NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
SEX-DRIVE AND SEMEN PRODUCTION
IN WATER BUFFALO
By S. S. PRABHU and U. D. SHARMA, Animal Genetics Division, Indian Veterinary
Research Institute, Izatnagar, U. P.
(Received for publication on 6 April 1954)
INTRODUCTION
M ATING desire and sperm production are reported to behave independently in
the majority of male animals [Zawadowsky, 1933 ; Hammond, 1925 ; Stone,
1939 ; Lagerlof, 1935 ; Anderson, 1945 ; McKenzie and Berliner, 1937; Beach, 1947].
Alifanow [1934], however, found a correlation between the sexual desire and sperm
production in dogs. In dairy cattle, Milovanov and Smirnov-ugrjumov [1940]
reported marked effect on semen production with introduction of new stimulii.
Collins, Bratton and Henderson [1951] found a relationship between semen
production and sexual excitement. When sexual excitement was increased by
restraining the bulls, significantly larger ejaculates with higher concentration of
sperm were obtained than when the sexual excitement was minimised. Further,
Bratton, D' Arensbourg and Johnston [1952] who tried three levels of sexual excite-
ment, viz. unrestrained, one false mount and two false mounts, prior to collection,
found that semen characteristics could be markedly influenced by controlled sexual
excitement. In the present paper are presented our observations on sex-drive and
semen production in the Indian water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis, Linn.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Ten mature healthy buffalo bulls of a breed common in Uttar Pradesh were
utilised for the experiment. The test was run on two bulls at a time and consisted
in allowing unlimited opportunities at a stretch for service in an artificial vagina
using an anoestrous she-buffalo as a ' teaser '. The method is a modification of the
one used by Carpenter [1933] in pigeons. Instead of fixing the test interval, unli-
mited time was allowed with a view to finding out the persistency of the sex-drive
at a time. The frequency of copulation according to Stone [1939] can be taken as
a valid indicator of intensity of sexual-drive. For convenience, at a time the bulls
were allowed only a maximum period of 15 minutes, made of three trials each of five
minutes duration, near the 'teaser ' per ejaculate. If within this time, no response
was forthcoming from the bulls, they were considered to have ' refused' service
and were not tried again that day. In this manner, tests were run on alternate
days on five different days. Lagerlof [1935], reporting observations in the bull on
the influence of number of matings on sperm content, had suggested that a rest
period of one night was sufficient to restore the normal sperm number on the follow-
ing day. To be on safer side, we decided to increase the rest period between tests
89
141 AR/54
3
90
SEX-DRIVE IN WATER BUFFALO
[Vol. XXV, Part II,
to 40 to 48 hours. In addition to reaction time, the following observations were
made on each of the ejaculates of the different bulls in the tests :
(i) Volume
(ii) Initial motility
(iii) Sperm concentration
(iv) Percentage of abnormal sperm
(v) Total sperm in an ejaculate
(vi) Initial pH
The abnormality was counted according to the method suggested by Prabhu
and Sharma [1953] and the pH was determined by the B. D. H. capillator.
RESULTS
Sex-drive
In Table I are presented details of the number of ejaculates given by each bull
in different tests.
TABLE I
Number of ejaculates
Serial
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Total
Bull
No.
16
19
20
22
23
24
25
26
28
31
..
I test
8
8
7
6
39
8
11
4
12
34
137
Total number of ejaculates collected
II test
7
4
10
4
36
6
6
3
23
24
123
III test
7
6
3
2
5
4
11
5
3
30
96
IV test
7
6
6
5
3
4
3
1
10
15
60
V test
9
4
4
0
12
5
0
1
9
15
59
Total
38
28
30
17
95
27
31
14
7
118
475
June, 1955]
S.
S.
PRABHU
AND
U.
D.
SHARMA
91
The results show considerable variation in the level of sex-drive among the
10 bulls. The largest number of ejaculates collected in a test was 39 and the largest
total for the five tests was 118. If one took the average over-bulls and tests
as approximating to the average level of sex-drive in these bulls, bulls no. 31, 28
and 23 appeared to possess sex-drive about 1½ to 3 times the average. The rest of
the bulls fell below the average. Further, bulls no. 26 and 22 were decidedly
' poor ', while bulls no. 16, 19, 20, 24 and 25 had about the same level of sex-
drive.
