NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
LUNG FLUKES IN TWO DOGS.
31
run, form an area where lung flukes exist. Through the courtesy of V. S. Hejmad,
Esq., I.C.S., the writer has had opportunities of obtaining parasites from some tigers
and panthers shot in Kurnool and Kistna districts. It is interesting to note that
no lung flukes were found in them. The fact of finding these parasites in the panther
and two dogs in the region mentioned appears to be significant.
The dog that was brought to the veterinary institution at Calicut, Malabar
appears to have undergone treatment for debility on two occasions within a period
of two years. It was again brought there for treatment on 4th January 1934, for the
third time, with the same complaint. The dog was treated with anthelmintics
twice, with an interval of a week between the two courses of treatment. It passed
some tapeworms, but on 14th January 1934 it died. The postmortem examina-
tion revealed that the right lung, which was in a state of congestion, had nodules
in it. One of the nodules when opened contained two parasites. A piece of the
lung and the two flukes were received here for examination and report. The flukes
were examined and found to be P. westermani. No nodules could be seen in the
portion of the lung received, but the sections of lung tissue showed a large number
of ova of the flukes with the usual histopathological changes of the lungs caused by
them. There was some amount of diffused fibrosis, dilated alveoli and bronchi
filled with catarrhal discharges containing ova and some pseudotubercles (Figs. 1, 2
and 3).
The other dog which was admitted on 25th April 1934 in the veterinary hospital
at Coimbatore, belonged to a planter in Variday Malai in the Anamalai Hills, about
30 miles from Coimbatore. It was admitted for retention of urine and died the
next day. The postmortem examination showed that the right lung contained a
cyst in which the flukes were found. The flukes were received here and were found
to be P. westermani.
The writer is of opinion that this finding of parasites of the genus Paragonimus
is of some importance to the human clinician and worth recording, because Para,
gonimiasis in man simulates pulmonary tuberculosis. There may be perhaps a
tendency among practitioners, in cases of chronic lung affections in man, to examine
chiefly for tubercle bacilli and omit to examine the sputum in the fresh state for
ova of helminths. It is possible, therefore, that such helminthic diseases in man
simulating pulmonary tuberculosis may be overlooked. If only a systematic exa-
mination of the sputum and faeces of human beings and domesticated animals such
as the cat and the dog, is carried out in the areas pointed out in this paper, it is possi-
ble that many cases of Paragonimiasis may be discovered.
It is therefore suggested that the finding of Paragonimus westermani in dogs
in two adjoining districts of the West Coast of this Presidency may lead on to the
discovery in man of yet another important helminthic disease in India which is
common to man and animals.
32
THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. [V, I
REFERENCES.
Baylis, H. A. (1929). Manual of Helminthology, Med., and Vet. B. T. and Cox, London.
Chandler, Asa, A. (1930). Introduction to Human Parasitology, John Wiley and Sons,
New York.
Faust, E. C. (1930). Human Helminthology, Henry Kimpton, London.
Lane, Clayton and Low, G. C. (1923). The Practice of Medicine in the Tropics—Edited
by Byam and Archibald, Henry Frowde and Hodder and Strough-
ton, London, 3, p. 1792.
Leiper, R. T. (1920). Tropical Diseases Bulletin, 16, p. 130.
Surveyer, N. F. (1919). Existence of Distoma Disease in India. The Ind. Jour. of
Med. Res., Special Indian Science Congress number, pp. 214-216.
ON THE OCCURRENCE OF STILESIA VITTATA (CESTODA)
IN OVINES IN INDIA
BY
G. D. BHALERAO, M.Sc.,
Helminthologist, Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar.
(Received for publication on the 29th November 1934.)
The occurrence of Stilesia vittata from camels has been recorded by several
authors in the past. Among these Railliet [1896], Gough [1908 and 1911], Douthitt
[1915], Meggitt [1921] and Baylis [1929] may be mentioned. In his Fauna Volume
Southwell [1930], who had an opportunity of examining these worms from a sheep
in the Punjab, makes the following remarks concerning the species :—
" This species has hitherto not been recorded from sheep or cattle; it occurs,
as far as is known, exclusively in the camel and dromedary. It is almost certain that
the bottle containing these specimens was wrongly labelled; the worms were probably
obtained from a camel". It was but natural for Southwell to have made these
remarks, since his observations were restricted to a single phial of specimens received
from the Civil Veterinary Department, Lahore.
