NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
March 1955]
M.
ANANTARAMAN
67
The four plants mentioned above are distributed in South India as follows:
Balanites sp. .
Acacia sp. . .
Sapindus sp. . .
Caesalpinia sp. . .
In black cotton soil areas, like Hyderabad, Mysore, Ceded Districts and
Coimbatore of Madras.
In heavy rainfall areas like Malabar.
On sandy soil along the east coast of Madras.
In the plains with normal or meagre rainfall.
The Hindi, Tamil and Telugu names of different snails are given below
Scientific name
Balanites aegyptiaca
Sapindus emarginatus
Acacia concinna
Caesalpinia coraria
Hindi
Hingan
Ritha
Shikakai
Divi-Divi
Tamil
Nanjundan
Ponnan-kottai
Shikakai
Inki-maram
Telugu
Garapandu
Kunkudu-
Kayalu
Shikakai
Divi-Divi
Large scale planting in the different regions ought to be advocated and encour-
aged by the authorities of the Agriculture and Forest Departments perhaps as a
phase of the National Tree Planting Campaign (Vana Mahotsava) undertaken in
this country annually.
It must be remembered in conclusion, that in biological control whether by
introduction of predators on snails or planting of harmful trees, initial planning and
expenditure alone are necessary, while in mechanical or chemical methods these
will have to be repeated.
A complete and technical account of the study of the bionomics and
control of these snails may be awaited.
ABSTRACTS
Calf Paratyphoid. I. A general discussion of the disease in relation to animal
and man. HENNING, M. W. (1953) Onderstepoort J. vet. Res., 26 (1), 3-23
T HE author, besides recording his own observations, has reviewed the literature
on calf paratyphoid and allied Salmonella infections of other animals and man.
Having commented on the history of calf scours, its world-wide distribution and
the pathogenicity of different Salmonella strains for various species of animals and
man, Henning dwells on the relative frequency with which these strains are encoun-
tered in bovine infection; out of 507 cultures isolated from outbreaks in calves,
491 were identified as S. dublin, 11 as S. typhimurium, four as S. enteritidis and one
as S. bovis-morbificans. Twelve additional strains of S. dublin were isolated from
adult cattle.
For detecting carriers, the advisability of having recourse to both serological
and faecal culture examinations is stressed, as none of these, by itself, was found
to be as reliable as a combination of both. Contrary to what is observed in S.
typhimurium and S. abortus equi infections, the agglutinogenic response of infected,
carrier or immunised animals with S. dublin was found to result, principally, in the
production of 'H' agglutinins.
The role played by rats in disseminating Salmonella infections in man and
animals is brought out, and the practice of using commercial rat viruses for the
extermination of rats is deprecated.
The possibility of transmission of Salmonella infection from cattle to man,
with particular reference to S. dublin infection, through the agency of contaminated
milk, is discussed. (G.S.)
The therapeutic and prophylactic properties of Antrycide in trypanosomiasis of
cattle. R.N.T.W. FIENNES. (1953) Brit. vet. J. 109 7 280-295, 8 charts
T HIS is a review of work done under colonial development and welfare scheme.
(R. 318, 1949 to 1952).
Antrycide, a trypanocidal drug, was described by Curd and Davey [1950] to
possess the following properties: (1) Among most of the trypanocides, Antrycide was
active against more species of trypanosomes. (2) It had a wide therapeutic index.
(3) Being an insoluble salt, it protected the mice for a long period.
It was demonstrated by Davey that injections of Antrycide chloride were
effective in preventing the appearance of T. vivax in the peripheral blood of cattle
provided that the challenge was made within three to four months and of T. congo-
lense within five to six months. During the course of the experiments certain
animals, though revealed negative blood smears, were found to give positive serolo-
gical result. This was considered to be the evidence of cryptic infection. In such
69
112 AR/54
14
72
ABSTRACTS
[Vol. XXIV, Part I,
that the heat treatment had more beneficial effects on the four-day old eggs than
the five-hour old eggs. The percentage loss in weight by heat treatment was more
in the five-hour old eggs than in the four-day old eggs. This effect was also
noticed during storage. It was also noticed that increasing the time of heat
treatment decreased the percentage loss in weight during storage, probably due to
the coagulation of proteins in the shell and membrances. (T.D.M.)
