NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
160
ABSTRACTS
[Vol. XXV, Part II,
The observations revealed that after a storage period of 11½ months the cap-
rinised vaccine when tested on susceptible animals maintained its original immuno-
genic titer of 2 × 1: 40,000.
Likewise the lapinised vaccine showed no fall in its titer of 2 X 1 : 10,000 after
14½ months storage at the above quoted temperatures. (K.V.S.)
The effects of age upon calcium utilisation and maintenance requirements in the
bovine. SAM L.HANSARD, C. L. COMAR, M. P. PLUMLEE, (1954). J. Anim. Sci.
13, 25-36
C HEMICAL and radiocalcium balance studies were simultaneously carried out
with 34 Hereford cattle varying in age from 10 days to 190 months.
Absorption and true digestibility values were highest in young animals, decreasing
rapidly at sexual maturity and then more slowly until maturity and were further
decreased in the aged animals.
Daily endogenous faecal calcium increased, with advancing age and body weight,
from 0.42 gm. at 10 days to 3.3 gm. at six months and to eight grams at maturity.
The quantity, milligram per kilogram body weight of endogenous faecal calcium,
was remarkably constant from one month of age to maturity. However, the low
level in 10 days old animals and the slightly higher level in aged animals indicated a
trend towards an increase with age.
Maintenance requirements per 100 pounds body weight calculated from the
endogenous and true digestibility values ranged from 0.5 grams at 10 days to two
grams at six months and remained relatively constant to maturity. (B. D.)
Evidence of epistatic action of genes for antigenic substances in sheep. J. RENDEL,
A. N. SORENSEN and M. R. IRWIN (1954), Genetics 39, 396
I N this study three classes of sheep blood have been described whereas only
two were known hitherto. In concordance with genetical practice the pre-
viously described factors R and O are reckoned as R and r and the new recessive
gene 'i' epistatic to dominant R and probably to r. The authors assume that
these factors are controlled by genes at two loci. From an analysis of 399 sheep
bloods of various breeds 222 were classified as R, 151 as r and 26 as i. These factors
were absent in the blood of young lambs below one month old. By coating experi-
ments the blood cells of one group were changed into another by incubating them
in serum of the second group for five hours at 37°C followed by 15 hours storage in
the refrigerator. It is presumed that R and r substances are taken up by the cells
from the surrounding plasma. (J. D. S. K.)
New advances in the electro-ejaculation of the bull. WILIAM G. R.
MARDEN,(19
Dairy Sci. 37, 556
C ONSIDERABLE advance has been made in the technique of electro-ejacula-
tion by the use of a cylindrical lucite electrode containing four longitudinal
metallic strips. The electrodes are connected in pairs 180 degrees apart. Ejacu-
lation is obtained by placing the electrode entirely inside the rectum and using an
June, 1955]
ABSTRACTS
161
electric pulse. Spike or square waves will not give success but only the sine wave
pulse with a frequency range of 12 to 70 cycles can give good results. Rest of the
results occurred between 20 and 30 cycles.
Fractionation of the semen was possible. No harmful effects have been obser
ved although two bulls were systematically made to ejaculate by this method for a
period of 12 months. (S.D.)
The effect on cattle of long-continued cutaneous application of DDT. W. J.
ROULSTON, H. F. HITCHCOCK, A. W. TURNER and A. D. CAMPBELL (1953). Austr.
J. agri. Res. 4, 4, 469-480
T HE authors report on the result of experiments conducted in Australia to
investigate the hazard involved in the use of DDT for continuous long periods
for the control of ectoparasites of cattle.
