NationalLibraryOfScotland/medical-history-of-british-india huggingface dataset:
CONTENTS
Vol. XXVII, Part I
(March 1957)
The Publications Committee of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research,
India, takes no responsibility for the opinion expressed in this Journal.
Original Articles
THE INCIDENCE OF SURRA AND TABANID
FLIES IN RAJASTHAN (WITH 3 MAPS AND
ONE TEXT-FIGURE)
SEMINO VESICULITIS IN A BULL AT AN
ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION CENTRE (WITH
TWO TEXT-FIGURES)
FACTORS AFFECTING GESTATION LENGTH
IN HARIANA CATTLE
FACTORS AFFECTING BIRTH WEIGHT
IN HARIANA CATTLE
ABSTRACTS
REVIEW
A handbook of animal husbandry
P. Balarama Menon
Mahendra Pratap Johari
M. L. Kohli and K. R. Suri
M. L. Kohli and K. R. Suri
PAGE
1
17
29
23
39
43
CONTENTS
Vol. XXVII, Part II
(June 1957)
The Publications Committee of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research,
India, takes no responsibility for the opinion expressed in this Journal
Original Articles
STUDIES ON INDIGENOUS CREEPERS—A NEW
RAIN-FED, HIGH PROTEIN
PHOSPHORUS
RICH PLANT
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CONCENTRATES
ON A COLLECTION OF PARAMPHISTOMES FROM
DOMESTICATED ANIMALS IN BIHAR
Review
VETERINARY CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS
S. K. Talapalra and C. S. Barsaul
Sumati R. Mudambi, M. V.
Rajagopal and Kamala Sohonie
A. K. Varma
Pages
45
61
67
77
CONTENTS
Vol. XXVII, Part III
(September, 1957)
The Publications Committee of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research,
India, takes no responsibility for the opinion expressed in this Journal.
Original Articles
NOTE ON OCCURRENCE UP A TYPICAL STRAINS OF
FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE VIRUS IN
INDIA
SEX MATURITY IN DAIRY CATTLE AND THE
PROBABLE CAUSES OF DELAYED PUBERTY
(WITH
4 TEXT FIGURES)
THE RELATION OF SOME FACTORS TO THE OCCUR-
RENCE OF POST PAETUM OESTRUS IN HA-
RIANA CATTLE
LONGEVITY AND PRODUCTIVITY IN HARIANA
CATTLE (WITH 1 TEXT FIGURE)
A HIGH PROTEIN VERSUS A NORMAL PEOTEIN
RATION FOR EGG PRODUCTION IN POULTRY
THE LIFE HISTORY AND BIOLOGY OF THE REDU-
VID
Acanthaspis siva A PREDATOR OF
THE INDIAN HONEY BEE—Apis Indica F.
(WITH
2 TEXT FIGURES)
ABSTRACTS
M. R. Dhanda, V. R. Gopala-
krishanan
and H.
S.
Dhillon
M. P. Johari and S. K.
Talapatra
M. L. Kohli and K. R. Suri
M. L. Kohli and K. R. Suri
Alex Reed and John G. Velu
M. S. Subbiah and V.
Mahadevan
Pages
79
85
95
105
111
117
123
CONTENTS
Vol. XXVII, Part IV
(December, 1957)
The Publications Committee of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research,
India, takes no responsibility for the opinion expressed in this Journal.
Original Articles
STUDIES ON FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE
VACCINATION IN INDIA. II—A
CONCENTRATED CRYSTAL
VIOLET
VACCINE
STUDIES ON EEPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY
IN DONKEY MARES
COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF A NORMAL
AND HIGH-PROTEIN RATION WITH
AND WITHOUT "AUROFAC" UPON
GROWTH RATE OF CHICKS
CHICK FEEDING TESTS ("WITH 6 TEXT-
FIGS.)
