106
Fluorine Intoxication of Cattle in India
Finally, it may bo stated that a complete
metabolism experiment of all the animals in the
lour groups has been conducted and the results
indicate that ingestion of fluorine at a high level
leads to a loss of body calcium, phosphorus and
protein, which can be more or less checked by the
addition of calcium salt. A low fluorine ingestion,
however, improves the balance of all. these consti-
tuents. Details of this experiment will be given
in a future communication.
SUMMARY
The fluorine content of the bones and teeth of
normal animals is found to increase with age
In the case of the pelvis especially, the concentra-
tion of fluorine per unit of bone is directly propor-
tional to the age of the animal.
The fluorine content of the blood of normal
animals is fairly constant and independent of such
variable factors as age, breed, period of lactation,
etc.
Sodium fluoride fed at the level of 3-4 mg. of
fluorine per kg. body weight produced symptoms
similar to those reported in cattle and buffaloes
from various parts of Madras and Hyderabad
(Deccan). Those diseases were provisionally
called rheumatic arthritis and osteomalacia res-
pectively, but are now seen to be cases of fluorosis.
The chief symptoms were loss in weight, difficulty
of movement, deformation of the hoof, exostoses
on the long bones, debility and death.
The addition of calcium salts to animals receiv-
ing fluorine at the above rate mitigated the symp-
toms of toxicosis. Feeding fluorine at a low level,
i.e. 0.3—0.4 mg. per kg. body weight did not
produce symptoms of fluorosis.
Blood analyses revealed little or no change in the
Ca, P and Mg content of the serum in any animal
groups. The animals on a high fluorine ration
showed a fourfold increase in the fluorine concent-
ration of the blood, while that of the low fluorine
group did not differ from the control group re-
ceiving practically no fluorine. The animals re-
ceiving calcium exhibited a blood fluorine concent-
ration intermediate between the control and high
fluorine animals.
Analyses of bones and teeth showed very high
figures for fluorine in the high fluorine group of
animals. The Ca and P values did not greatly
deviate from the normal. In one animal receiv-
ing the calcium supplement, the fluorine in the
bones was increased but that of the teeth was
practically normal. The significance of these
findings are discussed. Samples of bones and
teeth received from field cases of rheumatic arth-
ritis and osteomalacia showed a high fluorine
content similar to those found in the experimen-
tal high fluorine group.
It was decided to withdraw the fluorine supple¬
ment from one of the animals, which was showing
mild symptoms of fluorosis, with the result
that the animal improved in condition almost
immediately and the rate of improvement is
still being maintained.
It is shown that the fluorine ingested with water
is only a. fraction of the toxic dose ; presumably,
therefore, under field conditions of feeding, the
rest of the fluorine administered must have come
from the concentrate mixture and roughages or
more likely from some other extraneous source,
such as the natural earth lick.
A short discussion regarding the distribution
of fluorosis cases in India is included.
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
The authors wish to record their thanks to Mr
F. Ware, Animal Husbandry Commissioner with
the Government of India and to Mr J. R. Haddow.
Deputy Director, Imperial Veterinary Research
Institute, under whose general directions the early
part of this work was carried out. Akcknowledge-
ment is also made to Mr B. K. Badaini, Mr M. R.
Mahajan and Mr G. R. Viswanathan for supplying
us with specimens from the field, to Dr D. N.
Mullick for some blood analyses and to Mr P. G
Pande for post-mortem reports.
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