NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
384
Cotylophoron cotylophorum
ATHOGENICITY
Until recently amphistomes were regarded as perfectly innocuous para-
sites. While discussing ' Gillar' in his article on ' Some problems in sheep
diseases', Baldery in 1906 points out that clinically it somewhat resembles
fascioliasis. In describing the pathological lesions he states, " The really
pathogenic lesions will be seen in the small and large intestine, noticeably so
in the pyloric region of the former. Here there will be seen an enteritis, the
mucous membranes being necrotic and probably shredding off in places
The veins in these areas will have quite a varicose appearance ". He collected
amphistomes " in an undeveloped state " from the haemorrhagic areas.
Though he states, " In subsequent post mortem examinations, the presence of
immature amphistomes was found to be constant and always in the diseased
duodenum and pylorus ", nevertheless he did not suspect these parasites as the
causal agents and remarked, " It is supposed that these organisms have not a
very serious effect ". Speaking of the ovine disease ' Gillar ', Walker, [1906],
pointed out that it is practically confined to the low-lying swampy areas
and that usually the malady is at its worst during the months of December,
January and February. Le Roux [1930] investigated two serious outbreaks
of amphistomiasis due to Cotylophoron cotylophorum in the Orange Free State.
In the first outbreak thirty per cent and in the second, fifty per cent of the
flock had died. Pande [1935] reported an outbreak of amphistomiasis in
cattle in Assam.
On being ingested by suitable hosts the encysted metacercariae excyst
in the duodenum and the initial part of the intestine and the immature amphis-
tomes attach themselves firmly to the mucosa. Later, they migrate to the
rumen to mature and oviposit. It has been observed by the author that the
amphistomes are pathogenic only so long as they are in the duodenum and the
intestine and become apparently innocuous on migrating to the rumen. The
infested animals in the above experiments appeared dull, weak and anaemic.
They suffered from general unthriftiness and persistent foetid diarrhoea till
the end. On account of the pronounced anaemia oedema of the submaxillary
space, as in fascioliasis, developed. The duodenum and the intestine were
found to contain haemorrhagic fluid, and the mucosa, specially of the duode-
num, was markedly thickened and necrotic at places. The faeces were often
found to be blood-tinged and usually contained large numbers of immature
amphistomes. Recovery followed the migration of the flukes into the rumen
where they attain maturity and live as practically non-pathogenic adults.
The author did not carry out any therapeutic experiments. Le Roux,
[1930] found that carbon tetrachloride in doses of 8 to 10 c. c. in raw linseed
oil was effective in case of sheep. However, the large dose recommended by
Le Roux is rather dangerous, and should be used with extreme caution. It
must not be employed in the case of milking heifers. Instead, tetrachlorethy-
lene and, in the case of cattle, hexachlorethane should rather be tried. The
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. VIII, Part IV ]
PLATE XXXIII
Fig. 1.
Portion of the duodenum showing mass infestation with immature
amphistomes (after Le Roux)
Fig. 2.
Portion of the duodenum showing verrucose appearance of the mucosa and
whitish raised areas, sites of attachment (after Le Roux)
Fig. 3.
Portion of rumen showing C. cotylophorum adhering (after Le Roux)
PLATE XXXIV
[ Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. VIII, Part IV
Life-cycle of C. Cotylophorum
H. D.
SRIVASTAVA
385
drug should be administered in capsules or by stomach tube to ensure its pas-
sage into the rumen. The infested animals should be given bone meal to make
up for the loss of calcium. According to various workers administration of
magnesium sulphate or calcium lactate reduces the toxicity of carbon
tetrachloride and may be tried. Treatment, while there is acute enteritis, is
not desirable.
PROPHYLAXIS
The same as for fascioliasis.
It has been observed that when the snails of the species, Indoplanorbis
exustus, are infested with an aquatic Oligochaete—Chaetogaster limnaei—they
can not be infested with trematode larvae, while the same snails when free
from the Oligochaete are readily infested with miracidia.
