NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
REVIEW
Diseases of the Pig and its Husbandary. DAVID J. ANTHONY, M. R.
C. V. S. , D. V. S. M. (VICT.). (London : Bailliere, Tindall and Cox, 1940. Pp.
xi+272, 48 illus. 10s. 6d. ).
M R. Anthony's book fills a long-felt need for an authoritative book,
in English dealing with the pig from a veterinary aspect.
Excellent descriptions are given of the various diseases of pigs and in
several instances the illustrations of lesions should enable one to recognize
the disease condition as it occurs in the affected animal. Eight chapters
are devoted to the description of the diseases. One chapter deals with diseases
scheduled in Great Britain, viz. anthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, swine
fever and rabies, the next one with non-scheduled constitutional diseases
which include the remaining bacterial and virus diseases and protozoan
infections and another with deficiency diseases caused by the lack of minerals
and vitamins. Four chapters are taken up by local diseases which include
diseases of the digestive, urinogenital, respiratory, circulatory, nervous and
cutaneous systems. Dental diseases also find a place amongst these diseases.
The last chapter in this series is devoted to diseases caused by ecto- and endo¬
parasites. Affections resulting from infestation with Arthropoda (flies,
lice, ticks and mites), trematodes, cestodes, nematodes and acanthocephala
are all described and a complete list of these parasites and the methods of
examining them and their ova for identification are also given. The last
chapter of the book deals with mineral and organic poisons, poisonous plants
and foodstuffs, which may cause trouble in pigs, and also contains a descrip-
tion of anaphylactic shock as it occurs in pigs.
Though the description of diseases and their control form the bulk of
the book, due prominence is also given to pig husbandry, e. g. chapters are
devoted to a description of various breeds, their housing and management,
breeding, feeding, dentition and ageing, signs of health, restraint and handling,
market requirements, etc. This is all to the good, for it is now clearly realized
that in the control of diseases of animals, their husbandry must also be the
subject of study and practice.
The field covered by the publication is thus wide and comprehensive.
It is attractively printed and bound and contains a vast store of practical
information. Here in India, people are beginning to realize the potentialities
of this industry, which yields most profitable returns, and we can warmly
recommend the book to veterinarians who have to deal with pigs, to pig
breeders and to others interested in this industry. [ R. L. K. ]
71
F
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
NASAL SCHISTOSOMIASIS IN GOATS
BY
P. G. MALKANI, B. A. (HONS. ), B. Sc. (LOND-VET. ), M. R. C. V. S.
AND
G. PRASAD, G. B. V. C.
First Laboratory Assistant
Bihar Veterinary College, Patna
(Received for publication on 20 January 1941)
(With Plates IV and V)
M ONTGOMERY'S [1906] pioneer work established that bilharziasis was
quite common in domesticated animals in India. He showed that
horse and donkey harboured Schistosoma indicum [Montgomery, 1906],
that cattle harboured Schistosoma bovis [Sonsino, 1876], Schistosoma bomfordi
[Montgomery, 1906] and Schistosoma spindalis [Montgomery, 1906], and that
sheep harboured Schistosoma bovis [Sonsino, 1876] and Schistosoma indicum
[Montgomery, 1906]. Liston and Soparkar [1918] worked out the life-history
of Schistosoma spindalis [Montgomery, 1906] and showed that goat and buffalo
also harboured this parasite. Seven years later, Fairley and Mackie [1925]
studied the histo-pathology of Schistosoma spindalis [Montgomery, 1906]
infestation in goats and established that as in bovines it affected exclusively
the portal system in them and that its ova were voided only with the faeces.
The problem of schistosomiasis among animals does not appear to have
attracted much attention until Malkani [1932] announced both at a public
lecture and in a short note in the Veterinary Record that the cause of the com-
monly encountered nasal granuloma in cattle had been discovered to be a
schistosome. This was soon followed by publications by Datta [1932], Rao
[1932] and Malkani [1933]. In each of these publications it was clear that a
new schistosome of cattle had been discovered, and Malkani [1933] consider-
ing it as. a distinct species suggested the name Schistosoma spindalis var. nasale.
[1933] gave records of cases (though infrequent) of nasal granuloma in buf-
faloes due to the same parasite—Schistosoma nasalis.
Goats have, however, remained as yet an unsuspected host of this parasite.
does occur in goats and that the causative parasite is Schistosoma nasalis,
which is the cause of the disease in bovines and buffaloes.