The effect of low manganese rations upon dairy cattle. O. G. BENTLEY AND P. H.
PHILLIPS (1951) J. Dairy Sci. XXXIV, 5 ; 396-403
T HE authors have found sterility in about 10 per cent of cattle in certain parts
of Wisconsin where the manganese content of the forage falls below 20 p.p.m.
The effect of low maganese rations upon milk production, growth and reproductive
performance has been studied.
Two experiments on young Holstein heifers have been conducted and studies
have been made through one, two or three lactations.
In the first experiment, the manganese levels in the ration were kept at 7-10
p.p.m. and 30 p.p.m.; and in the second, the levels studied were 7-10 p.p.m., 40
p.p.m. and 60 p.p.m.
From these experiments it was found that the level of manganese in the ration
had no effect on the growth of young Holstein heifer calves, but heifers raised on
low manganese rations were slower to exhibit oestrus and were slightly slower to
conceive upon breeding. The vitamin A, C or carotene content of blood was not
affected by these levels of manganese in the ration. The manganese content of the
organs and tissues of the animals were found to be similar in different groups,
except in the case of ovary the manganese content of which was less than half in the
low manganese group than in the supplemented group. Manganese (7-10 p.p.m.
to 60 p.p.m.) was found to have no effect on milk production. The livers of the
cattle on low manganese ration had abnormal structural changes.
The authors suggest that 20 p.p.m. would seem to be a satisfactory level of
manganese and below this level, supplementation is indicated. (K.N.)
The incidence of fungi in the lungs of poultry. JORDON, F.T.W. (1954) Brit. vet. J.,
110, 25-26
M ycological flora of macroscopically normal lungs of 25 dead birds were investi-
gated as their presence in apparently normal birds became suspicious, especially
in cases of difficult diagnosis. Normal lungs ground with sterile sand and saline
were sown on Sabouraud's medium, basal culture medium and two per cent maltose
extract agar ; and incubated at 25°C. For identification, yeasts were stained with
10 per cent Nigrosin.
Twenty-two carcasses yielded fungus growth and a total of 37 cultures of nine
different species, with up to four species from a single pair of lungs, were obtained.
Penicillium was found to be the most common. A. fumigatus next in occurrence
while A. glaucus, A. candidus, A. versicolor, mucor, phycomycetis and yeast were
found to be less common.
March 1955]
ABSTRACTS
73
Greater incidence would have been found and more varieties isolated had larger
amounts of lung tissue and larger number of carcasses been examined. (Similar
investigation in this country will be worthwhile as a large number of deaths were
attributed to fungus in M. P. some years ago. (B.N.G.)
Maedi—a slow progressive pneumonia of sheep. S. BJORN (1954). Brit. vet. J., 110, 7
T HE author gives a description of a slow progressive pneumonia of sheep pre-
valent in Iceland from 1939 to 1952 and reported to have come from Germany
with the import of Karakul rams distributed after weeks of quarantine station.
It affects sheep which are two years old or more, mortality varying from 10 to 20 per
cent. The first symptoms are usually a slowly advancing listlessness and loss of
condition, more apparent after a long journey or weather changes for worse.
Temperature is within normal range.
There is 7 to 8 gm. of Hb per 100 M.L. as compared to 12 to 14 per M.L. in normal
sheep but there is no decrease in R.B.C. There is increase in W. B. C., low protein
level in the blood. Lungs are heavier than normal, but no fluid is formed in the
lung and no fibrosis occurs. Disease is transmitted by contact. Expensive
feeding experiments with copper and cobalt did not show any beneficial effects.