Vespa cincta FABR. PREDATOR OF
THE HIVE BEES AND ITS CONTROL
A NOTE ON THE OCCURRENCE OF AN
ARACHNID BLLTNGSBNIUS Indicus
Ghamberlin, INFESTING BEE HIVES
IN SOUTH INDIA (WITH 1 TEXT-
FIGURE)
ABSTRACTS
M. R. Dhanda, V. R. Gopala-
krishnan and H. S. Dhllon
M. L. Kohli and K. R. Suri
Alex Reed and John G. Velu
N. 8. Garewal, Yash Pal and
E. R. Halbrook
M. S. Subbiah and F. Mahade-
van
M. S. Subbiah, V. Mahadevan
and R. JanakIraman
Page
127
133
139
145
153
155
157
THE INCIDENCE OF SURRA AND TABANID FLIES IN
RAJASTHAN*
By P. BALARAMA MENON†, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, U.P.
(Received for publication on May 11, 1956)
(With 3 maps and one Text-fig.)
T HE data which form the subject of this article were collected during a tour of
Rajasthan and Ajmer undertaken in March, 1954 to study the incidence of
tabanid flies and surra in that north-western dry region of India. The Rajputana
states constituting the present State of Rajasthan form an important camel rearing
area with scanty rainfall (Map 1). Surra is a serious disease of horses and camels
and tabanids are the suspected common transmitters of this disease. But, so far,
no information regarding the incidence of the disease or its transmitting agents
is available from Rajasthan. Senior-White [1927] while cataloguing the Indian
species of Tabanidae remarked that not a single record of these flies was available
from Rajputana. Basu [1945] reported on the distribution and seasonal incidence
of surra in India and prepared a map showing the intensity of surra in various parts
of India. Though it was clear from the map that the disease was prevalent more
or less throughout India, the area covered by the states of Rajputana had to be
left completely as no information regarding that area was available. Hence it
was considered necessary to collect the data regarding the incidence of surra in
Rajasthan and also to investigate the vector problem in the area.
The present Rajasthan State was formed in the year 1950 by integration of
about 20 small states of Rajputana. The State now comprises five major Divisions,
viz. Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur and Kota (Map II). The climatic and
meteorological conditions vary considerably in the different Divisions. There is
a common belief outside Rajasthan that it is one arid rainless desert and, since
moisture and parasitic life go together, the animals of Rajasthan are free from
most of the parasitic diseases. But the whole of Rajasthan is not a waterless desert
with scanty rainfall (Table I). Certain areas have fairly good rainfall and many
have large stretches of perennial water lakes. Certain other areas are canal
irrigated (Pali and Ganganagar). The south and south-east regions have fairly heavy
rainfall and the north, east and north-east have the same climate and topography as
Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Bharat. Only the western parts with Bikaner and
some portion of Jodhpur Division are dry and arid (Map III).
Rajasthan has 75 per cent of the camel population of India. They are
distributed throughout the State but are found in large number in the west and
south-west Rajasthan. In addition to about 3½ lakhs of camels, the region has a
large population of horses, donkeys and cattle.
* Paper read at the 42nd Session of the Indian Science Congress at Baroda, 1955.
† At present Entomologist, Armed Forces Medical College, Poona,
1
56 AR/56
March,
1957]
P.
BALAEAMA
MENON
3
REGIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF
SURRA IN INDIA
MAP I—Number of surra cases reported during the years 1940-42. (After Basu,B. C. (1945))
4
INCIDENCE OF SURRA IN RAJASTHAN
[Vol.