73
Ind. J. Vet. Sci. & Anim. Husb. , Vol. XI, Part II ]
PLATE
IV
FIG. 1. Photograph of a goat suffering from nasal granuloma
FIG. 2. Microphotograph of male and
female schistosomes recovered
from the liver of a goat suffer-
ing from nasal granuloma.
Note the tuberculated cuticle
FIG. 3. Microphotograph of eggs of Schistosoma nasalis seen in a cover glass
preparation of the nasal discharge from a case of nasal granuloma
in cattle
PLATE V
[ Ind. J. Vet. Sci. & Anim. Husb., Vol. XI, Part II
FIG. 1. Microphotograph of characteristic eggs seen
in a cover glass preparation of nasal discharge
from a goat suffering from nasal granuloma
FIG. 2. Microphotograph of a section of growth
showing the concentration of eosinophiles round
a cavity occupied by an egg containing a well
defined embryo
FIG. 3. Microphotograph of a section of a growth
showing cavities containing a developed embryo
in one and cut parts of embryo in others
FIG. 4. Microphotograph of a section of a growth
showing transverse section of the parasites (male
and female in copula) in situ
P. G. MALKANI AND G.
PRASAD
75
Examination of urine, faeces and blood. —Samples of urine and faeces were
negative for schistosome eggs. Blood smears revealed only a slight eosino¬
philia.
Post-mortem examination. —The general condition of the animal at the
time of destruction was fair. On post-mortem examination the liver and the
cortex of the kidneys were found to be slightly congested. The mouth,
pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, spleen, intestines and urinary bladder showed
nothing unusual. Nasal fossae showed the characteristic changes. The
septum nasi and alae nasi showed the lesions, the congestion extended higher
even up to the turbinate bones. The mucous membrane was oedematous and
there were raised patches studded over with tiny abscesses. Small ulcers
were found on the raised granulomatous growths. No growths were found
in the sinuses. The growths were soft and friable and dirty grey in colour.
outer surface was irregular showing ulcerations. The growths varied in size
from that of a small pea to a large pea. The larynx and trachea showed noth-
ing unusual. The lungs appeared to be normal but when incised and pressed
many schistosomes were recovered. The pericardium and heart were nor-
mal.
Collection of schistosomes. —As Rao [1934] reports that nasal schistosomes
were not recovered by him from the portal system of cattle suffering from nasal
schistosomiasis, a careful examination of the liver for the parasites was, there-
fore, undertaken. The portal vessels were ligatured before the removal of the
organ. It was washed, the knot was removed and the blood was pressed out
of the vessels, to which water was added and a careful search for parasites was
made. The worms were found as small white thread-like bodies coiled up in
the form of letter ' C '. Only one female was found in copula (Plate IV,
The lungs were similarly removed from the thoracic cavity and examined.
water containing the blood from lungs was searched carefully for the para-
sites. Many single males and two females in copula were recovered.
The morphological details of the adults were as follows :—
Male. —Length 5-10 mm. ; cuticle coarsely tuberculate; testicular
glands 3-4.
Female. —Length 12 mm. ; ovary post equitorial; leng
caecum 4.8 mm. , i. e. about a third of the parasite.
In none of these females which were in copula did the uterus show any
eggs.
Morbid histology. —As already stated small and superficial portions of the
growths had been received from the Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon,
Dinapore. Other material for histo-pathological study was obtained from the
goat which was destroyed at this laboratory.
Examination of sections of these growths revealed a typical picture of
highly vascular granulation tissue. Most of the sections contained only
young vascular tissue showing that the growths were not of long standing.
which were covered with a meshwork of fibrin containing red blood cells,
76
Nasal Schistosomiasis in Goats
leucocytes and a large number of capillary loops. Deeper layers showed
marked cellular infiltration with round, epithelial, a few polymorphonuclear
but mostly eosinophile cells. The eosinophile infiltration was noticeable
around cavities. Many of these cavities were empty and some of them had a
striking resemblance to the shape of the eggs of the parasite. Others were
seen to be occupied by eggs enclosing well-defined embryos (Plate V, fig. 2) or
even fully developed miracidium (Plate V, fig. 3). The large blood vessels
situated deeply in the affected tissue, specially the veins, showed transverse
sections of schistosomes, some of them single, others in copula (Plate V, fig. 4).
thickened. Around some of these veins one could see the same kind of cellular
infiltration with formation of large plasmoidal giant cells, eosinophile infiltra-
tion and fibrosis as seen round the eggs. In some parts the arteries showed
varying degrees of endarteritis.
