NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
H. S.
BAWA
205
FIG. 7.
Short-tailed ram No. 7, Age 15 months, " Control ".
FIG. 8.
Short-tailed ram No. 8, Age 15 months, Breed Sindhi, " Control ".
206
Goat Tissue Virus in Sheep against Rinderpest.
FIG. 9.
Black he-goat No. 1, Age 1 year.
H. S.
BAWA
207
FIG. 10.
Red calf No. 1, Age 1 year.
THE MORPHOLOGY AND SYSTEMATIC RELATIONSHIP
OF A NEW PARASITE—MEHRAILLA OVOCAUDATUM,
GEN. ET. SP. NOV.,—(FAMILY ACANTHOSTO¬
MIDAE) FROM AN INDIAN MARINE
FOOD FISH*
BY
HAR DAYAL SRIVASTAVA, D.Sc.
Helminthologist (On special duty),
Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar-Kumaun
(Received for publication on 8th June 1938)
(With one text-figure)
Family.—Acanthostomidae Poche, 1926.
Genus.—Mehrailla, Gen. Nov.†
Mehrailla ovocaudatum, Gen. et. sp. nov.
Host.—Stromateus cinereus Block.
Habitat.—Intestine.
Locality.—Karachi, Arabian Sea.
ONLY two specimens of this interesting trematode were obtained from the
intestine of a fish examined at Karachi in June 1936. The parasite has a
fusiform, muscular body with broadly rounded anterior end and slightly
truncated posterior extremity. It is studded with minute, backwardly direct-
ed spines, which become sparse and smaller towards the hinder end. Numer-
ous minute gland cells are present all over but they are specially well deve-
loped in the anterior half of body. In permanent mount, the type specimen
measures 4.94‡ in length and 1.36 in maximum breadth, which occurs at
the level of the ovary. The subterminal oral sucker measures 0.3 in diameter
and is larger than the acetabulum. The latter measures 0.22 in diameter
and is situated at the junction of the first and middle thirds of body length.
The size ratio between the oral sucker and the acetabulum is as 3 : 2. Pos-
teriorly the oral sucker opens into an oval prepharynx, 0.18 × 0.16, which
is followed by a pharynx of 0.22 × 0.28 size. The small oesophagus, 0.08
in length, bifurcates into two broad caeca which terminate blindly a little
in front of the hinder end.
* Presented to the Section of Med. and Vety. Research of the Indian Science Congress,
1937, Hyderabad.
† Mehrailla (Syn. Mehracola Srivastava 1937).
‡ All measurements are in mm,
( 209 )
K
H. D. SRIVASTAVA 211
FIG. 1b. An egg highly magnified
showing the polar filament.
FIG. 1a. Ventral view of Mehrailla ovocaudatum
Key to lettering.
G.p. . . . . . . . . . . . .
O. . . . . . . . . . . . .
R.s. . . . . . . . . . . . .
T. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ut. . . . . . . . . . . . .
V.s. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vt. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Genital pore.
Ovary.
Receptaculum seminis.
Testis.
Uterus.
Vesicula seminalis.
Vitellaria.
212
A New Parasite, M. Ovocaudatum
of the body length. Vesicula seminalis long, constricted and twisted ; pars
prostatica ill-defined; ductus ejaculatorius well-developed; genital sinus
small. Genital pore and acetabulum situated in a genito-acetabular depres-
sion on the ventral body wall. Ovary pretesticular, median and follicular ;
follicles aggregated into a mass. Receptaculum seminis and Laurer's canal
present. Vitellaria follicular, extending from anterior border of testes to first
quarter of body length, without meeting in the median line. Uterus well-
developed, post-acetabular; eggs small, roughly triangular, with a polar
filament at the aopercular end. Excretory bladder Y-shaped. Parasites
of marine fishes.
Type-species.—M. ovocaudatum n. sp.
REFERENCES
Poche, F. (1926). Arch. Naturg. Bd. 91, 1-458.