Sheep inoculated into the lung and intranasally showed heavy weight of the lungs
in sheep slaughtered 32 months after the experiment. There is leucocytosis, which,
however, disappears with the development of clinical symptoms.
Microscopic lesions consisted of scattered infiltrations consisting of lympho-
cytes, plasma cells and monocytes surrounding or close to a small artery. Such
lesions were encountered in sheep in other series of transmission experiments slau-
ghtered after 30 to 90 days of inoculation with injective material. Long incubation
period seemed to be a period of activity when slowly progressive anatomical lesions
were developing in lungs till clinical symptoms developed. No anti-bodies could be
detected in sera of animals affected with disease. Haemagglutinating substances
were extracted from the lungs, agglutinin, being found only in diseased lungs and
active against chicken R.B.C. of Vaccinia positive type.
Existence of such insidious diseases in other countries shows the implicit need of
importing sheep for improvement in this country from absolutely disease-free areas
and observing strict quarantine measures. This investigation shows the
thoroughness employed in investigating obscure diseases abroad. (H.K.L.)
REVIEW
AVIAN PHYSIOLOGY
BY PAUL D. STURKIE
(Published by Bailliere, Tindall and Cox, 7 and 8 Henrietta Street, London, W.C.2,
1954, pp. 424, Price 48s.)
T HE book has been devoted to the specialized physiology of birds, dealing mainly
with the chicken, duck and pigeon. As physiology provides a basis of animal
husbandry and veterinary medicine, the publication of this book should afford much
satisfaction to students and research workers in poultry science and veterinary
medicine. The book is fairly comprehensive and brings together our existing
knowledge of avian physiology. It draws on a wealth of the best and latest results
gained in research especially on hypophysis, gonadal hormones and thyroids. The
chapter on electrocardiography has also been lucidly recorded. The knowledge that
broodiness in chickens can be terminated by estrogen administration, the fattening
of table birds can be achieved by synthetic estrogen, such as diethlstilbestrol or
dianisylhexene, old hens can be rejuvenated and increase in egg production can
be obtained by administration of thyroactive compounds, are some of the instances
of marvels of science which on proper application can be of considerable economic
importance to the poultry industry. The book has been excellently produced and
well supplied with references to the literature and has an adequate subject index.
(S.B.)
74
MGIPC—M—112 A R/54—15-3-55—750.
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
OBSERVATIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THYROIDAL
ACTIVITY OF CHICKS AND ' CAECAL COCCIDIOSIS '
(EIMERIA
TENELLA)
By B. S. GILL, M.V.Sc. (HONS.), Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Mukteswar-
Kumaon (U.P.)
(Received for publication on 7 February 1955)
I NCREASING use of thyroprotein and thiouracil in commercial poultry farming
led Wheeler et al., [1948] and Todd et al., [1949] to study the effects of thus indu-
ced changes in thyroid activity of host chicks, upon the growth rates of Eimeria ten-
ella and the parasitised chicks. Wheeler and his associates reported that thiouracil
feeding did not materially change the resistance of chicks to this parasite. Hyper-
thyroid chicks suffered 12 and 14 per cent less mortality than the unmedicated and
hypothyroid lots respectively. However, birds in the latter two groups suffered
the same mortality and reduction of the rate of gains in body weights. Todd and
others [1949] observed that hyperthyroid chicks were more densely parasitised by
Eimeria tenella and produced a larger number of oocysts than did the control
(unmedicated) birds.
