NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
172
A New Parasite, Waretrema piscicola
GENERIC DIAGNOSIS OF Waretrema.
Medium-sized, fusiform distomes with minute backwardly directed spines
in the pre-acetabular region. Oral sucker smaller than acetabulum, bearing
a dorsal crown of six conical, prominent papillae, arranged radially in a semi-
circle round the anterior half. Acetabulum larger than oral sucker, situated
at the end of the first third or quarter of body length. Prepharynx and
oesophagus fairly long ; pharynx well-developed ; caeca elongated, saccular,
ending blindly in front of ovary. Testis single, ovoid, in posterior third of
body ; vesicula seminalis divisible into externa and interna. An elongated
tubular cirrus-sac like structure—hermaphroditic sac—of nearly uniform
breadth is present. It encloses vesicula seminalis interna, pars prostatica
surrounded by prostate gland cells, a small ductus ejaculatorious, metraterm
and ductus hermaphroditicus. The last two structures are of equal length.
Genital pore median, in front of acetabulum. Ovary slightly dextral, pre-
testicular or in level with the testis. Laurer's canal and receptaculum seminis
present. Vitellaria composed of ten elongated, spindle-shaped lobes extend-
ing anteriorly up to the middle or one third of body length, and posteriorly
either up to the posterior third of post-testicular space or nearly up to the
hinder end. Uterus pre-ovarian, eggs not very numerous, medium-sized and
thin-shelled. Excretory bladder Y-shaped. Parasites of marine fishes.
Type species.—Waretrema piscicola.
DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAMILY WARETREMATIDAE
Medium sized distomes with fusiform body, pre-acetabular region spinose.
Oral sucker subterminal, with a dorsal crown of six conical prominent papillae;
acetabulum larger than oral sucker and pre-equatorial. Prepharynx, pharynx
and oesophagus well-developed ; caeca moderately long and saccular, ending
blindly in front of ovary. Testis single, median, in posterior third of body:
vesicula seminalis divisible into interna and externa, pars prostatica tubular,
coiled, prostate glands well-developed. An elongated, muscular, cirrus-sac-
like—hermaphroditic sac—encloses metraterm, vesicula seminalis interna,
pars prostatica, prostate glands, ductus ejaculatorius and the ductus herma-
phroditicus. Genital pore median, pre-acetabular. Ovary pre-testicular.
Receptaculum seminis and Laurer's canal present. Vitellaria composed of
ten elongated lobes extending in equal numbers in front and behind testis.
Uterus pre-ovarian, eggs not very numerous, medium sized and thin-shelled.
Excretory bladder Y-shaped. Parasites of fishes.
Type genus.— Waretrema.
REFERENCES
Fukui, T. (1929). Jap. J. Zool. 2, 219-351.
Linton, E. (1910). Publ. Carneg. Inst. Wash., No. 133, 11-98.
Looss, A. (1902). Arch. de Parasitologie, 6, No. 1, 129-143.
Manter, H. W. (1935). Parasit. 27, No. 3, 431-439.
Nicoll, W. (1914). J. Mar. Biol. Ass. 10, 470.
Srivastava, H. D. (1937). Proc. Ind, Sci. Cong., Sect. VIII, Abst. No. 54.
DEG-NALA DISEASE OF BUFFALOES : AN ACCOUNT OF
THE LESIONS AND ESSENTIAL PATHOLOGY
BY
J. F. SHIRLAW, M.R.C.V.S.
Pathologist, Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar-Kumaun
(Received for publication on 23rd January 1939)
(With Plates X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV and XV)
DURING the year 1929-30 there was reported, from the Sheikhupura and
Muridke parts of the ' Deg Nala' area of the Punjab, a peculiar disease of
buffaloes which occasioned such serious loss as to lead to a special enquiry into
the pathology and etiology of the condition. It was reported from numerous
villages that animals were dying in large numbers from a disease which, from
its superficial appearance, the villagers termed ' leprosy ' and that once attack-
ed many animals never recovered, but progressed slowly and steadily with ag-
gravation of the cardinal symptoms to profound cachexia and death.