Srivastava, H. D. (1937). Proc. Ind. Sci. Cong., Sect. Vety. Res.
Yamaguti, S. (1934). Jap. J. Zool. 5, No. 3, 249-541.
THREE NEW PARASITES OF THE GENUS
ACANTHOCOLPUS LUHE, 1906 (FAMILY-
ACANTHOCOLPIDAE)*
BY
HAR DAYAL SRIVASTAVA, D.Sc.
Helminthologist (On special duty)
Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar-Kumaun
(Received for publication on 8th June 1938)
(With Plate XVIII)
LUHE in 1906 created the genus Acanthocolpus and the subfamily Acan-
thocolpinae for a parasite which was collected amongst others from Ceylonese
fishes by Professor Herdman and Mr. Hornell and were given to him for
study. Three years later he created the family Acanthocolpidae with Acan-
thocolpus as the type genus. Hitherto the genus is represented only by the
type species—A. liodorus Luhe, 1906.
Acanthocolpus luhei, n. sp.
Host.—Gerres punctatus Cuv. and Val.
Habitat.—Intestine.
Locality.—Puri and Karachi, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
A large number of specimens of this species was collected from the intestine
of a marine fish examined at Puri and Karachi. The parasite has an elongated
body which tapers gradually from the acetabular region towards the hinder
end. It bears small, cuticular spines all over. The spines are closely set
anteriorly and become sparse towards the hinder end. Minute, deeply stain-
ing gland cells are present all over the body, but they are specially well develop-
ed on the sides. In permanent mounts the trematode measures 3.2 to 3.9 †
in length and 0.5 to 0.68 in maximum breadth. The oral sucker is an ex-
tremely small, conical structure of 0.06 to 0.08 by 0.08 to 0.1 size. It is
anteriorly directed and is followed by a narrow 0.2 to 0.22 long prepharynx,
an oral pharynx of 0.14 to 0.15 by 0.08 to 0.09 size and an extremely small
oesophagus. The intestinal caeca are simple, narrow tubes extending up to
the hinder end. The acetabulum is well developed and measures 0.24 to
0.28 in diameter. It is situated at the end of the first eighth of the body
length.
* Presented to the Section of Veterinary Research of the Indian Science Congress
1938, Calcutta.
† All measurements are in mm.
(213)
214
New Parasites of the Genus Acanthocolpus Luhe
The testes, two in number, are situated in tandem in the intercaecal
space close behind the ovary. The oval anterior testis, of 0.48 to .052 by
0.26 to 0.28 size, lies in contact or partially overlapping the posterior testis,
which is wedge-shaped and measures 0.5 to 0.6 by 0.3 to 0.34 in size. The
cirrus sac measures 1.0 to 1.1 by 0.12—0.16 in size and consists of a swollen
posterior part and an elongated, attenuated anterior part. It encloses in its
swollen posterior part a bipartite vesicula seminalis, 0.34 to 0.54 by 0.08 to
0.14, which is continued anteriorly into a small and narrow pars prostatica,
0.14 to 0.3 by 0.02 to 0.08 and a 0.32 to 0.52 long ductus ejaculatorius
which is armed with spines. Terminally the ductus ejaculatorius joins the
metraterm to form a genital sinus of 0.1 to 0.16 by 0.04 to 0.06 size.
The genital sinus is armed with spines and opens to the outside just in front
of the acetabulum, between the latter and the intestinal bifurcation.
(Plate XVIII, fig. 1).
The small, spherical, median ovary of 0.12 to 0.16 diameter is situated
just behind the anterior half of the body length. The shell gland complex
is diffuse and lies on one side of the ovary. A small Laurer's canal is present
but receptaculum seminis is absent. The vitellaria are composed of a large
number of small follicles extending laterally from behind the anterior quarter
of the body length to the hinder end. The follicles meet mesially in the post-
testicular space. The uterus is pre-ovarian and contains a fairly large number
of operculate eggs of 0.07 to 0.08 by 0.03 to 0.04 size. The metraterm is a
well developed, tubular, sinuous structure of 0.4 to 0.6 by 0.08 to 0.1 size.