The writer, however, had ample opportunity of collecting these specimens on
several occasions from sheep and goats at Muktesar. He has had, moreover, the
privilege of reporting upon this material obtained from ovines in some provinces in
India: particularly Sind, Bombay and the Hyderabad State. On examining the
stained preparations of these worms it was found that they belonged to the species
Stilesia vittata and not to S. globipunctata : the vas deferens being a coiled mass and
not merely a wavy duct. It is therefore proved beyond all doubt that S. vittata
like some other parasites are common both to ovines and the Camelidæ.
In recent years two very valuable papers have been published in regard to the
theory of host specificity as applied to cestodes. Fuhrmann [1932] strongly
advocates this theory, i.e., the natural limitation of any species of cestodes to a
single group of hosts. Meggitt [1934] tries to disprove this hypothesis by quoting
about two dozen cases known to him, and the case of Stilesia vittata is another example
occurring among the ungulates indicating that the restriction of a particular cestode
to a certain group of hosts does not hold good.
( 33 )
C
34
THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. [V, I
REFERENCES.
Baylis, H. A. (1929). A Manual of Helminthology, London, xi+ 303.
Douthitt, A. (1915). Studies on the Cestode family Anoplocephalidæ. III. Biol. Mon., 1.
Fuhrmann, O. (1932). Les tenias des oiseaux. Mem. Univ. Neuchatel, 8.
Gough, L. H. (1908). Notes on South African parasites. Ann. Rep. South Afr.
Assoc. Adv. Sc.
(1911). A Monograph of the tapeworms of the family Aviteliniæ being
a revision of the genus Stilesia and an account of the histology
of Avitellina centripunctata (Riv.). Quart. J. Microsc. Sc., 56
317—386.
Meggitt, F. J. (1921). A new Cestode from the pouched rat, Crycetomys gambianum,
Parasitol, 13, 193—204.
(1934). The Theory of Host Specificity as applied to Cestodes. Ann.
Trop. Med. Parasitol, 28, 99—105.
Railliet, A. (1896). Sur quelques parasites du dromadaire. C. R. Soc. Biol., 48, 489—492.
Southwell, T. (1930). Cestodes Vol. II. In Fauna of British India, London, pp. ix +
262.
Ind, Jour. Vety. Sci. & Anim. Husb. Vol. V, Pt. I.
Plate IV.
FIG. 1.
FIG. 2.
Photographs showing the diverticulated nature of the intestinal cacca.
HELMINTH PARASITES OF THE INDIAN ELEPHANT
FROM THE ANDAMANS AND BURMA
BY
G. D. BHALERAO, M.Sc.,
Helminthologist, Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar.
(Received for publication on 31st December 1934.)
(With Plate IV and nine figures.)
For the opportunity to record the parasites dealt with in the present communi-
cation the writer is indebted to Dr. Gupta of Toungoo, Burma, and to Mr. Sen
Gupta, Veterinary Officer for the Andamans.
TREMATODA.
FAMILY FASCIOLIDÆ .
Fasciola jacksoni (Cobbold, 1869).
Remarks on the anatomical details and taxonomy of this parasite have already
been published in one of the writer's previous communications : Bhalerao [1933].
Location.—Bile-ducts, duodenum.
Locality.—Burma (Toungoo).
FAMILY PARAMPHISTOMIDÆ.
Pfenderius papillatus (Cobbold, 1882).
A few specimens of this species were studied in serial sections and as a result
of this it was found that they agreed in all respects with the description given by
Stiles and Goldberger [1910]. There are, however, two points in which my
observations differ. The joint authors do not describe the œsophageal nor the
hermaphroditic bulbs. These points, in my opinion, are very important in the
organisation of this parasite. Fukui [1929] has observed the first one of these
points, but he too failed to notice the second one.
Location.—Large intestine.
Locality.—The Andamans.
Pseudodiscus collinsi (Cobbold, 1875).
Remarks on this species from the elephant have already appeared in one of the
writer's previous publications : Bhalerao [1933].
Location.—Colon.
Locality.—Burma (Toungoo).
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36
THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. [V, I
Pfenderius heterocœca (Fukui, 1929).