Hypo- and hyperthyroidism are two relative conditions of thyroid activity
depending upon breed, strain [Glazner and Jull, 1946], age of the animal and the
climatic factors [Reineke and Turner, 1945]. Wheeler et al., [1948] in their experi-
ments, had employed fortnight-old chicks of three breeds (unnamed) which were
started on medicated feed (0.1 per cent thiouracil and 0.02 per cent thyroprotein
respectively) 12 days before infection (60,000 sporulated oocysts of E. tenella to
each bird). They judged the effects of the two drugs on growth of the parasite
indirectly by comparing gains made in body weights and mortality suffered by
chicks of the three groups. Todd et al., [1949] started 46-day-old New Hampshere
chicks on mash medicated with thyroprotein (0.04 per cent) 6 days before infection
(approximately 250 sporulated oocysts of E. tenella to each bird). Body weight
and oocyst counts per gramme of caecal contents 23 days after infection were taken
with a view to judging the results of experiments. As these two experiments were
conducted under widely differing conditions, their results cannot be safely compared
with each other. Separate breeds of chicks of different age groups were employed
under dissimilar climatic conditions. Thyroprotein was fed in two different
concentrations. Pre-test medication period differed widely in the two experiments.
Mortality rate [Wheeler et al., 1948] alone fails to indicate the effect of alterer
thyroid status on growth of the parasite directly as altered physiological thyroid
status could have modified death rate through changed basal metabolic rate
(B. M. R.). At the most it could serve only as an indirect means to gauge the
complex host-parasite relationship. It would be interesting to ascertain the effect
of changed thyroid status on the parasite itself. Any changes in the physiology
of host having repercussions on the growth of the parasite would be manifested in
141 AR/54
75
June, 1955]
B.
S.
GILL
77
After keeping for 14 days on medicated mash, each lot was weiged. Birds of
medicated groups and one group out of the two unmedicated lots were infected
individually with 300 sporulated oocysts raised from a single-and-pure line strain
of Eimeria tenella. The second unmedicated lot served as uninfected control.
Each lot was weighed on the 7th, 8th and 9th day of infection. They were destroyed
on the 9th day. Thyroids were carefully dissected out, weighed and fixed in Zenker's
fluid. Caeca were also harvested and oocysts released by tearing entire pouches in
Waring blender (worked for two minutes at medium speed). This tissue suspension
was further diluted to watery consistency and strained through fine wire gauze
(100 mesh per linear inch). Faeces of each lot collected at the end of 7th, 8th and
9th day were weighed, made into watery suspension, and strained to remove coarse
particles. Total oocyst count of faecal and caecal tissue suspension was determined
by counting the oocyst population of a representative sample of each suspension.
(Full details of the method of counting oocysts is the subject matter of separate
paper.) Oocyst counts of faeces were made separatly for collection of each day.
All the lots were maintained under similar conditions except for medication.
Separate attendants were employed for each lot and chances of reinfection were
scrupulously avoided. Cages and the rooms in which they were kept were rat and
vermin proof.
Mortality rate
One hundred and fiftynine two-day-old chicks were randomised into three
groups of 53 each, lot weight determined, and each group was kept separately
in electrically-heated batteries. One lot was started on basal ration plus 0.15 per
cent thiouracil, the other on basal ration plus 0.04 per cent ' protamone', and the
third group was maintained on unmedicated basal ration. When they were 17
days old, their lot weight was determined, and each bird was infected individually
by pipetting 200,000 sporulated oocysts from a common pure-line brew of Eimeria
tenella directly into the pharynx. Lot weight was again determined on the fourth
and tenth day of infection. On the tenth day, all the birds (i.e. the survivors)
were sacrificed and their caeca and thyroids harvested. Thyroids were weighed
and a few were fixed for histological examination. Caeca were opened and the
amount of haemorrhage in them noted. Caeca were also examined for the
presence or otherwise of caecal cores. Birds dead after the third day (mortality
occurred only upto seventh day) were examined for etiological diagnosis. Those
dead of caecal coccidiosis showed varying degree of haemorrhage, and smears from
caecal scrapings and contents were examined for endogenous stages of the parasite
under the phase-contrast microscope. Another lot of 22 birds was kept coccidia-
free and fed unmedicated mash. This lot served as healthy control for comparing
live weights of experimental groups.
DATA AND ITS STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Experimental data (i.e. observations) for the sake of clarity and brevity are
summarised in Tables I to V.