The morbid histology was thus similar to the one seen by Malkani [1933]
in cases of bovine nasal schistosomiasis.
Discussion. —The results of this investigation have shown that nasal
schistosomiasis occurs in goats. Further, the schistosome responsible for this
disease in goats is identical with Schistosoma nasalis [Rao, 1932]; this is proved
by a comparison of the photographs and morphological details of the adult
parasite and its eggs obtained from goat with those from cattle affected with
nasal schistosomiasis.
There appears to be some difference of opinion as regards the positions
in which nasal schistosomes are found in their host. Malkani [1933] found in
bovines most of the schistosomes, both single and in copula, from the liver and
the examination of the in-utero eggs showed that they were exactly like those
seen in the nasal discharge. Rao [1934] reports that he has not been able to
find the nasal schistosomes in the portal or mesenteric vessels of animals exa-
mined in abattoirs or in calves experimentally infested with nasal schistosomes
and goes on to state ' these parasites do not develop in the portal or mesenteric
vessels and that they choose the nasal veins only as their habitat and develop
there '. The author has obtained many schistosomes from the liver as well as
the lungs of the goat under observation ; two from the former and one from
the latter situation were in copula. A comparison of schistosomes from both
organs showed that they were identical and had the same tuberculated cuticle.
[Montgomery, 1906] in faeces would point to these parasites obtained from the
liver and the lungs being probably Schistosoma nasalis but definite opinion as
to their identity must be held in abeyance till parasites containing eggs are
obtained for study.
CONCLUSIONS
1. Nasal schistosomiasis occurs in goats.
2. The species of schistosome responsible for this caprine nasal schisto-
somiasis is Schistosoma nasalis which is also responsible for
nasal schistosomiasis in cattle.
P. G. MALKANI AND G.
PRASAD
77
3. The goat like the buffalo must therefore be taken into consideration
in the eradication campaign against the more common bovine
nasal schistosomiasis.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks are due to Mr. M. I. Malik, B. Sc. , M. R. C. V. S. , Principal of the
Bihar Veterinary College, for the facilities afforded for this investigation. We
wish to place on record our appreciation of the help received from Messrs.
K. S. Sankaram (Demonstrator), Raghuvans Bhushan (Artist) and R. R.
Sarkar, Touring Veterinary Assistant Surgeon, Dinapore.
REFERENCES
Bhalerao, G. D. (1932). Ind. J. Vet. Sci. and Anim. Husb. 2, 338
Datta, S. C. A. (1932). Ind. J. Vet. Sci. and Anim. Husb. 2, 131
Fairley, N. H. and Mackie, F. P. (1926). Trans. Far. East. Assocc Trop. Amidi. Sixth
Congress 1, 423
Liston, W. G. and Soparkar, M. B. (1918). Ind. J. Med. Res. 6, 567
Malkani, P. G. (1932). Ind. Vet. J. 8, 286 : Vet. Rec. 12, 416
(1933). Ind. Vet. J. 9, 257
Montgomery, R. E. (1906). J. Trop. Vet. Sci. 1, 1 : 2, 138.
Rao, M. A. N. (1932). Ind. J. Vet. Sci. and Anim. Husb. 3, 29 : Ind. Vet. J. 9, 107
(1933). Ind. J. Vet. Sci. and Anim. Husb. 3, 160
(1934). Ind. J. Vet. Sci. and Anim. Husb. 4, 1
CONCENTRATION OF VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID) IN
THE TISSUES OF FARM ANIMALS IN HEALTH
AND DISEASE*
BY
S. N. RAY, M. Sc. , PH. D.
Assistant Research Officer (Biochemistry), Animal Nutrition Section,
Imperial Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar
(Received for publication on 2 December 1940)
(With one text-figure)
C ONSIDERABLE interest in the rô1e played by vitamin C in the animal
system has been caused by the recent discovery that the vitamin C require-
ment of the body is very greatly increased in several infectious diseases. Heise
and Martin [1936] found that patients suffering from tuberculosis excrete in
the urine less vitamin C than is excreted by healthy persons on a similar diet,
and the vitamin C requirement of such patients is much greater than the
normal. Similar findings were recorded by other workers in the case of a
variety of infectious diseases such as pneumonia [Harde, Rothstein and Ratish,
1935] and rheumatoid arthritis [Abbassy and Harris, 1937].