These parasites received from the Andamans were found mixed with the species
Pfenderius papillatus. Specimens of the former from Burma were also available for
study. These parasites have a superficial resemblance to immature Pseudodiscus
collinsi, but on closer examination they proved to be Pfenderius heterocœca. It is
proposed to give here a full description of the specimens at my disposal since the
original description appears to be incomplete in some respects: particularly in respect
of the details of the male genitalia. It may be remarked here that this is the first
occasion on which this parasite is recorded from a locality outside Japan.
Description. The preserved specimens are white in colour and measure 3.13—
4.8* in length, 2.5—3 in breadth and 1.8—2.4 in thickness. The body is oval and
somewhat flattened dorso-ventrally. The dorsal side is convex and the ventral is
either quite flat or slightly concave. The anterior end is attenuated, while the
posterior is hemispherical.
The anterior end bears many prominent papillæ, but the circular elevations
round the mouth described by Fukui [1926] were, very probably, caused by the
contraction of the anterior part of the body. The genital pore is situated on the
ventral surface, at a distance of 0.7—1.09 from the anterior extremity. The
posterior sucker measuring 0.97—1.27 in diameter is situated entirely on the ventral
surface of the body. The proportion that the diameter of the posterior sucker
bears to the body length, varies from ¼ to ⅓.
The mouth opening lies at the bottom of the papillated anterior portion and
is directed towards the ventral aspect. It leads into an almost cylindrical mouth
cavity surrounded by a well developed oral sucker measuring 0.61—0.78×0.48—
0.50. At its posterior third the oral sucker possesses two diverticula on its postero
lateral side. The diverticula measure 0.19—0.32 × 0.17—0.26 and are quite
simple. The inner surface of the oral sucker is smooth. Near its anterior end there
is a sphincter. The œsophagus commences at the posterior end of the oral sucker,
between the oral diverticula and measures 1.53 in length. At its posterior end the
œsophagus has a muscular bulb consisting of alternate layers of circular and longitu
dinal muscle fibres, and measuring 0.68—0.90×0.52—0.60. The intestinal cæca¬
emerge from the lateral sides of the œsophageal bulb and terminate on either side of
the posterior sucker. They are short and stout and are divided into two parts: a
much swollen anterior portion and a slender posterior portion.
The testes are two large bodies lying connubially slightly in front of the
posterior sucker and measuring 0.425—0.51 × 0.33—0.425. They are either bi- or
tri-lobed. The thin vasa efferentia arise from the dorsal side of the testes and run
centrally to form a vas deferens. This latter runs anteriorly in a zigzag manner on
the ventral side of the œsophagus and enters the thick, muscular, club-shaped
* All measurements in millimeters.
HELMINTH PARASITES OF THE INDIAN ELEPHANT.
37
cirrus sac, measuring 0.62—0.82 × 0.7—0.33. The contents of the cirrus sac
have not been properly described by Fukui. The vas deferens after entering the
cirrus sac enlarges into a long club-shaped vesicular seminalis. Sometimes a slight
partition is noticeable dividing the vesicula seminalis into two compartments. The
vesicula seminalis is followed by a short thin pars prostatica surrounded by non-
cellular prostatic glands. The terminal portion of the male genital duct is the cirrus
which is conical and muscular and almost as long as the vesicula seminalis. The
last portion of the male genital duct enters the hermaphroditic bulb and opens
on a genital papilla which is not very prominent. The genital papilla opens into the
genital atrium which communicates with the exterior by means of the genital pore.
The ovary is an oval body measuring 0.23—0.33 × 0.2—0.3 and lying on the
antero-lateral border of the posterior sucker, close behind the left testis. The oviduct
is long and is seen to describe a curve round the shell gland dorsally. The shell gland
is larger than the ovary and measures 0.33—0.42 × 0.19—0.323. It is situated
posterior to the ovary. Laurer's canal opens on the dorsal surface slightly lateral
to the central line. The uterus first passes towards the left and then describes a
few coils centrally. It then proceeds anteriorly ventral to the vas deferens. The
vagina runs along the left side of the cirrus sac. The metraterm is a slender tube
which pierces the hermaphroditic bulb and opens together with the male genital
duct on the genital papilla. The vitelline glands consist of follicles lying external
to the intestinal cæca and the posterior sucker. The glands extend from the com-
mencement of the intestinal cæca to almost the centre of the posterior sucker. The
transverse vitelline ducts are stout and run at the level of the centre of the shell
gland. The uterus is filled with a fairly large number of ova measuring 0.132—0.143
× 0.076—0.081.