78 THYROIDAL ACTIVITY AND CAECAL COCCIDIOSIS [Vol. XXV, Part II,
TABLE I
Oocyst production and body weights of hypo- and hyperthyroid parasitised (Eimeria
tenella) White Leghorn chicks
Item
1. Average live weight/bird when
3 days old (i.e. on the day
when medication was started)
2. Average live weight/bird when
17 days old (i.e. on the day of
infection)
3. Average live weight/bird when
23 days old (i.e. on the 6th
day of infection)
4. Average live weight/bird when
26 days old (i.e. on the 9th
day of infection)
5. Oocyst count/bird at the end of
7th day of infection
6. Oocyst count/bird at the end of
8th day of infection
7. Oocyst count/bird for 9th day's
faecal collection and caecal
tissue suspension taken together
8. Total oocyst output/bird
9. Overall live weight per cent
increase during the life time
of the bird
10. Average live weight per cent
increase during the 10-day
infection period
11. Average live weight per cent
increase during the 14 days
prior to infection
12. Average weight of thyroids/bird/
100 gm. live weight
Lot I
0.15 per cent
thiouracil
46.6 gm.
89.2 gm.
140.2 gm.
147.5 gm.
289,000 Oocysts
189,000 Oocysts
87,369 Oocysts
565,378 Oocysts
216.5
63.1
91.4
81.7 mg.
Lot II
0.04 per cent
protamone
47.5 gm.
79.8 gm.
120.0 gm.
126.2 gm.
1,600,091 Oocysts
630,250 Oocysts
170,642 Oocysts
3,400,983 Oocysts
163.5
58.1
68
3.44 mg.
Lot III
Control
46.6 gm
84.2 gm.
134.7 gm.
139.9 gm.
325,666 Oocysts
189,916 Oocysts
66,000 Oocysts
581,582 Oocysts
202.2
61.1
80.8
8.3 mg
June, 1955]
B.
S.
GILL
79
TABLE II
Mortality rate and body weight of hypo and hyperthyroid parasitised (Eimeria tenella)
chicks
Item
1. Average live weight/bird on
the start of experiment
(i.e. at 2 days of age)
2. Average live weight/bird on
the 15th day of experiment
(i.e. on the day of infection)
3. Average live weight/bird on
the 4th day of infection
4. Average live weight/bird on
the 8th day of infection
5. Number of birds in experiment
on the 4th day of infection
6. Number of birds dead of caecal
coccidiosis 4th to 8th day of
infection
7. Mortality per cent due to caecal
coccidiosis
8. Average per cent increase in
the live weight/bird upto
the day of infection
9. Average per cent shift in live
weight/bird during the 5th
day to 8th day (both inclu-
sive of infection)
10. Average per cent increase in
live weight during the 10-
day infection period
11. Average weight of thyroids/
bird/100 gm. live weight
Lot I
0.15 per cent
thiouracil
44.0 gm.
99.8 gm.
129.7 gm.
120.5 gm.
55
42
76.4
127
Decrease
7.1
29.7
93.6 mg.
Lot II
0.04 per cent
protamone
43.6 gm.
90.3 gm.
110.3 gm.
112.3 gm.
58
29
50
107.1
Increase
1.8
24.3
4.6 mg.
Lot III
Unmedicated
diet
43.8 gm.
93.6 gm.
121.4 gm.
119.8 gm.
56
33
58.9
113.7
Decrease
1.3
28
9.1 mg.
Lot IV
Healthy
control
43.6 gm.
95.2 gm.
120.4 gm.
141.3 gm.
22
not infected
..
122.4
Increase of
17.3
during this
period
48.2
9.3 mg.