Progressive loss in sex-drive. There is a general indication that there exists a
progressive drop in the persistency of sex-drive with days of test. On the whole,
the maximum response was present on the first day of test and the minimum
on the last day. The response on the last day was nearly less than half of the initial
day. To find out whether the ' trend' was statistically significant, appropriate
statistical techniques were applied to the basic data after applying the square
root transformation. The 't' value obtained was 3.60 for 9 d.f., which is statis-
tically significant, showing that the drop in the persistency of sex-drive was due to
a significant ' trend '. Possibly, this was due to the resting period between tests
being inadequate. In these cases, rest periods of more than 40-48 hours are clearly
indicated.
Semen characteristics and reaction time
The behaviour of each semen criterion in different ejaculates collected one
after another in a test was studied by finding values of the regression coefficients
for each bull. In view of the existence of trend, which suggested the influence of
preceding test or tests on the results of subsequent tests, only the data collected
in the first test were utilised for further study. The regression coefficients give the
rate of change of the different criteria in each bull, and they are given in Table II.
TABLE II
Regression coefficients
Serial
No.
1
2
3
4
5
Bull No.
16
19
20
22
23
Volume
+0.1833
—0.0024
—0.0697
—0.2514
+0.4364
Sperm con-
centration
—102.38
—200.71
— 27.50
+ 2.00
— 7.14
Total sperm
in ejaculate
—351.12
— 90.64
— 79.07
— 58.60
— 25.00
Per cent
abnormal
+0.49
—0.25
—0.12
—2.90
—0.05
pH
—0.1071
+0.1310
+0.0679
+1.9714
+0.0007
E. T.
+ 31.8600
+ 0.5238
— 1.4643
+103.0571
+ 4.6898
Table II continued on the next page
92
SEX-DRIVE IN WATER BUFFALO
[Vol. XXV, Part II,
TABLE II—(contd.)
Regression coefficients
Serial
No.
6
7
8
9
10
Average
S. E.
Bull No.
24
25
26
28
31
Volume
—0.0500
+0.0400
—0.1100
—0.1047
—0.6101
—0.04
±0.08
Sperm con-
centration
—169.89
—379.09
+272.00
—58.07
—17.38
—68.8
±53.1
Total sperm
in ejaculate
—942.52
— 20.70
+157.80
— 62.19
—66.11
—153.8
± 95.8
Per cent
abnormal
+0.54
+0.04
+4.25
—0.03
—0.51
—0.15
±0.55
pH
+0.1500
+0.0418
—0.1800
+0.0413
+0.0079
+0.25
±0.19
R. T.
+ 15.4762
+ 55.6300
+ 51.9000
+ 17.6783
+ 4.8864
+ 28.4*
± 10.5
*Statistically significant
It will be seen from Table II that, on an average, semen volume, sperm con-
centration, total sperm in ejaculate and percentage of abnormal sperm decreased
with the number of ejaculates collected ; pH and R. T. on the other hand, increased
with the number of ejaculates. The rates, with the exception of R. T., were not
statistically significant.
To find out whether a fair estimate of the average values of the various semen
criteria and reaction time in a test or tests could be had from the observed values
of first, second or average of first and second ejaculates in a test, following corre-
lation coefficients were worked out separately for each item.
(i) Correlation coefficients of first ejaculate values and average values of
all ejaculates.
(ii) Correlation coefficients of first ejaculate values and average values of
all ejaculates in all the five tests.
(iii) Correlation coefficients of second ejaculate values and average values of
all ejaculates in the first test.
(iv) Correlation coefficients of second ejaculate values and average values of
all ejaculates in all the five tests.
(v) Correlation coefficients of average values of first and second ejaculates
and average values of all ejaculates in the first test.
(vi) Correlation coefficients of average values of first and second ejaculates
and average values of all ejaculates in all the five tests.
Values of first and second ejaculates were separately considered along with the
averages of the first and second ejaculates, in view of the first ejaculates at times
being poor due to continued resting of the bulls. In the present instance, however,
such an effect might be taken as negligible, since collections were taken from bulls
at weekly intervals prior to tests. The correlation coefficients obtained are pre-
sented in Table III.
June, 1955]
S.
S.
PRABHU
AND
U.
D.