The excretory bladder is pear-shaped and opens almost at the posterior end on
the dorsal surface of the body. The course of the excretory canals conforms to that
described by Fukui [1928].
The lymphatic system consist of three pairs of main canals : the dorsal, the
lateral and the central. All these three pairs communicate with one another in the
region of the oral and the posterior sucker.
Location. Intestine.
Locality. The Andamans,
Burma (Toungoo).
The reasons for assigning the species heterocœca to the genus Pfenderius are
given in the subsequent part of this paper.
Pfenderius birmanicus. n. sp.
Out of about a dozen specimens of flukes removed from an elephant in Toungoo
a few proved, on closer examination, to be a species new to science : the others being
Pfenderius heterocœca.
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THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. [V, I
Description. The worms are oval, with the anterior end attenuated an the
posterior hemispherical. The ventral aspect is almost that with a little concavaty
while the dorsal surface is convex. The worms measure 2.3 in length and 12
in breadth. The mouth is subterminal and is surrounded by papillæ. The posterior
sucker is situated at almost the posterior end and is also subterminal. It is round
with a diameter of 0.92—1.02 and has a strong musculature. Its diameter bears a
proportion of almost 1 : 2.5 in comparison with the body length. The genital pore
is situated centrally at a distance of 0.48 from the anterior extremity.
The mouth is surrounded by the oral sucker measuring 0.39 × 0.465. This
latter has two well developed diverticula, one on each postero-lateral side. The
diverticula measure 0.2 × 2.4. The mouth cavity leads into a short œsophagus,
which enlarges posteriorly into a large œsophageal bulb. This latter is surrounded
by thick glands and measures 0.52 × 0.38. Its walls are composed of circular
muscle fibres. The intestinal cæca commence at the lateral aspects of the œsophageal
bulb and pass along the postero-lateral sides of the body. They terminate laterally
to the posterior sucker. The intestinal cæca are diverticulated internally ; the
diverticula being either simple or divided.
The excretory bladder is pear-shaped and opens posteriorly on the dorsal
side.
The lymphatic system consists of three pairs of canals, dorsal, ventral and
lateral.
The testes are situated antero-lateral to the posterior sucker. They are lobed
and measure 0.28—0.33 × 0.31—4.46. The vasa efferentia arise from the dorsal
aspect of the testes and unite centrally into a vas deferens. This latter after a zig-
zag course enters the cirrus sac which is spindle-shaped, muscular and measures
0.5 × 0.3. The details of the male genital duct inside the cirrus sac are exactly
similar to that occurring in the species Pfenderius heterocœca described in the earlier
part of this paper.
The ovary is an oval body situated centrally, immediately in front of the
posterior sucker. It measures 0.25 × 0.2. The shell gland is situated to the left
of the ovary almost at the same level. Laurer's canal opens on the dorsal side
slightly lateral to the central line. The uterus first passes to the left side and after
a few coils returns to the right. After describing a few coils on this side it is continued
as the vagina, which passes by the side of the cirrus sac and enters the hermaphrodi-
tic bulb to open on the genital papilla by the side of the male genital duct. The
genital papilla opens into the genital atrium which communicates with the exterior
by means of the genital pore. The vitelline follicles extend laterally to the intestinal
cæca and the posterior sucker. The transverse vitelline ducts are fairly stout.
The eggs are elliptical and measure 0.158—0.168 × 0.09—0.098.
Discussion. This species, having an elongate, spindle-shaped and muscular
cirrus sac and an oral sucker with lateral diverticula, falls under the sub-family
Pfenderinæ of the family Paramphistomidæ. Only two genera: Pfenderius Stiles
HELMINTH PARASITES OF THE INDIAN ELEPHANT.
39
and Goldberger, 1910 and Tagumœa Fukui, 1926, have been so far proposed under
the sub-family Pfenderinæ. Fukui [1926] proposes the following diagnosis for these
two genera:—
Pfenderius.—" Pfenderinæ with papillated acetabulum. Oesophageal bulb
composed of thick bundles of circular muscle fibres. Cæca not divided into two
parts. "
Tagumæa.—"Pfenderinæ with the acetabulum not papillated. Oesophageal
bulb composed of alternate bundles of circular and longitudinal muscle fibres.