The ' Deg Nala ' is a low-lying tract of land bordering the course of the
Deg river, extending roughly from the foothills of Jammu State to Changa¬
Manga, forty-four miles south-west of Lahore where the tributary joins the
Ravi river. This riverain area, extending variously in depth, is naturally
marshy and during the rainy season is inundated. In close proximity to the
irrigation canals, it acquires from a process of seepage a further complement of
water which maintains the general marshiness over a protracted period during
which the surrounding higher land has maintained its scrub-like desert charac-
ter. The Deg Nala is, therefore, as one would expect, one of the largest
grazing areas in the Punjab, and here—probably in consequence—most of the
epizootic diseases periodically make their appearance. It is a fertile ground
for the breeding of parasitic disease, while the rank coarse herbage affords
ideal conditions for the propagation of insect vectors of disease, especially
species of Tabanus and Ticks.
The appearance of a new disease in this area merited, therefore,
particular attention if spread to adjacent herds was to be limited. Careful
enquiry elicited the information, however, that cases of a similar ' leprosy
like ' disease of cattle had been noted for generations although only in late
years had this disease assumed serious proportions, whereas in previous
years, sporadic cases had occurred which, in their paucity, had caused no
particular alarm. It was ascertained, moreover, that not only buffaloes,
but occasionally cattle of all ages were affected, and that, in the opinion of
the villagers, the ingestion of certain shrubs or grasses was responsible for
the disease. When they were asked to indicate which species of herbage
were under suspicion, no definite information was, however, forthcoming.
( 173 )
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. IX, Part II ]
PLATE XI
'Deg-Nala' disease
Lesions affecting an artery of the subcutis. Note the proliferation of the vasa vasorum of the
external coat and at A, one of these vessels undergoing endarteritis obliterans
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. IX, Part II ]
PLATE XII
'Deg-Nala' disease. Parasitic atheroma of the aorta
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. IX, Part II ]
PLATE XIII
'Deg-Nala' Disease
Proliferative 'Granulomatous' tissue of the subcutis. Note the attempt at formation of
collateral supply to compensate for the occluded artery (A) and the early changes, similar to
those affecting the parent stem, occurring in the collateral branch (B)
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. IX, Part II ]
PLATE XIV
'Deg-Nala' disease. Skin lesions on abdominal wall
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. IX, Part II ]
PLATE XV
'Deg-Nala' disease. Necrotic ungulitis
J. F. SHIRLAW 177
progress to a hopeless termination, and it appeared from the feeding experi-
ments, necessarily limited as they were, that dietetics is not a factor in the
pathogenisis of the disease. Random samples of grass and herbage from the
Deg Nala were sent to the Lyallpur Agricultural College for botanical exa-
mination. No potentially poisonous species were detected. The possibility
of ergot poisoning was one of the earliest factors considered. No rye is either
grown or fed to stock and this fact ruled out this hypothesis : nor could any
parasitism be detected in the usual fodders such as sorghum, berseem, etc.
During more recent years, less has been heard of Deg Nala disease, and
enquiries into its incidence have met with little information. The disease
has not, apparently, recurred with the same severity and loss as in the year
1929-30, although in 1933, urgent demands from the Deg Nala area were
received in connection with further investigation. The faulty reporting of
disease coupled with apathy are not above suspicion as a cause of failure to
obtain accurate figures concerning incidence and mortality. In 1934, while
on tour in connection with Rinderpest vaccination, a number of young
buffaloes were seen severely affected in one small village. Several of them
were in a hopeless, moribund state, with complete sloughing of the ears, feet
and tails.