Though
propagation of the Oligochaete under field conditions has not been tried, the
examination of snails from ponds has confirmed the observations made in the
laboratory.
The author is deeply grateful to the Pathologist and the Director of this
Institute for much kind help and encouragement. He is also thankful to
Dr. H. R. Mehra of the Allahabad University for valuable suggestion.
REFERENCES
Baldrey, F. S. H. (1926). J. Trop. Vet. Sc. 1, 388-397.
Bennett, H. J. (1936). Ill. Biol. Monogr. 14, 4, 1-119.
Bhalerao, G. D. (1933). Ind. J. Vet. Sc. & Anim. Husb. 3, 1.
Cameron, T. W. M. (1934). The Internal parasites of Domestic animals.
Chatterji, R. C. (1931). Zool. Anz. 95, 5/8, 177-179.
Krull, W. H. (1934). J. Parasit. 20, 3, 173-180.
Liston, W. G. and Soparkar, M. B. (1917). Ind. J. Med. Res. 5. 567-569.
Le Roux, P.L. (1930). 16th Rep. Director Vet. Serv. & Ani. Ind., Union S.
Afri., 243-253.
Pande, P. G. (1935). Ind. J. Vet. Sci. and Ani. Husb., 5, 4.
Rao, A. N. and Ayyar, L. S. P. (1932). Ind. J. Vet. Sci. & Ani. Husb. 2, 4, 402-
405.
—(1933).
Ibid. 3, 4, 321.
Srivastava; H. D. (1937). Proc. Ind. Sci. Cong., Sect. Med. and Vet. Res. Abst.
No. 44.
Sewell, R. B. S. (1922). Ind. J. Med. Res. 10, Suppli. No. 1, 1-370.
Walker, G. K. (1906). J. Trop. Vet. Sci. 1, 410-413.
Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol VIII, Part IV ]
PLATE XXXV
Plasmodium bubalis Sheather 1919
Schematic diagram of Schizogony
A NOTE ON PLASMODIUM BUBALIS SHEATHER, 1919
BY
M. ANANT NARAYAN RAO, G.M.V.C.
Lecturer in Parasitology, Madras Veterinary College, Madras
(Received for publication on 19th May 1938)
(With Plate XXXV)
SHEATHER [1919] discovered Plasmodium bubalis in the blood of two
buffaloes used for the production of anti-rinderpest serum at the Imperial
Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar. Since then the parasite has been
reported from there from time to time. It would appear that this protozoon
affecting the buffalo has not been reported from any other province in India
excepting Madras. In 1933, the organism was encountered in the blood smears
received in the Parasitology section of the Madras Veterinary College from a
rinderpest-stricken buffalo near Tekkali, Ganjam district. More material
for study could not be had from that animal owing to its death. It was
possible to obtain blood smears from other buffaloes from that village but no
plasmodium could be detected. In 1936, P. bubalis was found by the Super-
intendent, Madras Serum Institute in the blood smears of ten buffaloes used
for anti-rinderpest serum production and one used for serum against haemorr-
hagic septicaemia.
All the eleven buffaloes came from near Gudur, Nellore
district. The last animal developed haemoglobinuria and a rise in temperature
after the first bleeding. Examination of its blood smears revealed P. bubalis.
This animal was not used for further bleeding but was kept under observation
to watch the natural course of an attack with the plasmodium. But for the
rise in temperature and the haemoglobinuria, the animal showed no dis-
comfort and the urine cleared up spontaneously on the following day. The
parasites disappeared from the blood as rapidly as they appeared. It seems,
therefore, that P. bubalis is a cryptic protozoon of buffaloes just as Trypano-
soma theileri is of cattle, i.e., they show themselves in the presence of an in-
tercurrent disease like rinderpest or when the vitality is lowered by bleeding
for the production of serum.