In one series of experiments, 18 Hereford cross steers about 12 months old were
weighed every week and 300 ml. of peanut oil containing 22.5 gm. pp 1 -DDT rubbed
on their backs for a period of three years. Six of these animals were selected at
random as controls which after the 33rd week had only 300 ml. of peanut oil applied
without any DDT. At the end of each year, some animals were slaughtered and
samples of brain, spinal cord, liver and kidney were taken for histological examina-
tion, and samples of brain, liver, spleen, kidney, omental fat, dorsal fat, urine and
bile for chemical examination. At the end of the first year no abnormalities were
observed in the tissues and no outstanding difference in the total chloride from the
treated and control groups. During the second year a difference in the mean live
weight of the two groups developed which, when investigated, showed that though
heavy DDT dressings might produce an initial adverse effect on weight gain, this
effect subsequently lessened. Third year's results showed no signs of DDT
poisoning and the histological examination of the tissues of both the groups did
not reveal abnormalities. The adipose tissues contained DDT in amounts up to
425 p.p.m., whereas no difference was seen in non-adipose tissues from the treated
and control animals.
In another series of experiments, 16 Shorthorn heifers aged 15 months were
subjected to weekly application of the same dosage of DDT in peanut or substitute
oils. No signs of DDT poisoning were observed at any stage in the animals or in
their calves, and no abnormalities observed in the histological examination tissues.
Samples of milk collected after 20 months of treatment during which 1935 gm. of
pp 1 -DDT had been applied to each animal, contained 3-4 p.p.m. of DDT. Three
calves born of the treated mothers did not absorb toxic amounts of DDT within
5-6 months, either from the milk or from the coats of their mothers.
It is concluded that dipping cattle in aqueous suspensions of 0.5 per cent pp 1 -
DDT for tick control would be quite harmless. (P.B.M.)
AN ANNOUNCEMENT
COLONEL AMIR CHAND TRUST PRIZES FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
LIEUT-COLONEL AMIR CHAND, ex-Principal, Lady Hardinge Medical
College, New Delhi, has made a donation of Rs. 50,000/- to the Indian Council of
Medical Research for the purpose of awarding prizes for the best published research
work in the field of Medical sciences. The Governing Body of the Council has
constituted a Trust called the, 'Colonel Amir Chand Trust' for the administration
and management of the Funds.
SIX PRIZES, of almost equal value, of which some may be in the form of
medals, are awarded annually on an All-India basis for the best published research
work in any subject pertaining to all fields of medical sciences in general including
clinical research. The term, 'Clinical research' will imply research into the
mechanism and causation of disease, including its prevention and cure. It covers
not only work in patients in hospitals, but also field studies in epidemiology and
social medicine and observations in general practice.
THREE of the Prizes are known as, 'BASANTI DEVI AMIR CHAND
PRIZE' and the other THREE, 'SHAKUNTLA AMIR CHAND PRIZE'.
TWO OUT OF THE SIX PRIZES shall be awarded to graduates of not
more than ten years standing counting from the date of graduation, provided that
the work for which the prizes are to be awarded is of approved merit.
THE COMPETITORS for the prizes may be MEDICAL or NON-MEDICAL
graduates.
THE SELECTION of candidates for the award of the prizes will be made by
a Selection Board appointed for the purpose.
IN A JOINT PUBLICATION the prize shall be divided between the joint
workers in such proportion as the Selection Board may recommend.
IT has been decided to award during 1955 six prizes of the value of Rs. 300/-
each for the best research papers in medical science published by workers during
the year 1954 (1st January to the 31st December, 1954).
THE AWARD of the prizes will be announced at the annual meetings of the
Scientific Advisory Board and the Advisory Committees of the Indian Council of
Medical Research, to be held at Nagpur in November/December, 1955.
THE CANDIDATES are required to submit 15 REPRINTS of their papers
published during 1954. These should be sent to the SECRETARY, INDIAN
COUNCIL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH, 'P' BLOCK, RAISINA ROAD, NEW
DELHI, so as to reach him NOT LATER THAN THE 1ST SEPTEMBER, 1955.
THE PAPERS should be accompanied by a short biographical sketch and two
copies of PASSPORT SIZE PHOTOGRAPHS of the worker or workers concerned.
163
MGIPC—M—141 AR/54—22-6-55—780.