It is impossible to venture an opinion on the cause of this disease. It
is possible, with reasonable discretion, to eliminate poisonous plants and fodder
and bacteria as a source of infection, and probably protozoa, as no protozoa
have ever been seen in the lesions. The lesions are consequent on prolifera-
tive changes within the walls of the smaller arteries of the affected parts and
according to the period of development of the lesions, the vascular changes
must be slowly and insidiously produced. The changes within the terminal
arteries are, obviously, dependent not on the presence of a toxic substance or
irritant in the circulating blood, but on an interference with the nutrition of
the artery itself through the vasa vasorum. It is evident that the passage
of a foreign substance or irritant has induced in these vessels a primary en-
darteritis with gradual endarteritis obliterans, and that there has occurred a
sympathetic rapid opening up of pre-existing vascular channels to compensate
for the loss of the parent stems—an effort at vascular rehabilitation such as is
encountered in the surrounding tissue.
It would be mere surmise to attempt to account for the breakdown of
the vascular system. The absence of inflammatory change and the essential
chronicity of the process, with the presence of eosinophile cells in the proli-
ferative tissue throw a certain suspicion on a helminthic origin. The finding
of two distinct species of filaridae in the wall of the aorta indicates this pos-
sibility, but beyond this observation, the elucidation of the pathological
processes involved must depend on more extensive and continuous investiga-
tion.
F
GYALOCEPHALUS CAPITATUS LOOSS, 1900
BY
M. ANANT NARAYAN RAO, G.M.V.C.
Lecturer in Parasitology, Madras Veterinary College
(Received for publication on 15th October 1938)
(With two text-figures)
GYALOCEPHALUS CAPITATUS is found in the colon of horses and was
first described by Looss in 1900. From the references quoted by Yorke and
Maplestone [1926] it is seen that the parasite has been recorded in Holland,
South Africa and Great Britain, and it appears that these worms are found in
small numbers in equines. The writer found about a dozen of these worms in
three jutka (hackney) ponies out of over fifty examined during the last four
years in Madras. No mention of this worm is made either by Bhalerao [1935]
in his monograph on Helminth parasites or by Baylis [1936] in the Fauna of
British India. The writer, therefore, thinks that this worm has not been so
far recorded in India. A very brief description of the worm is given in this
paper, since Yorke and Macfie [1919] have dealt with it completely.
The male measures about 7 mm. in length and the female about 9 mm.
The mouth is directed straight forward. There are four head papillae,
viz., two lateral, one dorsal and one ventral. The external leaf crown arises,
from the mouth collar. The mouth capsule has the shape of a goblet with a
short neck, embedded partly in the dilated anterior end of the œsophagus
which is a special feature of the worm. The internal leaf crown arises from the
inner surface of the mouth capsule. Behind this is a line of peculiar chiti-
nised elements, each of which looks somewhat like a molar tooth with its
fangs. These appear to be the posterior ends of the chitinious elements forming
the internal leaf crown. In the spherical mouth capsule, behind the internal
leaf crown, are seen six ridges, each being crescentic in shape and the posterior
ends of these terminate as teeth, six in all, projecting forwards at the base of the
capsule. There is no dorsal gutter.
The posterior extremity of the female is fairly long, slender, straight
and pointed. The caudal bursa of the male is small compared to the size of
the worm, and the dorsal lobe is roughly triangular. The bursal formula is
as follows. The dorsal ray is bifurcated almost to its base, and each branch
gives off two lateral branches, the externo-dorsal arises separately from the
dorsal. The lateral, externo-lateral and ventral rays arise from a common
trunk.
The genital cone is another feature of this worm. It is large and has
two well developed cuticular alae, one on either side of the cone. The cuti-
cular expansions are strengthened by fine cuticular ridges, about four in each.
The spicules are equal, long and the extremities are barbed.
REFERENCES
Baylis, H. A. (1936). Fauna of British India, Nematoda, 1. London. Taylor and
Francis.
Bhalerao, G. D. (1935). Helminth Parasites of Domesticated animals in India.
Imp. Council Agri. Res., Sci. Mon. No. 6, p. 365.