It is armed with minute spines.
Acanthocolpus luhei, n. sp. resembles the type species A. liodorus Luhe,
1906, in several of its features, but it differs from the latter in the presence of
cuticular spines, the absence of an acetabular peduncle, size ratio of the
suckers, smaller length of the genital sinus and the anterior extent of the
vitellaria, besides differences in the measurements of the various organs.
Acanthocolpus indicum, n. sp.
Host.—Sciaena glauca Day.
Habitat—Intestine.
Locality.—Karachi, Arabian Sea.
This species resembles Acanthocolpus luhei in most of its features but
differs from it mainly in the position of the genital pore. The genital sinus
passes through the anterio-median wall of the acetabulum and opens into the
middle of the latter. (Plate XVIII, fig. 2). The measurements of the parasite
are:—
Size of body 3.0 by 0.62 ; oral sucker 0.06 by 0.08 ; acetabulum 0.22
in diameter, situated at the anterior fifth of body length. Prepharynx 0.18
long ; pharynx 0.08 by 0.06 ; oesophagus small; caeca simple, straight, reach-
ing the hinder end. Testes tandem, median, intercaecal, close behind ovary ;
anterior testis 0.38 by 0.22 ; posterior testis 0.48 by 0.2 ; cirrus sac 1.0 by
0.12 ; vesicular seminalis bipartite, 0.4 by 0.1 ; pars prostatica 0.2 by 0.04 ;
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb. Vol. IX, Part II ]
PLATE XVIII
FIG. 1
Ventral view of
Acanthocolpus luhei
FIG. 2
Ventral view of the genital
opening of A. indicum
FIG. 3
Microphotograph of Fig. 2
FIG. 4
Ventral view of
A. orientalis
Key to lettering
G. si.
Mt.
..
..
..
..
Genital sinus
Metraterm
H. D.
SRIVASTAVA
215
ductus ejaculatorius 0.4 by 0.04 ; genital sinus 0.14 by 0.04. Ovary median,
equatorial, 0.14 in diameter. Vitellaria extending posteriorly up to the first
seventh part of the body length. Uterus pre-ovarian ; eggs 0.06 by 0.04 ;
metraterm 0.46 by 0.06.
Acanthocolpus orientalis, n. sp.
Host.—Caranx Kalla Cuv. & Val.
Habitat.—Intestine.
Locality.—Puri, Bay of Bengal.
About two dozen specimens of this parasite were collected from the in-
testine of a marine fish examined at Puri in July 1935. The body is elongated,
subcylindrical and bears minute backwardly directed spines up to the level
of the ovary. The spines are closely set up to the level of the intestinal bifur-
cation but become sparse posteriorly. Minute, deeply staining gland cells
are specially well developed on the sides of the pharynx and acetabulum. The
parasite in permanent mounts measures 5.0 to 5.72 in length and 0.68 to
0.74 in maximum breadth. The oral sucker, 0.14 in diameter, is anteriorly
directed and is followed by 0.18 to 0.34 long prepharynx, a pharynx of 0.16
to 0.18 by 0.12 to 0.14 size and a small oesophagus of 0.14 length. The
oesophagus bifurcates at about the anterior seventh or ninth part of body
length into two, simple caeca, extending up to the hinder end. The acetabu-
lum measures 0.24 in diamter and is situated close behind the intestinal bifur-
cation. (Plate XVIII, fig. 4).