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
BIOCHEMICAL STUDY OF FLUORINE INTOXICATION*
I. ETIOLOGY, PROPHYLAXIS AND CURE
By A. MARIAKULANDAI, Ph.D. and P. VENKATARAMAIAH, M.A., Chemistry
Section, Agricultural Research Institute, Coimbatore.
(Received for publication on 24th March 1954)
I n Kurnool district of Madras State (now Andhra State), a cattle disease commonly
known in the region as Vayunoppulu or Vayupotlu (in Telugu vayu means rheumatic
and Potlu or Noppulu means pricks or pains) is prevalent in an endemic form. The
malady has striking resemblance to osteomalacia and arthritis and at one time was
supposed to be caused by lack of calcium and phosphorus in the ration. Workers
in the King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Madras, [Pandit, Raghavachari
et al., 1940] working on similar symptoms in man had traced the etiology of the
disease in Nellore district to the presence of fluorine in potable waters in addition to
the vitamin C deficiency in the dietary of people there. This affection is commonly
referred to as fluorine intoxication or fluorosis in literature [Robolm, 1937]. As
close examination of the affected animals threw some doubt on the exact etiology
of the affection as met with in Kurnool district, an investigation was undertaken in
1939, (i) to ascertain the causes and symptoms of the disease among cattle, and
(ii) to suggest prophylactic as well as curative measures to the farmers of the
affected locality.
ETIOLOGY OF THE MALADY IN CATTLE
The investigation was commenced with a survey of the districts of Kurnool
and Nellore in which the disease was reported to be prevalent. Water samples
were collected from all the water sources in this area and analysed for their fluorine
content. The results of this analysis are presented in Table I. From the Table it
is evident that almost all the water sources in the affected areas had a flourine
content of one part per million or more, which has been established to be the toxic
limit by previous workers [Smith et al., 1931].
*This work was done under the Madras Animal Nutrition Scheme from 1939 to 1942.
165
27 AR/55
1
166
FLUORINE
INTOXICATION-I
[Vol. XXV, Part III,
TABLE I
Analysis of water samples
(From Kurnool and adjoining areas in the affected zone)
Serial
number
1
Source
2
Village
3
Taluk
and district
4
Fluorine
P.P.M.
5
Total
solids at
105°C
p.p.m.
6
pH
7
Affected villages
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Kurnum well
Bommanna well
Hawdry river
Well
Well
Thegudubhavi
Draw well
Draw well
Draw well
Draw well
Draw well near river
Ogaleru river
Draw well
L.F.T.B. Draw well
Step well
Draw well
Draw well
Draw well
Step well
Step well
Step well
Tank
Step well
Step well
Kundu river
Vet. Hospital step well
Step well
Step well
Step well
Step well
Tank
Draw and Step well
Veepanaguntla
„
„
Allagundam
Naralapuram
Gospad
„
Nandikotkur Kurnool
„ „
„ „
Dhone,
„
„ „
Sirvel, „
„ „
Chinnathakummadinne „ „
Peddachinthakunta
Devarayapuram
Peddabhodanam
„
Maddur
Allagadda
Nallagatla
Bathalur
Erraguntla
Dibaguntla
Nagulavaram
Mahadavapuram
Chinnabodanam
Revanuru
„
Joladarsi
Koilkuntla
„
Chennampalle
Singannapalle
„
Akumalla
„
Gulladurtt
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
Koilkuntla
„
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
Koilkuntla Kurnool
„ „
„ „
2.10
3.34
0.86
1.00
1.50
2.10
1.62
0.67
1.91
1.15
0.76
0.38
0.96
0.96
1.43
1.91
1.43
0.76
3.15
0.57
1.5
1.24
1.53
0.76
0.48
1.53
1.91
2.48
2.39
0.96
0.48
0.57
608
588
212
16,500
24,150
2,448
972
480
796
672
6,940
172
6,028
292
1,200
1.340
1,208
760
672
460
3,768
224
1,056
4,524
176
1,092
2,272
828
708
4,432
232
7,888
7.89
7.93
7.64
. .