Yorke, W. and Macfie, J. W. S. (1919). Strongylidae in horses, IV—Gyalocephalus
capitatus, Looss. Ann. Trop. Med. & Parasit. 12, 79-90.
Yorke, W. and Maplestone, P. A. (1926). The Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates.
London. J & A. Churchill, pp. xi+536.
( 179 )
180
GYALOCEPHALUS CAPITATUS LOOSS, 1900.
FIG. 1.
Head.
FIG. 2.
Bursa of male.
A CASE OF EQUINE EMBRYONAL NEPHROMA
BY
M. Y. MANGRULKAR, M.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., D.T.V.M. (EDIN.)
Assistant Pathologist, Imperial Veterinary Research Institute,
Mukteswar-Kumaun
(Received for publication on 7th September 1938)
(With Plates XVI and XVII)
EARLY this year morbid neoplastic tissues from a horse were received from
the Officer Commanding, Military Veterinary Hospital, Rawalpindi, for histo-
pathological examination and diagnosis. The following information was
furnished by the officer with regard to the clinical history of the case :—
The animal was a nine-year old light draft Australian mare of 81st
Battery, Royal Artillery. " For the last year and up to the time
of her death in good condition but in her place in the off centre
of gun team she had been more or less a passenger. In fact for
the last twelve months the usual sequel to her doing any work in
the team was an attack of colic and haematuria so that she
was left behind when the Battery went out. Nevertheless she
maintained good condition to be selected as one of a gun team
for the Rawalpindi Show of 1937." The colicky attacks were
usually of a short duration and were treated successfully. The
animal maintained good condition until the last three weeks of life
when signs of decline became noticeable. The last attack, which
proved fatal, occurred on the 8th February when diarrhoea,
inappetance and marked icterus were noticed. On admission
to the hospital, treatment was undertaken for icterus. On the
10th, flatulent colic developed and in spite of the treatment the
condition of the patient became worse and on the following
day the animal died.
At autopsy, signs of pronounced haemorrhage in the abdominal cavity
were noticed, large quantities of blood and blood-clot being dis-
covered. Further examination revealed a large number of
neoplasms adherent to, and apparently growing from, the peri-
toneum of the lower abdominal wall and of the viscera. The
growths varied in size from that of a pea to a large melon and
appeared to be in different stages of degeneration. About 500
such tumours were found on the mesentery alone. A large
tumour, about 2½ times the size of a football and 62 lb. in weight,
was found hanging from the lumbar region, obviously of the left
( 181 )
182
A Case of Equine Embryonal Nephroma
side, into the abdominal cavity. This tumour was closely
adherent to the spleen, stomach and bowel, and involved the
posterior aorta and almost encircled portions of the intestines
without, however, interfering with them. On its surface
the tumour bore three smaller growths between a large orange
and small melon in size. The surface of the liver, and to a less
extent the posterior surface of the diaphragm, was thickly
studded with neoplasms. In all, about 1,000 new growths must
have been present in the abdominal cavity.
Only the right kidney was traced. Due presumably to the pressure of
the large tumour upon the ureter a portion of this kidney showed
hydronephrosis. The other kidney was not found; it had
probably degenerated within the main tumour mass.
The organs in the thoracic cavity were entirely free from any metastasis.
Death was suspected to have followed severe haemorrhage perhaps due
to the rupture of a large vessel involved by one of the neoplasms.
The ruptured vessel, however, was not traced.
The materials submitted for examination consisted of portions of the
large tumour and of smaller ones on the spleen, liver and diaphragm.
To the naked eye, the formalin fixed tumours presented a greyish, encap-
sulated, more or less rounded appearance with signs of superficial erosion and
haemorrhage. On incision, very fine translucent trabeculae, radially disposed,
appeared to run through the substance of the tumours. Haemorrhages in
the interior of the neoplasms were frequently observed. The growths on
the liver, spleen and diaphragm did not seem to invade these organs and were
separated from them by what could be interpreted as a markedly thickened
layer of peritoneum which seemed to extend over the base of the tumour.