The elongated oval testes are situated one behind the other in the inter-
caecal space at a distance from the posterior end not exceeding the length of
the posterior testis. The latter measures 0.78 to 0.8 by 0.1 to 0.22 in size
and lies in contact with the anterior testis of 0.48 to 0.62 by 0.14 to 0.28
size. The cirrus sac is a long, tubular, sinuous structure of 1. 5 to 2. 8 by 0. 16
to 0. 18 size. It encloses a bipartite vesicula seminalis, 0. 44 to 0. 9 by 0. 14
to 0. 18, a tubular pars prostatica, 0. 5 to 1. 3 by 0. 14 to 0. 16, a long ductus
ejaculatorius, 0. 6 by 0. 1 to 0. 2. The ductus ejaculatorius is armed with
spines and terminally joins the metraterm to form a 0. 1 to 0. 2 long genital
sinus which opens to the outside through a wide genital atrium, situated
between the intestinal bifurcation and the acetabulum.
The ovary measures 0.24 to 0.26 by 0.16 to 0.2 in size and lies just in
front of the anterior testis. The shell gland complex is diffuse. Laurer's
canal is present but a receptaculum seminis is absent. The vitellaria are
follicular, follicles are small, extending laterally from the posterior end to the
anterior two-fifths or sevenths of the body length. The uterus is pre-ovarian
and interfcaecal and contains numerous operculate eggs of 0.06 to 0.07 by
0.023 to 0.03 size. Anteriorly the uterus continues into a well-developed,
long and armed metraterm of 1.2 to 1.4 by 0.12 to 0.18 size.
Acanthocolpus orientalis, n. sp. differs from the type species of the genus
in the presence of cuticular spines, absence of acetabular peduncle, smaller
216
New Parasites of the Genus A canthocolpus Luhe
length of the genital sinus, besides the measurements of the various organs.
From A. luhei it can be distinguished by the size ratio of the suckers, length
of cirrus sac and the anterior extent of the vitellaria. Besides the points
which distinguish A. orientalis from A. luhei, the former differs from A.
indicum in the position of the genital pore as well.
The author is grateful to the Director and Pathologist of the Imperial
Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar-Kumaun, for their kind encourage-
ment.
REFERENCES
Lühe, M. (1906). London Roy. Soc. Rep. Pearl. Oyster, 5, 97-108.
(1909). Parasitische Plattwurmer, I. Trematodes. Susswasserfauna Deut-
schlands, Heft, 17.
Srivastava H. D. (1938). Proc. Ind. Sci. Cong., Sect. Vety. Res.
SURRA IN HYDERABAD STATE *
BY
M. R. MAHAJAN, M.R.C.V.S.
Veterinary Investigation Officer, H. E. H. the Nizam.s Dominions.
Hyderabad-Deccan
(Received for publication on 5th May 1938)
(With Plate XIX and a map)
INTRODUCTION
VETERINARY investigation work was started in the State in 1932. Since
then a good deal of work has been carried out on a number of varied problems.
The present paper refers to work on surra in both equines and bovines. A
note by the author on ' Bovine Trypanosomiasis in the Hyderabad State'
was published in 1934 in the Indian Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal
Husbandry; reference to bovine surra, therefore, is now confined to observa-
tions made subsequently.
Surra in horses existed extensively in the city of Hyderabad in the year
1910. Government appointed a special staff and framed regulations to check
the havoc caused by this disease. No suitable treatment, however, being
available at the time, detection and disposal of the affected animal was prac-
tised. In recent years, following the method of Edwards [1928] in the use of
Bayer 205 (Naganol), administered by intravaneous and intrathecal routes
and by intravenous injections of Naganol cum tartar emetic, as practised in
the Punjab, a few cases of the disease were treated. No case of surra in
bovines had been recorded in the State, and only rare cases in the camel.
This was the position when investigation of surra was taken up in 1932.
SURRA IN EQUINES
Cases of the disease were studied under field conditions amongst horses,
donkeys and mules particularly in the Telangana districts of the State, where
the disease has been found to occur extensively every year. A reference is
made here only to the treatment aspect of the disease. Treatment was first
started following the methods mentioned above. It was realised, however,
that these methods afforded little scope to permit of their general field applica-
tion, for the department has not enough staff to afford time to these lengthy
methods, and the proper application of the intrathecal injection is not always
possible.
*Paper read at the Jubilee Session of the Indian Science Congress, Calcutta, 1938.