As very little is known about the rôle played by vitamin C in the animal
body, the cause of the increased requirement in these diseases cannot be ex-
plained satisfactorily. The most plausible theory is that this vitamin may
have some anti-infective action within the body and probably reacts with the
toxins produced by micro-organisms. Some support to this theory has been
given by Heise and Schwartz [1937], who observed a small improvement in
tubercular patients who were given vitamin C. King and Menten [1935] and
Greenwald and Harde [1935] also found a similar beneficial effect from the
administration of vitamin C in diphtheria while Jungeblut [1939] obtained
similar results in poliomyelitis. Other workers [Sendroy and Schultz, 1936 ;
Parsons, 1938; Baumann and Rappolt, 1937 ; Zilva, 1937] have, however,
failed to observe any such improvement in any disease through the administra-
tion of vitamin C, and they ascribe the heightened requirement of the body to
the increased catabolic destruction of the vitamin owing to pyrexia.
So far, however, no work seems to have been done to find out the diminu-
tion, if any, in the vitamin C concentration of the various tissues of common
domestic animals suffering from infectious diseases. The point is of great
interest since animals such as cows, horses, goats and fowls are known to live
for indefinite periods in perfect health without the inclusion of any vitamin
C in their diet, and are supposed to be able to synthesize this vitamin within
their bodies from unknown ingredients in their feed. In fact, the only species
which require vitamin C in their diet are men, monkeys and guinea-pigs.
*This work was carried out in the Pathology and Bacteriology section of the Imperial
Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar.
78
S. N.
RAY
79
The present work was taken in hand in order to find out whether the endo-
genous production of vitamin C in livestock is sufficient to meet the enhanced
requirement of the system during disease. A number of interesting facts were
revealed and it was found that in many diseased conditions the vitamin C
concentration in the blood and other tissues was much lower than the corres-
ponding values in normal animals, proving thereby that the capacity of the
animals to synthesize this vitamin is distinctly restricted.
EXPERIMENTAL
The vitamin C (ascorbic acid) contents of the tissues were estimated
according to the method of Birch, Harris and Ray [1933]. The capsules of the
organs were removed and the central portions dried between pieces of filter
paper. Weighed amounts of tissue were then thoroughly ground up with
20 per cent trichloracetic acid and sand and the mixture made up to a definite
volume so that the final suspension contained 5 per cent trichloracetic acid.
The filtrate was titrated against a definite volume of an aqueous solution of
2 : 6 dichlorphenol indophenol, standardised against pure ascorbic acid. In
the case of blood plasma, 7 c. c. of plasma were added to 3 c. c. of 20 per
cent trichloracetic acid, mixed thoroughly and centrifuged rapidly for fifteen
minutes. Four c. c. of the clear supernatant was titrated against a dilute
standard solution of 2 : 6 dichlorphenol indophenol. A blank was run at the
same time with diluted trichloracetic acid and the amount of dye required to
obtain a pink colour was subtracted from the amount required by the plasma
sample. Except where otherwise mentioned, all blood samples were collected
from animals showing definite symptoms of the particular diseases under study,
and the liver and spleen samples were taken as soon as possible after the death
of the animals. Any sample showing the slightest sign of putrefaction was
rejected. Both the normal and diseased animals were kept as far as practi-
cable on the same type of ration.
The results obtained were as follows:
TABLE I
Concentration of ascorbic acid in the various tissues of normal and diseased
animals
Nature of disease
Normal
Concentration of ascorbic acid in tissues
examined
Blood plasma
mg/100 c. c.
Hill-bulls
0.34—0.77
(0.50)
Liver
mg/gram
0.30—0.45
(0.39)
Spleen
mg/gram
0.22—0.35
(0.26)
80
Vitamin C in the Tissues of Farm Animals
TABLE I—contd.
Nature of disease
Rinderpest
Acute theileriasis
Blackquarter
Normal
Rinderpest
Normal
Helminthic infestation
Normal
Ranikhet disease
Concentration of ascorbic acid in tissues
examined
Blood plasma
mg/100 c. c.