. .
7.48
7.64
7.48
7.46
7.58
7.37
7.44
7.33
7.51
7.59
7.40
7.53
7.43
7.83
7.65
. .
7.35
7.52
7.30
7.46
7.65
7.57
7.58
7.56
7.58
7.32
7.37
September 1955]
A. MARIAKULANDAI AND P. VENKATARAMAIAH 167
TABLE I—(contd.)
Analysis of water samples
(From Kurnool and adjoining areas in the affected zone)
Serial
number
1
Source
2
Village
3
Taluk
and district
4
Fluorine
P.P.M.
5
Total
solids at
105°C
p.p.m.
6
pH
7
Affected village
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
Step well
Step well (Near
Kunduriver)
Draw well
Step well
Draw well
Step well
Tank
Well
Hawdri river
Well
Well
Pond
Peddabhavi
Chinnabhavi
Tungabhadra river
Well
Mhote well
Step well
Step well
Step well
Step well
Step well
Draw well
Step well for cattle
Step well for men
A. B. Mission spring well
Step well
Polireddy step well
Vuppumullabhavi
Venkannabhavi
Venkatareddybhavi
Peddabhavi
Saudaradinne
Bhimunipadu
Dornipadu
Chakarajuvemula
„
Kandapuram (Ham-
let of Dornipadu)
„
Nayakallu
Ramaduru
Anugonda
Luddagiri
Amadaguntla
„
„
Kurnool
Kuruvanagalapuram
Budapad
„
Daddavada
Hasanapuram
Punchikalapadu
Mochagundam
„
Veudutla
„
Bestavarapeta
Zangamkundla
Anumulavidu
„
„
„
„
Koilkuntla, Kurnool
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
Kurnool
„
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
Cumbum
„
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
1.72
0.33
1.43
1.43
1.15
1.24
0.38
0.75
1.0
1.0
0.75
1.91
0.86
1.15
0.25
0.75
0.75
1.00
1.15
2.20
0.96
1.15
0.86
2.86
1.43
1.67
1.24
1.15
0.53
0.98
0.91
0.72
688
3,168
700
452
1,340
480
120
27,900
4,700
10,000
10,050
216
2,324
1,816
2,050
13,150
36,100
4,630
472
600
944
1,212
1,504
960
440
476
892
396
2,116
796
720
1,004
7.64
7.46
7.68
7.54
7.55
7.54
7.47
. .
. .
. .
. .
7.44
7.90
7.40
. .
. .
. .
. .
7.61
7.64
7.74
7.72
7.74
7.68
7.71
7.41
7.54
7.62
7.88
7.91
7.73
7.50
168
FLUORINE
INTOXICATION-1
[Vol. XXV, Part III,
TABLE I—(contd.)
Analysis of water samples
(From Kurnool and adjoining areas in the affected zone)
Serial
number
1
Source
2
Village
3
Taluk
and district
4
Fluorine
P.P.M
5
Total
solids at
105°0
p.p.m.