Sheather [1919] has described this plasmodium in its different stages of
development in the blood excepting gametocytes, and it is proposed to give
below a very brief description of the parasite with a schematic diagram of the
schizogony.
The plasmodium which grows in the red blood cells of the buffalo can be
conveniently divided into three groups for the sake of description, viz., (a)
young ring forms (Merozoites which have entered the red blood cells) (b)
developing trophozoites into schizonts and (c) gametocytes.
( 387 )
388
Plasmodium bubalis
(a) YOUNG RING FORMS
The majority of the young forms are ring-shaped but some appear almost
like Babesia. The young forms measure 1.5 to 2µ in diameter. The nucleus
is usually seen as a lump of chromatin placed at some part of the circum
ference of the ring. In some it is crescent-shaped and in a very few, a
small dot of chromatin is seen near the larger nucleus.
(b) DEVELOPING TROPHOZOITES
The ring forms increase in size but seem to show very little amoeboid
movement, when they have attained a size ranging from 2.5 to 3.5μ, pigment
granules appear in their protoplasm. Most of the granules are rod-shaped and
of varying sizes. They are usually clumped together in some part of the
protoplasm. These granules seem to increase in size as well as in number as
the trophozoites grew. A fully grown trophozoite measures 5 to 6μ in diameter.
Usually the parasitised red blood cell is not enlarged. The blood shows
anaemic changes to some extent and it is difficult to ascribe these changes
exclusively to the protozoon infection when another disease is also present.
Some of the trophozoites which attain the size noted above show signs of
division into merozoites. Eight to twelve merozoites have been encountered
in schizonts but Sheather [1919] appears to have found seven to fourteen
merozoites. These are sometimes seen free in the blood smear and each of
these on an average measures 1 µ in diameter.
(C) GAMETOCYTES
Some of the full grown trophozoites assume the characters of gametocytes
and are about 6µ each in diameter. They are rounded in shape and almost
fill the parasitised red blood cell. Some of them have their chromatin, more or
less compact, near one of the poles and the pigment granules are found
aggregated in a mass at the other pole. Its protoplasm as compared to tro
phozoite shows a tendency to deep staining with Leishman's stain. These are
evidently the female gametocytes. The others are slightly smaller about 5.5μ
in diameter and have their nuclear chromatin loosely gathered at one pole.
Some chromatin granules are also found strewn uniformly in its protoplasm
while the dark pigment granules are loosely aggregated at the other pole of the
organism. These are less in number than the other kind and are apparently
the male gametocytes [Plate XXXV, fig. 8, 8 a, and 8 b].
It has not been possible to ascertain any periodicity of fever caused by this
protozoan since the animals that came under observation either died or ceased
to show the parasite in blood after a day or two. The blood smears made at
different intervals from the buffaloes at the Madras Serum Institute showed all
the three groups of forms described above and the relative counts of those did
not help matters.
M. ANANT NARAYAN RAO 389
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Thanks are due to Mr. K. Kylasam Ayyar, Superintendent, Madras
Serum Institute, for kindly placing at the author's disposal the blood smears
from some of the buffaloes showing the parasite.
REFERENCES
Annual Administration Report, Madras Civil Veterinary Department, 1933-34,
1935-36 and 1936-37.
Sheather, A. L. (1919). J. Comp. Path. & Therap. 32, 223-229.
R
A NEW GORGODERID TREMATODE FROM THE URINARY
BLADDER OF AN INDIAN MIGRATORY FISH,
BELONE STRONGYLURA
BY
HAR DAYAL SRIVASTAVA, D. So.