Hill-bulls
0.06—0.39
(0.19)
0.25—0.51
(0.43)
..
Goats
0.40—1.14
(0.74)
0.10—0.74
(0.48)
Ponies
0.45—0.82
(0.61)
0.00—0.28
(0.17)
Fowls
..
..
Liver
mg/gram
0.15—0.21
(0.18)
0.16—0.28
(0.23)
0.04—0.09
(0.07)
0.28—0.51
(0.40)
0.14—0.39
(0.25)
..
..
0.28—0.45
(0.41)
0.38—0.56
(0.47)
Spleen
mg/gram
0.06—0.10
(0.08)
0.11—0.27
(0.18)
0.03—0.05
(0.04)
0.14—0.31
(0.28)
0.08—0.21
(0.13)
..
..
0.30—0.38
(0.31)
0.27—0.44
(0.36)
NOTE. —The figures within brackets represent average values.
The values for the concentration of the vitamin in the tissues of normal
animals were found to agree reasonably well with the figures given by
workers in the western hemisphere [Birch, Harris and Ray, 1933 ; Bessey and
King, 1933 ; Svirbely, 1933].
It will also be seen that in hill-bulls and horses, certain bacterial or virus
infections or helminthic infestations appear to lower vitamin C in the blood
and to deplete considerably the store of this vitamin in the liver and spleen.
It is probable, therefore, that the rate of destruction or utilization of the vita-
min under pathological conditions is much greater than the rate of synthesis of
vitamin C by these animals. On the other hand, protozoal infections such as
theileriasis appear to have relatively much less effect on the vitamin C concen-
tration of either the blood or the spleen. This difference between the effect
of a typical virus disease such as rinderpest and that of acute theileriasis on the
concentration of vitamin C in the blood is clear from Table II.
S. N.
RAY
81
TABLE II
Statistical treatment of figures in Table I
Groups
A
B
t
55.28
13.57
Degrees of
freedom
28
22
Remarks
Very significant
Significant
Group A. Comparison between the concentrations of vitamin C in normal animals and
in animals suffering from rinderpest.
Group B. Similar comparison in normal animals and animals suffering from acute
theileriasis.
The results show that the degree of depletion in rinderpest is more than
four times as great as in acute theileriasis.
In fowls, the concentration of vitamin C in the liver and spleen did not
change when the birds had even died from such a virulent disease as Ranikhet
disease. If anything, the concentration was found to have increased beyond
that found in normal birds. The reason for this sharp difference between fowls
and other animals is not clear.
In the case of hill-bulls suffering from rinderpest it was also found (Table
III) that the fall in the concentration of vitamin C in the blood was roughly
proportional to the degree of severity of the infection. In this connection,
it may be pointed out that in goats, which suffer from an attenuated form of
rinderpest, the drop in the concentration of vitamin C in blood is much smaller
than that in bulls.
TABLE III
Correlation between vitamin C concentration of blood and severity of rinderpest
infection
Number of hill-bull
43
44
126
132
87
94
148
66
32
Concentration
of vitamin C
(mg. per 100
c. c. blood
plasma)
0.064
0.220
0.048
0.220
0.310
0.240
0.39
0.285
0.125
Degree of infection
++++++
++++++
++++++
++++++
++
++++
0
+
++++++
(Very severe)
(Do. )
(Do. )
(Do. )
(Mild)
(Severe)
(Nil)
(Very mild)
(Very severe)
82
Vitamin C in the Tissues of Farm Animals
In order to find out whether the fall in the ascorbic acid concentration of
blood is due to the high temperature run by the animals, a day-to-day esti-
mation was made of the blood of normal animals, of animals inoculated with
rinderpest virus and of animals infected with acute theileriasis. The results
are depicted graphically in Fig. 1. Each curve represents the average of the
figures comprising each group. It will be seen that the concentration of
vitamin C in the blood of animals inoculated with rinderpest began to fall on
the second day, when the temperature of the animals was still normal. More-
over, in cases of theileriasis the concentration did not fall below the initial
levels even though the animals were running high temperature. It may
therefore, be inferred that the reduction in vitamin C in rinderpest is mainly
due to the action of virus and is not associated with pyrexia. Further, the
curves definitely prove that acute theileriasis has little effect on the vitamin C
concentration of the blood of infected animals.
Fig. 1. Rate of variation in the vitamin C concentration of blood plasma in normal
and infected animals.