The growths on the diaphragm were only loosely attached to this organ and
could be easily and cleanly detached from it. Only a portion of the depending
main mass was received.
The microscopical picture could be divided broadly into two components :
(a) thick strands of connective tissue and (b) areas consisting of highly cellular
tissue.
(a) The connective tissue strands were well formed and rich in collagenous
fibres among which smooth muscle cells could be easily seen (Plate XVI,
fig. 1 and Plate XVII, fig. 2). Occasionally a round cell with deeply staining,
spheroidal nucleus was encountered which showed division into cells which
could be interpreted as leiomyoblasts. Well-formed blood vessels were
frequently observed. On the whole, mitosis was only rarely observed in this
portion of the tumour. Haemorrhages of varying size were frequent.
(b) The cellular tissue occupied the spaces between the connective tissue
strands and showed a variety of arrangement and histological structure.
The arrangement was illustrative of all transitional stages between mere
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. IX, Part II ]
PLATE XVI
FIG. 1.
A typical field illustrating connective tissue bands and formation of glands (left)
from sarcomatous tissue (right bottom corner) × 90
FIG. 2.
A field rich in sarcomatous moiety of spindle cells with attempts at gland formation × 90
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. IX, Part II ]
PLATE XVII
FIG. 1.
A field illustrating a more advanced stage than depicted in Pl. XVI, Fig. 2. × 90
FIG. 2.
A field showing formation of glands squeezed between broad bands of connective tissue × 90
M. Y. MANGRULKAR 183
clusters of cells and the formation of glandular structures resembling short
and long, hollow tubules or alveoli. By suitable staining methods, connective
tissue fibrils could be demonstrated ramifying in the cell-masses. Minute
connective tissue streaks could also be seen between the tubules (Plate XVI,
fig. 1). Such minute blood vessels as were carried by these streaks appeared
delicate, with evidence of haemorrhage resulting in effusion of blood into the
tubules.
The cell clusters consisted of round cells or spindle-cells, the nuclei of
which were on. the whole vesicular. The presence, size and number of nucleoli.
were inconstant. The size of the cells varied within a narrow range.
It was not difficult to discover fields illustrating, as mentioned above,
the differentiation of such cell masses into glandular structures, mitotic pro-
liferation being evident in both situations. By ingrowths of connective
tissue smaller cell clusters were formed which gradually changed from a solid
mass or cord into a hollow glandular structure, the lining cells of which showed
a tendency to become arranged in a single layer. More often, however, by
active proliferation rather than by imperfect differentiation, the lining of the
glands presented a pseudostratified appearance like that of tracheal mucosa.
The cells were somewhat columnar, disposed perpendicularly to the axis of the
gland ; the cytoplasm appeared finely granular. Mitotic figures were frequent
and the entire picture (Plate XVII, fig. 1) bore a close resemblance to certain
types of adenocarcinoma. No secretion was present in the glands. Capillary
haemorrhages between and in the tubules were common in areas where the
glands were closely packed together.
In medium-sized metastatic tumours which appeared to have undergone
apparently little modification in their true neoplastic structure, an active
growth of the glandular moiety was seen, the tubules being arranged radially,
at once recalling the structure of the adult kidney, although recognisable
glomerular formations were not present in the neoplasm. It must be stressed
here that, on the whole, this type of histology was a very prominent feature
of the tumours under report.
The lining of the glands was occasionally seen to form papilliform pro-
jections into the lumen. This feature, however, stopped short of the formation
of a typical papillary adenomatous structure.
At places either due to pressure of the better developed connective tissue
strands, or due to lack of differentiation of the glandular structure, cell cords
or clusters were encountered either singly or in groups, squeezed, as it were,
between the connective tissue strands, thus presenting a picture of marked
resemblance to a scirrhous cancer.
In sections of the large tumour, hyaline change was noticed in the connec-
tive tissue.