March,
1958]
ABSTRACTS
29
rate of fructolysis and the total reducing substances or glucose after 4 days of storage.
This can be explained by the lowered livability of spermatozoa found in diluents
containing sulphanilamide when compared with the control. The motility of
spermatozoa was also lowered. Combination of penicillin and streptomycin together
gave a better livability than either of the two used singly or the control. It has
almost as much effect on spermatozoa metabolism as sulphanilamide. Fructose
losses, assessed after 10 days of storage, however, revealed a highest metabolic rate in
diluents containing streptomycin. The lactic acid production by spermatozoa
followed the same pattern as fructose losses. (B.C.J.)
Further studies on the anthelmintic action of Piperazine citrate. R. F. SHUMARD
and D. F. EVELETH (1956). Vet. Medicine 51(II) : 515-517
I n recent years many products containing piperazine have been tried as anthel-
mintic mostly against roundworms in cattle, sheep, swine, horses, cats, dogs and
poultry. Though the danger of toxic reactions from these products might be slight
their individual anthelmintic efficiency in different host and parasite species has yet
to be fully established. Piperazine is not effective to the same extent against all
nematodes. For example, piperazine citrate in doses of 4,000 to 8,000 mg. per
gallon of drinking water removes only 40 to 60 per cent H. gallinae from chickens.
Piperazine adipate at a dose rate of 220 mg. per kg. body weight of horses has been
found to remove nearly 100 per cent adult and immature Parascaris equorum and
adult Trichonema spp., 80 per cent adult Oxyuris equi and about 50 per cent Tri-
dontophorus and Strongylus vulgaris ; but against S. edentatus or S. equonua it has
not been found to be effective.
The authors had carried out last year laboratory and field trials with piperazine
citrate in drinking water as an anthelmintic against Ascaridia galli and Heterakis
gallinae of chickens. Their results were confirmed subsequently the same year by
Bradley, who carried out field trials with large flocks. In this paper the authors
report the results of their experimental and field trials and observations with piper-
azine citrate in poultry and swine. In the trials carried out by them and Bradley
in 1955 they had used dosages of 8,000 and 4,000 mg. per gallon of drinking water.
In the present investigations, they found that the lowest effective dose of piperazine
citrate was 2,000 and 4,000 mg. per gallon of drinking water offered to the birds
for 24 hours. A level of 1,000 mg. of the drug per gallon of drinking water per day
was found to be highly effective in preventing the establishment of A. galli in birds.
In a small field trial 4,000 mg. of the drug per gallon of drinking water for 24 hours
was found to be successful in removing the ascarid from turkeys. Single doses of
170,270, 430 and 730 mg. of piperazine citrate per kg. of body weight, given orally
by means of a plastic tube attached to a syringe, were found to be effective in re-
moving Ascaris lumbricoides. A dose of 8,000 mg. per gallon of drinking water in a
slop mixture for a single feeding was also effective. (H.D.S.)