Helminthologist (On special duty)
Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar-Kumaun
(Received for publication on 25th. March 1938)
(With one text-figure)
BRAUN in 1899 created the genus Phyllodistomum (Family—Gorgoderidae
Looss, 1902) with Dist. folium as the type. Subsequently a large number of
species have been described under the genus. Lewis [1935] published a
thorough revision of the genus and gave a key to its valid species, described
up to 1932. Since then a number of species have been described. Recently,
Bhalerao [1937] added two more species to the genus and gave an identifica-
tion key. In this paper is described a new species of the genus which is para-
sitic in the urinary bladder of an Indian migratory fish.
PHYLLODISTOMUM LEWISI† N. sp.
Host—Belone strongylura V. Hass.
Habitat—Urinary bladder.
Locality—Allahabad, Ganges and Jumna.
About a dozen specimens of this parasite were collected from the urinary
bladder of a migratory fish in the rivers Ganges and Jumna at Allahabad.
The trematode has a spatulate body which measures 2.4 by 1.08* in size and
is divisible into a sub-cylindrical, narrow forebody of 1.4 by 0.6 in size, and a
broad, foliate hinder body which measures 1.06 in diameter. The body is
completely devoid of spines or scales of any kind. The maximum breadth of
the body occurs at the level of the posterior testis. On the lateral sides of the
hind body are present three pairs of feebly muscular, semi-circular puckerings.
The subterminal oral sucker, 0.28 in diameter, opens posteriorly into a 0.2
long, tubular oesophagus which bifurcates into two, straight, simple caeca.
The caeca terminate blindly a little in front of the hinder end. The acetabu-
lum measures 0.42 in diameter and is situated at about the middle of the
body length.
The testes, two in number, are deeply lobed structures, situated asym-
metrically in the intercaecal space in front of the posterior third of the foliate
part of the body. The anterior testis, 0.36 by 0.22, lies on the left side. It is
separated from the posterior testis, 0.4 by 0.34, by the ascending coil of the
uterus. Cirrus sac is absent. A small vesicula seminalis, 0.074 by 0.04, and
pars prostatica with few prostate cells are present. A cirrus is absent. The
genital pore lies in the median line at about the middle of the fore body.
† The new species is named in honour of F. G. Lewis.
*All measurements are in mm.
( 391 )
392
Belone strongylura
Phyllodistomum lewisi, n. sp.
Key to Lettering.
O. . . . . . . . . .
P.p. . . . . . . . . .
S.p. . . . . . . . . .
T. . . . . . . . . .
Ut. . . . . . . . . .
Vt.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Ovary.
Pars prostatica.
Semi-circular puckerings.
Testis.
Uterus.
Vitellaria.
H. D. SRIVASTAVA 393
The ovary has the shape of an inverted dome, with a notch on the t op. It
measures 0.2 by 0.12 in size and lies obliquely in front of the posterior testis,
between the right caecum and the median line. Laurer's canal is present.
The shell gland complex lies in the median line in level with the anterior
margin of the ovary. The vitellaria are composed of two, transversely elonga-
ted, bipartite, lobes situated asymmetrically one on either side of the median
line close in front of the ovary. The uterus is intricately coiled in the post-
testicular region, but the ascending coil in front of the shell gland mass runs in
a more or less straight, median course to open into the small genital atrium.
The uterine coils are confined to the intercaecal space and contain a large
number of eggs of 0.034 to 0.038 by 0.019 in size.
The excretory bladder is of the type characteristic of the genus.
In having a spatulate body with its posterior portion clearly marked off
from the forebody, P. lewisi, n. sp. resembles P. spatula Odhner, 1902; P.
spatulaeforme Odhner, 1902; P. patellare Sturges, 1897; P.fausti Pearse, 1924;
P. superbum Stafford, 1904; P. megalorchis Nybelin, 1926; P. carolina
Holl. 1929; P. simili Nybelin, 1926; P. unicum Odhner, 1902; P. staffordi
Pearse, 1924; P. lacustri Lowen, 1929; P. pearsi Holl, 1929; P. angulatum
Linstow, 1907; P. folium Olfers, 1816; P. americanum Osborn, 1903; P. hunteri
and P. lohrenzi Lowen, 1935. In having ovary posterior to the vitellaria the
new species differs from the first four species and resembles the rest. In P.
americanum the testes are situated in tandem, in the median line near the
posterior end. In having the uterus confined to the intercaecal space and the
vitellaria composed of lobes, the new species differs from P. superbum, P.
megalorchis, P. Carolina, P. simili and P. unicum and resembles the rest. It
can be distinguished from the rest of the species by the shape of the body,
position of the acetabulum and of gonads and by the size ratio of the suckers.