SHARMA
93
TABLE III
Correlation coefficients
Item
(A) First ejaculate and average of ejaculates in first test
First ejaculate and average of ejaculates in all tests
(B) Second ejaculate and average of ejaculates in first test
Second ejaculate and average of ejaculates in all tests
(C) Average of first two ejaculates and average of ejaculates in
first test
Average of first two ejaculates and average of ejaculates in all tests
Volume
+0.7820**
+0.6596*
+0.8433**
+0.6715*(2)
+0.8369**
+0.7350*(2)
Sperm
concen-
tration
+0.9159**
+0.7006*
+0.2510
—0.1515
+0.8104**
+0.3923
Total
sperm in
ejaculate
+0.7834**
+0.0738
+0.7222*
+0.6250(1)
+0.8065**
+0.6428*
Initial pH.
+0.8298**
+0.7415*
+0.5681(1)
+0.3929
+0.6993*
+0.5523(1)
Percent of
abnormal
sperm
+0.6785**
+0.6037(1)
+0.7598*(l)
+0.6991*
+0.7260*(2)
+0.6535*
Reaction
time
—0.1746
+0.6235(1)
—0.2596
+0.0976
—0.2015
+0.5778(1)
*Significant at 5 per cent level
**Significant at 1 per cent level
(1)Approaches 5 per cent level
(2)Approaches 1 per cent level
94
SEX-DRIVE IN WATER BUFFALO
[Vol. XXV, Part II,
The following can be seen from Table III.
(a) Volume : There was a positive significant correlation between first,
second or average of first and second ejaculate figures and average
figures of first or all tests.
(b) Sperm concentration : Positive, significant correlation could only be
found with first ejaculate and averages of first or all tests, as well as
average values of first two ejaculates and average of first test. In
other cases, there was no significant correlation.
(c) Total sperm in ejaculate : There was positive significant correlation with
first ejaculate value and average of first test values, but no significant
correlation between first ejaculate value and average of all test values.
The position was the same with regard to the second ejaculate values
too—only in this case the correlation coefficient approached
5 per cent level of significance with use of figures of all tests. In case
of the correlation coefficients worked out using the average of first
two ejaculates as one of the figures, the coefficients were significant.
(d) Initial pH : Correlation coefficients were positive and significant with use
of first ejaculate values and average of first test values and not signi-
ficant in other cases. With the second ejaculate, and the use of
average of first test, it approached 5 per cent level of significance.
(e) Percentage of abnormal sperm : With the exception of first ejaculate
by average of all test value correlation (which also approached 5
per cent level of significance), the other correlations worked out were
all significant and positive.
(f) Reaction time : The correlations were not significant in all cases. In
the case of first ejaculate and average of all tests and average of first
two ejaculates and average of all tests, the figures approached 5 per
cent level of significance.
From the above results, it would appear that when no unduly long rest was
allowed to bulls, a fair estimate of the average semen characteristics of a bull as
might be got from an exhaustion test of the type recommended by Walton and
Edwards [1938] could be got from a study of the first ejaculate, or the average
of first and second ejaculates taken in rapid succession. From a practical consi-
deration, it appears desirable to base the estimate of the bulls' semen producing
capacity on an average of first two ejaculates taken in quick succession, although
the results indicate that the characteristics of the first ejaculate are as strongly
correlated with the corresponding characteristic of the ' exhaustion test ' as the
average of the first two ejaculates.
Trends in semen characteristics and reaction times. As in the case of sex-drive,
statistical tests were carried out for testing existence of trends, if any, indicating
the influence of previous test or tests on subsequent test or tests. The results
are summarised in Table IV.
June, 1955]
S.
S.
PRABHU
AND
U.
D.
SHARMA
95
TABLE IV
Regression values
Serial
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Items studied
Volume
Sperm concentration
Total sperm in ejaculate
Initial pH
Per cent abnormal sperm
Reaction time
Mean
—2.23
—698.30
—1532.50
+0.02
—0.61
+8.00
S. E.
±0.78
±291.80
±462.60
±0.01
±0.25
±8.02
Remarks
Significant at 2 per cent level
do.
Significant at 1 per cent level
Significant at 5 per cent level
Existence of ' trend ' indicating the influence of previous tests on subsequent
tests was established in the cases of items like volume, sperm concentration, total
sperm in ejaculate and percentage of abnormal sperm. In the other items, no
such evidence could be detected with the statistical techniques employed.