6
pH
7
Affected village
65
66
67
68
09
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
Balakondia bhavi
Draw well
Step well
Step well
Draw well
Step well
Tank
Step well
Tank
Draw well
Draw well near tank
Tank
Tank
Step well
Well for cattle only
Well
Well for cattle
Well
Well
Draw well
Step well
Spring channel
Tank
Well
Step well
Pedda Thegudubhavi
Ooravagu jungle stream
(Hand dug spring on
stream)
Spring water on stream
bed
Step well
Draw well
Urabhavi (draw well)
Step well
Auzmulavidu
Reddicherla
„
Pullareddipalli
Mulapalli
Tippayapalem
„
Venkatapuram
„
Chinthakunta
Markapur
Markapur
Thokapalli
„
Eguvaramapuram
„
Kalasapad
Kothur
Peravalli
Veludurthi
Bathalapalli
Kadir
„
Venkatadripalli
Nagulavaram
Taralupadu
Kathalupadu
Bathuvarpally
Gundlasamudram
Unagururayapalam
Kattuvaripalle
Mucachinkala
Cumbum, Kurnool
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
Markapur
„
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
Badvel, Cuddapah
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„
Ananatapur
„
Dharmavaram „
„ „
Kadiri
„
„ „
Kalyaudrug
„
Podili,
Nellore
„ „
„ „
Padili, Nellore
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
1.08
0.86
1.05
0.96
1.34
1.24
0.86
1.62
0.38
0.96
1.05
1.62
0.67
1.15
0.96
0.57
0.57
2.58
1.00
2.00
2.86
2.10
1.53
0.50
1.67
0.86
2.62
1.62
4.30
1.91
1.19
2.29
1,528
1,340
1,500
892
900
772
408
602
160
1,376
408
416
88
288
988
720
1,392
1,368
10,600
1,732
(1136)
936
1,228
15,900
1,948
400
1,104
680
884
832
548
900
7.59
7.71
7.74
7.48
7.87
7.49
7.94
7.81
7.40
7.62
7.55
7.74
7.26
7.71
7.67
7.68
7.68
7.80
. .
7.63
8.06
8.16
8.57
. .
7.59
7.39
8.13
7.63
7.48
7.76
7.60
7.78
September 1955] MARIAKULANDAI AND P. VENKATARAMAIAH 169
TABLE I—(contd).
Analysis of water samples
(From Kurnool and adjoining areas in the affected zone)
Serial
number
1
Source
2
Village
3
Taluk
and district
4
Fluorine
P.P.M.
5
Total
solids at
105°C
p.p.m.
6
pH
7
Affected village
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
D. B. Public draw well
L. F. Rest house draw
Step well
Draw well
Venkataramana well
L. F. T. B. draw well
Step well
Draw well
„
Dornapavagu (spring on
stream bed)
Step well
New draw well
Draw well
Draw well
Konkanomatala
Podili
Jaugampalam
„
Podili
Darisi
Brindavanam
Pulipadu
„
„
Basavapuram
„
Peddavullagallu
Pasupugalu
Padill, Nellore
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
Darisi
„
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
1.15
6.68
4.30
1.72
1.43
4.96
1.72
5.25
4.77
13.85
3.91
3.82
3.53
0.86
792
640
272
488
252
472
368
1,680
1,692
932
628
1,388
1,112
1,252
7.67
7.69
7.64
7.65
7.51
7.64
7.61
7.81
7.58
8.24
7.70
7.59
7.78
7.38
Curative and non-affected
villages
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
Vet. Hospital draw well
Step well
Stream
Channel
Draw well
Draw well
K. C. Canal
Tank
Step well
Canal from Owk reservoir
Owk reservoir
Paleru river
Big eastern well
Small western well
Sagaleru river
Hill spring
Cumbum tank
Nandyal
Nandipalli
„
Ventlagalla
Chaglamari
Sirvel
„
Gullasingavaram
„
Owk
Vobulapuram
Alluru
Mission School,
Giddaluru
„
Giddaluru
Diguvametta
Cumbum
Nandyal Kurnool
„ „
„ „
Sirvel
„
„ „
„ „
„ „
Koilkuntla „
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
Cumbum
„
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
0.33
0.75
nil
0.57
0.48
0.38
0.19
0.57
1.53
0.72
0.29
0.48
0.48
0.38
0.48
0.62
0.76
564
3,360
320
164
496
564
164
220
712
160
192
304
756
868
140
100
184
7.67
. .
. .
7.34
7.40
7.43
7.47
7.41
7.53
7.35
7.49
7.45
7.68
7.57
7.27
7.19
7.40
170
FLUORINE
INTOXICATION-I
[Vol. XXV, Part III,
TABLE I—(concld.)
Analysis of water samples
(From Kurnool and adjoining areas in the affected zone)
Serial
number
1
Source
2
Village
3
Taluk
and district
4
Fluorine
P.P.M.