P. hunteri and P. lohrenzi can be distinguished from P. lewisi by the position
of the testes. P. singulare has a spatulate body with the narrow anterior
portion rather sharply set off from the posterior discoidal portion, which has a
noticeably crinkled margin. The new species can be distinguished from P.
singulare by the relative size of the anterior and posterior parts of the body,
length of the caeca, position of the vitellaria, extent of the uterus and the
absence of the stylet glands.
The author is grateful to the Director and the Pathologist of the Imperial
Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar-Kumaun for their kind encourage-
ment.
REFERENCES
Bhalerao, G. D. (1937). J. Helm. 15, No. 2, 97-124,
Lewis, F. J. (1935). Trans. Amer. Micros. Soc. 54, 103-117.
Pande, B. P. (1937). Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. London 20, Tenth series,
No. 117, 250-256.
Srivastava, H. D. (1937). Proc. Ind. Sci. Cong., Sect. V, Abst. No. 24.
PLATE XXXVI
[ Ind. Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. VIII, Part IV
FIG. 1.
Microphotograph of a preparation of the scrapings showing
hyphae and conidiophores showing conidia. × 250.
FIG. 2.
Microphotograph of the growth in Sabouraud's medium,
showing mycelial network ; and Endospores in some
free spores, as well as conidiophores bearing conidia.
×250.
A PRELIMINARY NOTE ON A SPECIES OF
ASPERGILLUS FROM A CASE OF SKIN
DISEASE IN A DOG
BY
S. VAITHIANATHA MUDALIAR, G.M.V.C.
Assistant Lecturer,
Madras Veterinary College, Madras
(Received for publication on 11th March, 1938)
(With Plate XXXVI.)
IN the course of the routine examination of skin scrapings received from
the districts, the present case was met with and an opportunity was taken to
record this finding since no evidence appears to be available regarding this
fungus being the cause of skin disease in dogs.
SUBJECT
A dog of the local breed in Devakotah of Ramnad district (S. India)
aged about three years.
HISTORY
This dog was reported to be having a skin affection extending over six
weeks, with symptoms of severe pruritus. The disease manifested itself in
the form of scabs and scales over the body along with raw and bleeding patches.
As a result of its restlessness, it was not feeding well and was rapidly losing-
condition.
DIAGNOSIS
The material which consisted of crusts from the lesions was boiled in
caustic soda solution and the sediment was examined under the low power
of a microscope. Felted masses of mycelia were noticed and from these, a
few hyphae with conidiophore bearing conidia were found protruding. Under
high power, the conidiophore showed a hemispherical base measuring
8 to 20µ and from the surface of this, radiating spores or asci were seen. (Plate
XXXVI, Fig. 1). These spores were either single or in twos and threes united
end to end, and the single ones measured 6 to 7 µ in length. Some of them
were round while others pyriform in shape. The hyphae measured 8 to 10µ.
in thickness and varied in length. A very careful examination of the
material did not reveal any mange mites or trichophyton. Hence, this affec-
tion of the skin is believed to be due to a species of Aspergillus.
( 395 )
396
Aspergillus from a case of Skin Disease in a Dog
CULTURAL CHARACTERS
The material was cultured with some difficulty in plain agar. The
technique followed was to tease out from the crusts, small pieces in absolute
alcohol and after a couple of changes in the alcohol, plant them in the media.