Sex-drive and semen characteristics
The estimate of sex-drive used was the total number of ejaculates obtained in
the five tests. Using transformed values this was correlated with semen quality
and reaction time using the following values :
(i) First ejaculate value of first test
(ii) Average of first and second ejaculate value of first test
(iii) Taking into account all ejaculates in the first test
(iv) Taking into account all ejaculate values in all tests
The correlation coefficients obtained are presented in Table V.
Initial motility rating was not considered since it fell to zero after the first
few ejaculates.
TABLE V
Correlation coefficients of different items in relation to sex-drive
Value
(a) Rest ejaculate value of first test
(b) First and second ejaculate value
of first test
(c) All ejaculate values in the first
test
(d) All ejaculate values of all tests
(1) Average
semen
volume
+0.279
+0.178
+0.1548
+0.4592
(ii) Average
sperm con-
centration
—0.1910
—0.0813
—0.2899
—0.6395*
(iii) Total
sperm in
ejaculate
+0.2874
+0.3170
—0.0023
—0.3975
(iv) Average
initial
pH
+0.3797
+0.2093
+0.5504
+0.7536*
(v) Average
percent ab-
normal
sperm
+0.3063
+0.2097
—0.2244
—0.3105
(vi)Average
reaction
time
—0.2573
—0.2702
+0.0259
+0.2505
* Significant at 5 per cent level
96
SEX-DRIVE IN WATER BUFFALO
[Vol. XXV, Part II,
From Table V, the following interesting points emerge.
(a) There was no significant correlation between sex-drive and values of
semen criteria and reaction times based on first, average of first and
second, or average overall values of all tests except in case of sperm
concentration and initial pH.
(b) The sperm concentration was negatively correlated with sex-drive except
when average of first and second ejaculate figures of first test were
used. The correlation coefficient obtained when overall average values
of all tests were employed alone was statistically significant.
(c) The initial pH was positively correlated with sex-drive and when average
of all ejaculates in first test was employed for working out the correla-
tion, the coefficient obtained approached 5 per cent level of statistical
significance. The coefficient derived through use of overall average
of all tests approached 1 per cent level of significance.
(d) In general, it was noticed that the values of correlation coefficients were
very much higher when, instead of other estimates, averages of all
ejaculates in all tests were employed in the calculations.
CONCLUSION
The results show that a fair indication of a bull's worth as a semen producer
can be had through a study of the semen in the first two ejaculates taken at short
interval. There was a positive significant correlation between estimates such as
volume, sperm concentration, pH and percentage of abnormal sperm derived from
the study of these two ejaculates and estimates got through an exhaustive number
of ejaculates taken in rapid succession as recommended by Walton and Edwards
[1938] for bulls. There was, however, no significant correlation between semen
characteristics as estimated from a consideration of first, average of first two, and
average of all ejaculates in a test or all tests and sex-drive except in the case of
sperm concentration and initial pH when average values of all tests were employed.
Since a significant trend has been noticed among tests contrary to the findings of
Hale, Almquist and Thacker [1953] on dairy bulls, it appears desirable to verify
this finding using longer intervals between tests and then working out the correlation
coefficients between sex-drive and average values of a number of independent and
uninfluenced tests. For the present, it can safely be concluded that there is no
significant correlation between sex-drive and estimates of semen quality and reaction
time when values of first or average of first two ejaculates only are used.
SUMMARY
1. The paper deals with the analysis of data on reaction time and semen quality
of samples collected in five exhaustion trials carried out at intervals of 40-48
hours on 10 buffalo bulls.
2. Significant correlations were found between sex-drive as measured by the
number of services in all tests and initial pH (+0.75) and sperm concentration
(—0.64).
3. With the interval used, significant trends were noticed among consecutive
tests both in sex-drive and items of semen quality.
TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION IN HARIANA HISSAR CATTLE
EFFECT ON AVERAGE SPAN OF LIFE, BREEDING EFFICIENCY AND
INCIDENCE OF INFECTION IN PROGENY
By TULSA RAM, PhD. (U.S.A.), Veterinary Investigation Officer, Punjab, and
RADHEY MOHAN SHARMA, Assistant Disease Investigation Officer, Punjab
(Received for publication on 10 March 1954)
INTRODUCTION
T HIS paper is the outcome of a study of the records of tuberculous and non-
tuberculous cattle maintained at the Government Livestock Farm, Hissar.