5
Total
solids at
105° C
p.p.m.
6
pH
7
Curative and non-affected villages
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
Step well
Stream
Tank channel
Sagileru river
Step well
Step well
Draw well
Well
Well
Well
Pennar Spring channel
Draw well
Tank
Draw well
Tank
Draw well
Well
Tank
Step well
Giddaluru
„
Cumbum
Malakondapenta
Chinna-Cumbum
Tanganara jupalli
„
Prasannapalli
Venkatampalli
Madulapalli
Pechaganipalli
„
Parigi
„
Penukonda
„
Siruguppa
Mudigadu
Mundlamuru
Cumbum, Nellore
„ „
„ „
„ „
„ „
Badvel, Cuddapah
„ „
Anantapur, Anantapur
„ „
„ „
Hindupur
„
„ „
„ „
„ „
Penukonda
„
„ „
Kalyandrug Bellary
Bangauapalli State
Darisi, Nellore
0.96
0.67
0.86
0.48
0.76
0.86
0.76
0.29
0.50
0.50
0.67
0.57
0.50
1.05
0.96
0.76
nil
0.48
0.48
808
816
200
140
200
580
572
2,760
8,500
6,700
240
2,932
408
1,316
412
3,992
8,850
192
596
7.63
7.75
8.02
7.41
7.58
7.63
7.62
7.72
. .
. .
7.48
7.66
7.59
7.68
7.44
7.64
. .
7.48
7.66
Apart from the fluorine in water, factors nutritional and otherwise also enhance
either the total intake of fluorine or the deleterious effects of fluorine ingestion. As
probable agents in enhancing the ravages of fluorine ingestion, the following aspects
were investigated in this study:
A. Feeding of groundnut haulms and cake, as the farmers of the tract believed
that the disease became acute only after the introduction of the bunch
variety of groundnut;
B. Aphosphorosis, as the area was noted to be deficient in phosphorus during
the survey of the pastures of the area.
A. Groundnut : The two varieties of groundnut, the 'bunch' and 'spreading',
grown in the tract were investigated with regard to their fluorine content and com-
pared with that grown in the same season in an unaffected area. From the results
of analysis presented in Table II, it can be seen that the samples of pods whether
September 1955] A. MARIAKULANDAI AND P. VENKATARAMAIAH 171
grown in an affected or unaffected area contained fluorine and the 'spreading'
had more fluorine than the 'bunch' evidently due to its longer duration of growth.
This finding was, therefore, in favour of the bunch variety and did not go to support
the popular belief that the incidence of the disease was more acute after the introduc-
tion of the 'bunch' variety.
TABLE II
Comparison of the fluorine content of bunch and spreading varieties of groundnut
Lab. No.
1940-41
1069
1070
1072
1071
2013
2014
2010
2011
Variety
Bunch
Spreading
Bunch
Spreading
A.H.218, Bunch
A.H. 113,
Spreading
A.H. 218,
Bunch
A.H. 113,
Spreading
Source
Koilkuntla, Kurnool Dt.
„ „
Mandyal,
„
„ „
„
Farm,
„
„ „ „
Trichur Farm, Malabar
„ „
Incidence of
fluorosis
Acute
„
Mild
„
„
„
None
„
Fluorine (mg. per gram ash)
In kernels
without oil
0.3270
0.5478
0.1834
0.5070
0.2254
0.2985
0.2442
0.2807
In shells
0.0744
0.0860
0.2280
0.1396
0.2980
0.3562
0.0726
0.1180
Total
0.4014
0.6338
0.4114
0.6466
0.5234
0.6547
0.3168
0.3987
To see whether the increased cultivation of groundnut, due to the introduc-
tion of the shorter duration 'bunch' variety and the consequent increased mixing of
the groundnut haulms with other cereal straws, had any effect on the feeding value,
a comparison of feeding values with other straws generally available in the area
was made. The data presented in Table III shows that the feeding value of ground-
nut haulms is superior to other straws and there could be no cause for complaint
under this score either.