In spite of these precautions, the culture became contaminated in the beginning,
but in the course of about four weeks, a fairly good growth of Aspergillus,
resembling the one seen in scrapings, was obtained with fructifications. It
was easy to obtain sub-cultures from this growth and a luxuriant growth was
obtained on Sabouraud's medium. In the course of twenty-four to thirty-
six hours, a dense white cottony growth was obtained and in another twenty-
four hours, the centre of the growth began to change to a light green or bluish
green colour with a white border. Later, the whole mass became deep blue in
colour and puckered on the surface. In a week to ten days, fructifications
were plenty and the colour changed to a honey or brown tint. Examination
of a small quantity of the culture in the early stages revealed a dense network
of mycelia with stray hyphae and conidiophore bearing conidia. Free spores
or asci were also found strewn over the area. Some of these mycelia bore
endospores in varying stages of development. (Plate XXXVI, Fig. 2.)
ANIMAL INOCULATION
Attempts to infect laboratory small animals have been futile. Hence
this species is probably non-pathogenic to these animals. Experimental
transmission to dogs and other animals was not carried out due to various
reasons, but it is hoped to do such transmission experiments in the near
future.
DISCUSSION
Regarding the pathological conditions set up by the fungus Aspergillus,
Buchanan [1922] mentions that the greatest number of cases have been from
birds and that the lesions are generally located in the lungs, air sacs and
hollow bones. In man and animals, particularly the horse, the same author
records this affection in the lungs and air passages with formation of nodules
not unlike tuberculosis, leading to occlusion of tubules with the fructification
of the fungus and a necrosis of the tissue surrounding the organism. Castellani
and Chalmers [1919] report that Aspergillus is frequently met with in man
causing aspergillosis of various organs such as the lungs, eye, ear, nose, wounds
and ulcers, urethra and the skin. The authors quote Montaya with regard
to the several varieties of " Pinta " being caused by fungi of the Aspergillus
genus. Dodge [1936] mentions a large number of species of Aspergillus
affecting man, birds and other animals, but does not record any skin affection
being caused by the fungus. However, he quotes Ballagi and Laubal [1933]
who have shown certain species producing scabs and crusts on cutaneous
inoculation in the guinea-pig. Omlin [1926] records dermatic aspergillosis
S.
VAITHIANATHA
MUDALIAR
397
of the horse and Rivolta and Delprato [1926] have reported dermatomycosis
of pigeons caused by Aspergillus glaucus, but no record is available about the
isolation of the fungus from the skin of dogs. Hence, this appears to be the
first case of skin disease in a dog in which a species of Aspergillus has been
isolated and believed to have caused the disease. A complete report on
further work done on the subject will be published in due course.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author is indebted to Mr. T. J. Hurley, Principal, Madras Veterinary
College for his encouragement, to Rao Sahib M. Anant Narayan Rao, for
his instructions and help in this piece of work and to Mr. Viswanatha Pillai,
Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Devakottah for kindly sending me the material.
His thanks are also due to the College artist Mr. Doraswamy Mudaliar for the
microphotographs appearing in the paper.
CONCLUSIONS
A fungus belonging to the Aspergillus genus has been suspected to cause
skin disease in a dog. This species is found to be non-pathogenic to labora-
tory animals. (Rabbits, guinea-pig and pigeon.)
REFERENCES
Ballagi and Laubal (1933) Quoted by Dodge, C. W., Med. Mycology, 622.
Buchanan Smith, A. D. (1922). Veterinary Bacteriology, 454.
Castellani, A. and Chalmers, A. J. (1919). Manual of Tropical Medicine, 1026.
Dodge, C. W. (1936). Medical Mycology, Aspergillaceae, 621—639.
Omlin (1926). Quoted by Hutyra and Marek. Special Path. and Therap. 2 Ed.
3, 698.
Rivolta, S. and Delprato, P. (1926). Ibid. 3, Ed. 3, 694.