It will not be out of place to give a brief history of the Hissar Farm. It started
as a small private camel stud in 1809 and took up cattle breeding also in 1815 for
the purpose of cattle improvement and to meet the requirements of heavy working
bullocks for the army. With the passing of time and the changing needs of the
country, breeding of horse, mule, buffalo, sheep and goat was also introduced. It
is now the biggest livestock breeding farm in India and probably in the East, and
lies 680 feet above the sea level. It comprises about 40,000 acres of land
with about 8,000 head of Hariana-Hissar cattle and other species of livestock such
as buffaloes, sheep, goats, donkeys and camels. The average rainfall in this tract
is about 16.1 inches. The main object of the farm is the production of breeding
sires for effecting improvement in the livestock breeds of the Punjab in particular
and of different States of the Indian Union in general. The cattle are kept on semi-
ranch system and mainly depend upon grazing in the reserved forests of the farm.
Due. to scarcity of rains, almost every other year is a famine year. It is during
the scarcity periods only that supplementary feeding with stored fodder and con-
centrates is resorted to just to maintain the animals and to tide over the difficult
periods.
Tuberculosis infection was known to exist amongst cattle of the farm from quite
early days as observed from post-mortem examinations performed at the farm
hospital. The disease, however, received serious attention of the authorities only
in 1941 when the whole stock comprising about 5,000 cattle was subjected to syste-
matic tuberculin testing by the double intradermal method by Shri Sahai, the then
Tuberculosis and Johne's Disease Officer at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute,
Izatnagar. The percentage of reactors then came out to be 20.25. The elimination
of nearly 1,000 valuable breeding cattle by destruction was neither considered
advisable for economic reasons nor was it practicable in this country in view of the
99
141AR/54
5
100
TUBERCULOSIS INFECTION IN HARIANA CATTLE
[Vol. XXV, Part II,
religious sentiments of the people. Segregation of the affected animals was, there
fore, the only feasible course and consequently the following steps were taken for
the control of this disease.
(i) Testing of the entire stock was undertaken at quarterly intervals in the
beginning. The interval between the tests was raised to six months
after the first few quarterly tests had been carried out. Yearly
testing was introduced later when the incidence of infection was
greatly reduced.
(ii) The tuberculin positive cows, considered fit for breeding, were segregated
in a separate block far away from the main negative herd. In order
to prevent any mixing of the healthy and tuberculous cattle, a five
feet high and seven miles long mud wall was constructed all round
the segregation block. These cows were bred and their progeny
remained suckling till 5 to 6 months of age when they were weaned
and tested twice at one month's interval. The reactors were retained
at the segregation block and the negative progeny were immediately
transferred to the clean herd.
(iii) The positive bullocks were used for agricultural operations in the segrega-
tion block. It would thus be observed that the control measures
adopted were mainly of the Bang's type except that (1) it was not
practicable to wean the newly born calves immediately after birth in
view of the semi-wild nature of the animals, (2) the clinical cases were
allowed to die a natural death and were not slaughtered, and (3)
the bulls used for breeding were either non-clinical but tuberculin
positive, or in the absence of these, healthy tuberculin negative ones.
As a result of the above measures, the incidence of the disease at the farm has
been greatly reduced and it does not now exceed one per cent for the last about 10
years.
In view of the encouraging results achieved by the above control measures and
availability of relevant breeding records of reactor and non-reactor Hariana-Hissar
cows, it was considered interesting to study the effect, if any, of tuberculosis infec-
tion on (a) the average span of life, (b) breeding efficiency, and (c) the incidence of
the disease in their progeny.
MATERIAL
(1) Records of all tuberculin positive cows born during the period from 1932
to 1934 numbering over 300 were examined and compared with those of tuberculin
negative cows of the same age group.
(2) Both positive and negative herds of cows were kept under almost identical
environmental conditions of management, feeding, breeding, etc. The two herds
were, of course, kept entirely separate from each other.
(3) All animals dying at the farm were examined post-mortem in the farm
hospital in order to determine the etiological diagnosis.