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of the soil and being sources of the ordinary food
constituents for plants, also supply some agents
like auximones or vitamins which contribute
greatly to the growth and reproduction of plants.
In addition to their bio-chemical activity, the
micro-biological population of the soil contributed
directly to the plant some stimulant which is
ultimately passed on to the animal. It appears
that auximones for plants and vitamins for
animals are probably the same, or if different,
exist together and are independent, functioning
in different ways, according to the organism in
which they are introduced and the conditions
under which they operate.
Sen [1933] has stated that a good breed will
deteriorate if kept for a long time on a defective
ration. He has referred to the harmful effects
produced by the excess of fluorine in the diet of
cattle in fluorine-rich areas, especially where fluor-
spar deposits occur and has stated that this subs-
stance is found in India in certain parts of the
Central Provinces (Raipur District) and in some
places in the Punjab and Madras Presidency. He
is of the opinion that deranged endocrine func-
tions (e.g. thyroid, pituitary) are likely to be asso-
ciated with unbalanced rations supplied to the
animals. He has stated that a very curious fact
is that most of the good animals in India come from
the tracts where rainfall is low and water is
scarcely available. With the increase in the irri-
gated areas and consequent increase of crop pro-
duction, grazing areas are getting fewer in number
and animals coming from irrigated tracts are much
inferior in condition, so far as their performance is
concerned, and, moreover, these animals are
more susceptible to parasitic infestations and
diseases in general. Experiments carried out
by Roy and Sen [1933] at Mukteswar, which is
situated at an average elevation of about 7,000
feet above sea-level in the Kumaun hills, show
that with the growth of the plants and increase
in rainfall, the percentages of lime and phosphorus
in pasture grasses increase to a maximum in
September-October. After this period, the
amount of phosphorus decreases considerably
with the approach of winter and dry conditions.
No marked decrease in the lime content, however,
takes place. They are of opinion that during the
winter months, the ratio between lime and phos-
phorus may be abnormally high, and hence a
ration composed mainly of a winter-cut hay with-
out the addition of phosphorus-rich concentrates,
may induce aphosphorosis and malnutrition in
cattle. Sen [1935] has stated that deterioration
seen in most of the indigenous breeds in India is
due to a number of causes, of which malnutrition
and disease are probably the most important
causes and which are to a large measure inter-
dependent. To a great extent indigenous animals
appear to have adapted themselves to the type of
food-stuffs available in this country, namely to a
diet containing a low amount of protein and
minerals and a fairly high amount of fibre, but the
net consequence of this malnutrition has been the
survival of a type of animal which is small, un-
developed and economically very unproductive.
The milk yield of the cow is low, breeding
difficulties are common and in the case of draught
animals, the return in terms of work is very small.
Large numbers of such animals exist throughout
India and are, from an economic standpoint, a
serious loss to the country. Any attempt to
improve the animal industries of India must,
therefore, take into account the need for adequate
and well-balanced diets for domesticated animals
of all kinds, and in order to study which constitute
a well-balanced diet, systematic research work on
the nature of our food-stuffs is essential. He
has also emphasized that there is an intimate
connection between malnutrition in cattle and
malnutrition in human beings. Sen and Seshan
[1938] have described the various conditions, e.g.,
congenital blindness, night-blindness, abortion,
lowered vitality, etc., associated with avitaminosis
A in cattle and have suggested the ways and means
of controlling these conditions in the field. The
available sources of this vitamin or its precursor
(carotene) for livestock are discussed and suitable
methods of preserving green fodder with minimum
loss of carotene are given.
Lander [1939] who made a comprehensive nu-
tritional survey of the Kangra Valley has remarked
in introducing his note on the correlation be-
tween soil deficiencies, poor cultivation, unthrifty
cattle and human nutrition that not only were the
cattle of this district of a small size but they
give very little milk and a majority of these were
dry during the greater part of the year. The main
fodder of these cattle during the greater part of the
year was rice straw, very rarely supplemented by
concentrated food. It was deficient in protein,
calcium and phosphates. This unsatisfactory
system of agriculture led to insufficient supplies
of animal products like milk to the inhabitants
who, therefore, suffered from deficiency diseases
like osteomalacia, goitre, etc. He stated that high
rainfall involved considerable leaching from the soil
of soluble minerals, the most conspicuous of which
was calcium. He suggested that each province
should endeavour to concentrate on most out-
standing features of malnutrition in their territory
and having found the causes should set to work to
remedy them. Olver [1937] in discussing the
relation of animal nutrition to public health in
India has suggested that village cultivators and
stock-owners should produce more fodder crops,
more and better farmyard manure or compost and
better stock, thereby increasing their income and