TABLE III
Severity of caecal lesions in birds dead of coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella) and in those
sacrificed on the 10th day of infection
Item
Haemorrhage+++ ; and caecal core
Haemorrhage+++ ; but no caecal
core
Haemorrhage++ ; and caecal core
Haemorrhage++ ; but no caecal core
Control
(Unmedicated
group)
40 per cent chicks
50 per cent chicks
-nil-
10 per cent chicks
Protamone
(0.04 per cent)
-fed group
52 per cent chicks
43 per cent chicks
25 per cent chicks
-nil-
Thiouracil
(0.15 per cent)
-fed group
41 per cent chicks
47 per cent chicks
-nil-
12 per cent chicks
80
THYROIDAL ACTIVITY AND CAECAL COCCIDIOSIS
[Vol. XXV, Part II,
TABLE IV
Percentage of deaths due to caecal coccidiosis in chicks and significance of differences
Item
Lot I (0.15 per cent thiouracil)
Lot II (0.04 per cent protamone)
Lot III (unmedicated)
Percentage of deaths
76.4
50.0
58.9
Significance of
difference
Lot I vs. Lot II
N.S.
Lot I vs. Lot III
N.S.
Lot II vs. Lot III
N.S.
TABLE V
Percentage of birds dead of coccidiosis (Eimeria tenella) showing severity of caecal
lesions (haemorrhage+++ with and without caecal cores) and significance of differences
Item
Lot I (Infected group)
Lot II (Protamone, 0.04 per cent)
Lot III (Thiouracil, 0.15 per cent)
Percentage of birds
92.3
93.1
82.6
Significance of
difference
Lot I vs. Lot II
N.S.
Lot I vs. Lot III
N.S.
Lot II vs. Lot III
N.S.
N.S.=not significant
H.S.=highly significant (P <0.01)
S=Significant (0.05>P >0.01)
P=Probability
DISCUSSION
Thyroid along with pituitary controls the general metabolism of the body.
Its activity varies with age and breed of the animal, and climatic and seasonal
variation. These factors are also universally accepted to effect the course of the
disease. In order to clearly enunciate the effects of seasonal variation, breed and
age of the animal upon pathogenesis, prognosis and course of a disease, recent trend
of workers in the field of medicine has shifted towards altering physiology of the
animal, by manipulating activity of its thyroids, so as to simulate conditions
created by these factors and then notice the repercussions of thus induced physiologic
changes upon the. disease process. Evidence on this recently opened chapter of
preventive medicine has just started to accumulate and only a limited literature
upon the host's thyroid status influencing parasitism is available for comparison.
Hence, at times different observations on this aspect of parasitism recorded in some
laboratories are not easily accountable and full significance of this phenomenon is,
as yet, not understood.
June 1955]
B.
S.
GILL
87
Reineke, E. P. and Turner. C. W. (1945). Seasonal rhythm in thyroid hormone secretion of chicks
Poultry Sci. 24 : 499
Shaffner, (1947). Cited by Wheeler et al., 1948
Todd, A. C. (1948a). Thyroactive iodocasein and thiouracil in the diet, and growth of parasitised
chicks. Poultry Sci., 27 : 818
—(1948b). Worm parasites of Tennessee chicks. Tenn. Agri. Exp. Sta. Bul. 205
—Culton, T. G. ; Kelley, G. W. and Hansen, M. F. (1949). Induced hyperthyroidism and growth of
parasitised chicks. Poultry Sci., 28 : 549
Turner, C. W. Irwin, M. R. and Reineke E. P. (1944). Effect of feeding thyroactive iodocasein to
Barred Rock cockerels. Ibid. 23 : 242
Warren, C. D. (1945). The effect of thiouracil on the respiratian of bone marrow and leucocytes
in vitro. Amer. J. Physiol., 145 : 71
Wheeler, R. S. ; Hoffman, E. and Barber, C. W. (1948), The effect of thiouracil induced hypothy-
rodism on the resistance of chicks artificially infected with Eimeria tenella. J. Amer. vet. Med.
112 : 473
Whitlock, J. H. (1949). Thyroid abnormalities as a possible factor in trichostrongy-lidosis.
J. Parasit., 35 (suppl) : 12
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