TABLE III
Comparison of the feeding values of groundnut haulms and cereal straws
(On dry basis)
Name
Groundnut haulms
Cholam straw
Ragi straw
Tenai straw
Cumbu straw
Varagu straw
Samal straw
Moisture
per cent
7.33
12.24
11.30
13.13
9.74
9.01
9.04
Ash
per cent
11.46
7.05
9.23
9.85
10.66
9.00
5.96
Crude
per cent
9.21
5.55
3.74
3.39
5.25
4.31
4.18
Crude
fibre
per cent
30.38
28.75
25.44
33.49
29.33
28.85
26.95
Ether
extract-
tives
per cent
1.48
1.87
1.24
1.51
1.12
2.04
1.15
Carbo-
hy drates
per cent
40.12
44.56
49.06
38.64
43.90
46.79
52.72
Albu-
minoides
per cent
7.02
3.49
2.88
2.47
3.13
3.62
3.71
CaO
per cent
2.30
0.51
1.00
0.65
1.04
0.58
0.62
P 2 O 5
per cent
0.35
0.81
0.35
0.17
0.31
0.31
0.25
172
FLUORINE
INTOXICATION-I
[Vol. XXV, Part III,
Afterwards, a sample of groundnut haulm from the affected area was compared
with groundnut samples from an unaffected area with regard to their feeding values
and mineral content. From the results of this analysis presented in Table IV,
it is evident that the sample from the affected area (Kurnool) compared favourably
with that grown in the unaffected area (Tindivanam) in all respects except phos-
phorus, which is comparatively low in the Kurnool sample.
TABLE IV
Feeding value of groundnut haulms
(A comparison between Kurnool and Tindivanam samples)
(On dry basis)
Place
Kurnool
Tindivanam Farm
Ryots field
in
Tindivanam.
Moist-
ure
per cent
7.56
7.13
7.75
Ash
per cent
10.11
9.77
10.61
Crude
proteins
per cent
7.81
8.30
8.53
Crude
fibre
per cent
27.97
35.35
29.53
Ether
extract-
ives
per cent
1.79
1.39
1.23
Carbo-
hydrates
per cent
44.76
38.06
42.30
Albu-
minoides
per cent
5.58
6.04
0.25
Lime
(CaO)
per cent
2.04
2.10
1.92
Phosph-
oric acid
(P 2 O 5 )
per cent
0.20
0.40
0.34
From a pasture survey conducted by the staff of the Madras Agricultural Chemist
throughout the Madras Presidency, it was shown that an imbalance of the chief
minerals, calcium and phosphorus, existed in the affected area, and, therefore, the
groundnut haulms only reflected the general poverty of the area for phosphorus.
B. Aphosphorosis: This factor was probably the prime cause of enhancing
the fluorine intoxication rather than the alleged 'bunch' variety of groundnut.
Considered from the generally accepted proportion of Ca : P as 1 : 1 in the
ration, there was an imbalance between these two minerals in the pasture grasses
of the Ceded Districts, while they were well balanced in other parts of Madras
State [Ramiah, 1939-41]. This probably would explain why cattle in the
affected areas of Nellore in spite of high fluorine content of potable waters was
not so badly attacked by fluorine, as in the Kurnool and adjoining areas of the
Ceded Districts, whereas the malady in cattle was due to the combined effect of
fluorine ingestion and phosphorus deficiency.
Apart from the evidence produced by the analysis of the pasture grasses, the
blood analysis of cattle from the affected area presented in Table V, also showed
that the area must be deficient in phosphorus. The blood phosphorus was very
low compared to the normal range of 4.5 to 5 mg. per 700 ml. of blood and as the
blood is known to reflect the mineral deficiency of the area in which the cattle are
nurtured (Becker et al., 1933; Palmer et al., 1927) the tract must be deficient in
phosphorus.