeding meant an increase of about 1½ lb. of oil-cake
per day over the already rich concentrate ration of the normal group animals. It
is interesting to note that this did not in any way affect the roughage consumption
of the high protein group. The total food consumption per day remained roughly
the same for both the groups. The increased intake of protein made no significant
changes in the quantity of milk-yield. It is also apparent from their live-weight
records that the extra protein fed was not utilized to produce an increase in the body-
weight of animals. As the low protein group received a production ration containing
about three times the protein secreted in the milk, these experiments do not yield
any useful information regarding the efficiency of milk-protein production.
QUALITY OF THE MILK PRODUCED
As these experiments were started mainly with the idea of studying the quan-
titative aspect of milk production, only a few samples of milk representing the two
groups were analysed during their progress. The available data are given in
Table IV.
EFFECT OF HIGH PROTEIN FEEDING ON MILCH COWS
295
TABLE IV
Composition of milk (per cent)
A = Normal protein group
B = High protein group
Sample No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Average
Total solids
A
13.02
12.70
12.62
12.65
12.49
12.89
14.73
13.01
B
12.37
12.26
12.21
12.23
12.43
12.00
14.25
12.54
Protein
A
2.90
2.90
2.94
2.96
3.09
2.98
3.38
3.02
B
2.87
3.02
3.04
3.03
3.26
2.97
3.54
3.10
Fat
A
4.5
4.5
4.5
4.4
4.3
4.6
5.6
4.6
B
4.1
4.2
4.1
4.1
4.5
4.0
5.1
4.3
Sugar
A
4.9
4.5
4.8
4.6
4.6
5.1
5.1
4.8
B
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.3
4.4
4.4
5.0
4.5
Ash
A
0.695
0.679
0.681
0.689
0.703
0.688
0.677
0.687
B
0.744
0.737
0.742
0.750
0.750
0.753
0.733
0.744
206
THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [VII, IV
The last of the analyses given above refer to individual samples only as most
of the animals had gone dry by that time. It may also be added that the figures in
all cases represent the average of duplicate determinations.
Although definite conclusions may not be drawn from the above data, it is as
well to state briefly the tendencies which this preliminary study reveals. It may
be observed that the percentages of fat, sugar and total solids seem to be generally
higher in the normal protein group. Particular attention might, however, be
drawn to the ash-content of the two groups. The high protein group has consis-
tently yielded milk of a higher ash-content.
In some cases the proteins have been further analysed and the casein and
albumin content of the samples of milk are shown in Table V.
TABLE V
Composition of the proteins of milk (per cent)
A = Normal protein group
B = High protein group
Sample
No.
1
2
5
6
7
Total N
A
0.465
0.462
0.493
0.477
0.530
B
0.460
0.482
0.521
0.475
0.554
Casein N
A
0.354
0.229
0.378
0.368
0.427
B
0.351
0.238
0.391
0.354
0.412
Albumin N
A
0.028
0.036
0.052
0.044
0.073
B
0.018
0.032
0.060
0.045
0.079
Non-protein N
A
0.083
0.197
0.064
0.065
0.031
B
0.091
0.213
0.070
0.076
0.063
There appears to be a slight increase in the non-protein nitrogen fraction
which may be attributed to the extra protein feeding.
EFFECT OF HIGH PROTEIN FEEDING ON MILCH COWS
297
Two main ingredients of the ash of milk, lime and phosphoric acid, have also
been determined in all the above instances and are shown in Table VI.
TABLE VI
Lime and phosphoric acid in milk (per cent)
Sample No.
1
2
5
6
7
Ash
A
0.695
0.679
0.703
0.688
0.677
B
0.744
0.737
0.750
0.753
0.733
CaO
A
0.155
0.153
0.163
0.153
0.159
B
0.159
0.167
0173
0.163
0.171
P 2 O 5
A
0.159
0.200
0.200
0.190
0.204
B
0.155
0.204
0.202
0.181
0.213
It may be observed that the higher ash-content of the high protein group is
consistently reflected in its lime-content also.
In conclusion, it may be recalled that the protein and lime in milk are generally
held to be independent of the nature of the feed, though some evidence to the
contrary has been put forward by Perkins and co-workers [1932] and Stewart and
Tocker [1936] in regard to the nitrogen-content of milk. It is not possible, there-
fore, to evaluate the significance of the findings reported in this paper regarding
the change in quality of the milk produced by cows under increased protein feeding.
They have to be corroborated by more detailed studies covering a series of lactations
with the same animals.
SUMMARY
An experiment has been made to study the effect of an increase in the level
of protein feeding on the quality and quantity of milk-yield of cows.
Besides their requirements for maintenance, one group of six cows was fed a
production ration containing 20.7 per cent of digestible crude protein, while that of
the higher protein group, also consisting of six similar cows, contained 29.1 per cent
of digestible crude protein.
No difference was observed between the two groups in food consumption, milk-
yield or body-weight.
The milk from the high protein group showed a slight tendency to be richer
in non-protein nitrogen, ash and lime contents.
298 THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY [VII, IV
The author is greatly indebted to Dr. F. J. Warth for his valuable guidance
throughout as also to Dr. K. C. Sen for his great encouragement. Thanks are also
due to Mr. Z. R. Kothavalla, Imperial Dairy Expert, Bangalore, for providing the
animals under experiment and their feed.
REFERENCES
Brouwer, E. (1931). Conference Papers, Internat. Dairy Congr., Copenhagen,
1931, Sect. 1, 2nd Ed. 97-107.
Henke, L. A. and Goo, G. W. H. (1933). Hawaii Stat. Animal Husb. Div. Prog.
notes No. 2, p. 8.
Horwood, R. E. and Putnam, G. W. (1933). Michigan Agric. Expt. Stat. Quar¬
terly Bull. 16, 20-22.
Horwood, R. E., Putnam, G. W. and Wells, J. G. (Jr.) (1936). Quarterly Bull.
Mich. Agric. Expt. Stat. 18, 22-24.
Perkins, K. E., Krauss, W. E. and Hayden, C. C. (1932). Ohio Agric. Expt. Stat.
Bull. No. 515.
Savage, E. S. and Harrison, E. S. (1931). Conference Papers, Internat. Dairy
Congr. Copenhagen, Sect. 1. 2nd Ed. 174-181.
Stewart, A. W. and Tocker, J. F. (1936). J. Dairy Res. 7, 1-13.
Turner, C. W. (1936). Univ. Mo Agric. Expt. Stat. Bull. 365, p. 30.
Weiser, Istvan. (1928). Proceedings of the 8th World's Dairy Congress, pp. 26-29.
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. VII, Pt. IV ]
PLATE XXI
FIG. 1. Cytoleichus nudus. Female, ventral aspect.
FIG. 2. Cytoleichus nudus. Male, ventral aspect.