( 217 )
L
218
Surra in Hyderabad State
Sen [1933] successfully treated artificially infected cases by a single
intravenous injection of Naganol and it is on this line that the treatment of
equine surra was started in 1934 in the Hyderabad State. This method
simplifies the treatment, not only in the stationary hospitals, where treatment
has now been permitted, but also in the field where it can be applied safely
and conveniently. The simplicity of this method makes it possible to render
treatment even to ponies and donkeys of the poor villagers, which other-
wise, as long as they survive, remain a source of infection.
The procedure of treatment adopted is as follows:—
When a case is confirmed microscopically, Naganol is given intravenously
in a 10 per cent solution, the dose being regulated at the rate of 50 c.c. per
1,000 lb. body-weight. This has been used successfully by the author in field
trials, and also by the district staff ; and is now being adopted as a routine
method of treatment.
From the time this method of treatment was started, sixty cases of the
disease have been detected. Twenty-eight of these were treated, the rest
either died before treatment, or it could not be undertaken. Out of these,
twenty-one cases completely recovered. In seven cases that failed to respond
to the treatment, no trypanosomes could be detected in the peripheral blood,
and the animals appeared to be well on the way to recovery. A couple of
months later, they were, however, reported to have gone down suddenly, as
if no weight could be supported by the hind quarters and died within a day
or two. The blood smears in this condition were again found negative, and
it is probable, that in such cases Naganol failed to sterilise the cerebro-spinal
fluid, a feature that was possibly responsible for the relapse and death.
Further work in this connection, therefore, appears very necessary.
SURRA IN BOVINES
This has been mostly noticed to occur in bullocks, and the attack following
fatigue is usually acute. Outbreaks usually occur in early winter months,
when biting flies are plentiful and plough bullocks are worked hard and are
exposed to frequent bites of flies.
In India, the work of the Veterinary Investigation Officers in recent years
has supported the findings of the author, that cattle and buffaloes are not only
mere ' carriers' of surra as hitherto believed, but when favourable conditions
exist are also prone to suffer from severe acute outbreaks of the disease. This
indicates the importance of the control of the disease in the bovines as well.
The note published in 1934 furnishes details of outbreaks investigated
in Asifabad district in 1933. Similar cases were recorded in this very area
in 1934. In September 1935 when this was visited again, no case was detected
in spite of microscopic examination of wet blood smears from 269 animals.
As most of the affected animals during the previous two years had either died,
or were cured with Naganol, it is possible that the trypanosomes were absent
since then, or were lying dormant, for although biting flies were present, no
case was seen.
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. IX, Pt. II ]
PLATE XIX
Case in advanced stage in which treatment is of no avail
A chronic case
M.
R.
MAHAJAN
219
Since 1933, cases have also been recorded in Hyderabad proper, and in
several outbreak forms in Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts. A case
that flared up following reaction to the goat-blood virus immunisation against
rinderpest was also recorded.
Experimental work was undertaken to ascertain whether trypanosoma
concerned in cases of acute bovine surra was Trypanosoma evansi or not.
From an infected bullock in village Muthanpet, blood was subinoculated into
equines, bovines, canines, poultry, rabbits and guinea-pigs, to study the effect
of bovine trypanosome strain on them. All these animals (except poultry)
became infected. The pony and dog developed symptoms of surra and were
later treated successfully with Naganol. The strain was maintained in rabbits
and guinea-pigs and studied, and material was also sent to the Imperial
Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar for further work.
A heifer, aged two years, was inoculated intravenously with 5 c.c. of
infected blood. Trypanosomes appeared in the peripheral blood of this animal
forty-five hours later, increased gradually for three days, and then disappeared.
A guinea-pig inoculated intra-peritonially with ½ c.c. of blood obtained during
the negative phase revealed no trypanosomes; while ½ c.c. of cerebro-spinal
fluid inoculated similarly into another guinea-pig, showed the parasites in the
peripheral blood, eight days after the inoculation.