Cæca divided into anterior broad and posterior short slender portion. " The species
from Burma resembles Tagumæa in having the musculature of the œsophageal bulb
composed of only circular muscle fibres. In regard to the character of the intestinal
cæca, however, the species from Burma differs from both the genera; possessing as
it does cæca which are diverticulated internally. It might, therefore, be thought
advisable to create a new genus for its reception, but it is not proposed to do so in
the present state of our knowledge of the species belonging to Pfenderinæ. The
discovery of the species under discussion, which has some characters in common with
both Pfenderius papillatus and Tagumœa heterocœca, also opens the question
of the validity of the genus Tagumœa and the present writer proposes the abolition
of this genus, so as to merge it into the synonomy of Pfenderius. In the opinion of
the writer, the condition of the posterior sucker, papillated or not, the nature of the
musculature of the œsophageal bulb and the nature of the intestinal cæca : simple,
branched or heteromorphic, do not form a valid basis for the creation of a new genus.
The writer therefore proposes to refer his new species from Burma to the old genus
Pfenderius and suggests for it the specific name Pfenderius birmanicus.
Pfenderius birmanicus (Bhalerao, 1935).
Specific diagnosis.—Length 2.3, breadth 2.12. Mouth subterminal. Posterior
sucker 0.92—1.02 in diameter, without papillae. Genital pore 0.48 from anterior
end. Oesophageal bulb with circular muscle fibres. Intestinal cæca diverticulated
internally. Testes lobed, antero-lateral to posterior sucker. Ovary oval and
central, immediately anterior to posterior sucker. Vitellaria lateral to intestinal
cæca and posterior sucker. Eggs elliptical, 0.158—0.168 × 0.09—0.098.
Location.—Intestine.
Locality.—Burma (Toungoo).
The type-slide has been deposited in the Helminthological Museum of the
Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research, Muktesar.
To accommodate the new species described here in Pfenderinæ it is necessary
to amend its definition. The proposed revised diagnosis of Pfenderinæ is as
follows :—Paramphistomidæ with conical body. Posterior sucker papillated or
not papillated. Oral sucker with paired diverticula. Oesophagus with bulb
Intestinal cæca simple, diverticulated or heteromorphic. Testes lobed symmetrical.
40
THE INDIAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. [V, I
Cirrus sac spindle-shaped muscular. Inside the cirrus sac male genital duct
differentiated into vesicula-seminalis, pars prostatica and cirrus. Genital sucker
absent. Vitellaria lateral. Excretory system coiled. Lymphatic system consisting
of three pairs of canals. Parasitic in the Indian elephant.
Type-genus.—Pfenderius Stiles and Goldberger, 1910.
GESTODA.
FAMILY ANOPLOCEPHALIDÆ.
Anoplocephala manubriata (Railliet, Henry and Bauche, 1914).
Location.—Intestine.
Locality.—Burma (Toungoo).
Meggitt [1926] recorded the presence of this worm " obtained once in a post-
mortem on a dead tame elephant ".
NEMATODA.
FAMILY STRONGYLIDÆ.
Equinurbia sipunculiformis (Baird, 1859.)
Location.—Large intestine.
Locality.—Andamans.
These parasites on examination were found to agree in all respects with the
description given by Lane [1914].
Murshidia falcifer (Cobbold, 1888).
Location.—Large intestine.
Locality.—Andamans.
In general the parasites at my disposal agree with the description given by Lane
[1914]. There are, however, some minor points of difference ; important amongst
these being that in some specimens one of the spicules is quite straight and does
not possess the characteristic bend at its posterior extremity. The measurements
of some of the specimens at my disposal are different and for that reason are given
below:—
Female.—Length 28, thickness 0.96, diameter of head 0.28, buccal capsule
0.13 dia., œsophagus 1.04 × 0.325, cervical papillæ 1.34 from anterior end,
cuticular striæ 0.004 apart, anus and vulva 1.92 and 2.76 respectively from the
posterior end, vagina 0.83 long, ovijector 0.53 long.
Male—Length 2 × 5.4, thickness 1.02, Spicules 1.72 long.
FAMILY SYNGAMIDÆ.
Syngamus indicus (Mönnig, 1932).
These worms were obtained from the larynx and œdematous swelling under
the neck of the elephant. This species has been recently described by Mönnig