In the case of a buffalo that showed trypanosomes on 25th May 1935,
and did not reveal the parasite in the blood again till 3rd June, a rabbit was
subinoculated with blood taken during this negative phase. Eight days
later, this rabbit showed trypanosomes. On 3rd June when the buffalo again
revealed trypanosomes, a second rabbit, a pony and a buffalo-calf were
subinoculated with blood from this buffalo. All these were infected. A
goat further subinoculated from the pony remained negative. The pony
was treated successfully with Naganol. Rabbits Nos. 1 and 2 continued to
show trypanosomes at irregular intervals and died. As stated above, the
buffalo-calf showed trypanosomes and later remained negative for fourteen
days and lost condition; and was successfully treated later with Naganol.
The in-contact animals with the original buffalo showed no signs of the infec-
tion.
All the field experimental work undertaken to study the strain of the try-
panosome concerned indicate this to be Trypanosoma evansi. The Imperial
Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar, also reported that on examina-
tion the parasite in the blood smears appeared indistinguishable from Try-
panosoma evansi.
Recently, outbreaks were studied in Mahbubnagar district and 431
animals were examined, of which eleven cattle and five buffaloes were found
positive. Some apparently healthy animals especially buffaloes showed try-
panosomes in the peripheral blood. In these cases not even a rise of tempera-
ture, usually seen in cattle, was observed. Spontaneous recovery has also
been noticed in some cases.
220
Surra in Hyderabad State
Bayer 205, administered intravenously in ten per cent solution, is found
to be effective in the initial stage of the disease, when the animal appears
apparently healthy and shows a rise of temperature only but has trypanosomes
present in the peripheral blood. Naganol, however, has proved a failure in
animals lying down in a semi-comatose condition, which is brought about by
working the animals in the initial stage of the disease. On the other hand,
treatment with tartar emetic administered intravenously appeared to be
effective, when the animal is down in an acute or fatal stage of the attack.
This drug appeared to be toxic to animals in the initial stage of the disease
as mentioned above. Both the drugs are, therefore, useful in cattle, their
use depending upon the stage in which an animal is at the time of the treatment.
Two cases, one treated with tartar emetic and the other with Naganol,
were given blood containing trypanosomes intravenously, forty-eight hours
after the treatment. No trypanosomes were seen in the peripheral blood
of these animals for four days. Another animal, which had a natural recovery
from an acute attack, was given trypanosomes intravenously. This showed
trypanosomes in the peripheral blood for a day, but no clinical symptoms.
Incidentally, it may be mentioned that during this investigation work
Trypanosoma theileria was seen in peripheral blood of a bull-calf, the only
symptoms being those of staring coat and anaemia. A rabbit, subinoculated
from this, failed to take the infection. The parasite failed to ' resuscitate'
in the blood of the calf, when the animal was subjected to rinderpest goat
blood virus vaccination. The identity of the parasite was confirmed by the
Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar, and this is the first time
that this parasite has been recorded in the Hyderabad State.
SURRA IN CAMEL
Two camels, out of fourteen examined, showed evidence of surra when
this occurred as a serious outbreak in 1934, involving equines and camels in
the villages of Gurmatkal and Utkoor in Mahbubnagar and Gulberga districts.
In regard to the vector of the disease, several species of flies and ticks
have been examined, and during the course of bovine surra outbreaks in
Mahbubnagar, a number of tabanus flies were caught, kept in captivity and
examined. Of these, three were examined after two days and showed bloody
contents, revealing in one case viable trypanosomes and in another viable
Crithidia tabani. The flies harbouring these were identified as Tabanus
rubidus. Nothing of any particular significance was noticed in the rest.
Transmission of surra by Tabanus and Stomoxys flies, however, is regarded
as mechanical in India, no life-cycle having been worked out so far in any
external parasite.
It is very desirable to pursue further investigation in regard to treatment
methods and the problem of vector, with a view to know exactly why and
how natural outbreaks of the disease occur, and what could be done to control
them.