XXVII, Part I,
MAP II—Political map of Rajasthan showing the different Divisions
March, 1957]
P. BALARAMA MENON 5
TABLE I
Showing the average annual rainfall in inches in different months of the year at representative stations in
Rajasthan (average of three years, 1951 to 1953)*
Station
Jaipur
Jodhpur
Udaipur
Kotah
Bikaner
Total
Average
January
0.33
0.04
0.87
0.12
0.24
1.60
0.32
February
0.17
0.02
0.09
0.06
0.10
0.44
0.09
March
0.07
0.00
0.01
0.05
0.15
0.28
0.06
April
0.17
0.04
0.35
0.02
0.00
0.58
0.12
Months of the year
May
0.33
0.11
0.05
0.16
0.10
0.75
0.15
June
0.74
0.92
3.87
3.58
0.60
9.71
1.94
July
9.22
7.10
10.70
11.26
4.43
41.71
8.34
August
7.68
4.81
6.90
7.13
5.35
31.87
6.37
September
2.76
1.79
2.04
3.53
0.51
10.63
2.3
October
0.03
0.00
0.07
0.00
0.00
0.10
[0.02
November
0.00
0.00
0.50
0.00
0.00
0.50
0.10
December
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.07
0.00
0.07
0.01
Total
20.50
14.83
25.45
25.98
11.48
98.24
19.65
* Based on data supplied by the Indian Meteorological department.
6
THE INCIDENCE OF SURRA
IN
RAJASTHAN
[Vol. XXVII, Part I,
TABLE II
Number of surra cases reported from different districts of Rajasthan in one average year (average of 4 years)
Name of Districts
Udaipur
Chittor
Bhilwara
Kota
Bundi
Jhalawar
Jaipur
Dausa
Sawai Madhopur
Bharatpur
Rajgarh
Kishengarh
Alwar
Jodhpur
Nagaur
Pali
Jalore
Banner
Bikaner
Ganganagar
Total Rajasthan
January
26
8
15
42
18
2
..
..
..
1
1
1
3
15
22
36
23
1
1
14
229
February
33
..
27
5
32
1
..
..
1
1
1
1
3
12
13
169
8
5
1
22
235
March
42
3
13
2
35
3
..
1
..
..
3
2
6
5
14
9
5
3
..
12
160
April
9
3
7
6
18
31
..
1
1
..
..
1
1
7
18
22
13
...
..
7
145
Months of the year
May
14
2
24
3
30
4
..
..
1
..
1
..
2
9
10
24
1
5
..
16
145
June
24
51
16
2
32
7
..
..
..
..
..
1
..
8
14
94
7
10
..
16
282
July
67
10
35
4
7
2
..
..
3
1
2
1
3
17
22
68
36
11
..
24
313
August
202
15
23
4
13
1
..
..
..
..
2
21
3
86
51
117
24
2
1
25
590
September
78
4
16
162
171
8
..
..
2
1
10
6
3
64
37
229
54
22
1
11
979
October
288
43
15
2
96
4
..
..
..
..
4
13
6
89
83
404
258
23
1
51
1,376
November
249
29
38
5
39
4
2
..
..
2
8
3
2
94
66
163
111
2
1
31
819
December
67
74
35
129
10
5
..
..
20
4
6
5
3
30
30
120
65
5
2
38
630
Total
1,103
242
264
366
501
72
2
2
10
10
38
56
31
406
380
1,555
605
89
8
266
6,006
March,1957]
P.BALARAMA MEN
TABLE III
Surra cases in camels treated at the City Veterinary Hospital, Udaipur, for 3 years, from 1951 to 1953, month
by month
Year
1951
1952
1953
Total
January
54
30
1
85
February
95
1
7
103
March
121
1
3
125
April
5
..
..
5
May
..
..
25
25
June
..
..
10
10
July
20
40
6
66
August
1
75
14
90
September
4
40
6
50
October
9
10
145
164
November
3
219
65
287
December
15
138
..
153
Total
327
554
282
1,163
8
INCIDENCE OF SURRA IN RAJASTHAN [Vol. XXVII, Part I,
MAP III—Meteorological map of Rajasthan showing temperature and rainfall
March, 1957]
P.
BALARAMA
MENON
9
GRAPH I—Showing relation of rainfall to the incidence of surra
56 AR/56
2
10
INCIDENCE OF SURRA IN RAJASTHAN
[Vol. XXVII, Part I,
Distribution
The disease is found more common in moist regions, viz. eastern half of Rajasthan
including eastern half of Jodhpur Division. Udaipur and Kota are the two Divi-
sions affected most. Since camels of the arid region of Jodhpur and Bikaner Divi-
sions come in contact with the diseased ones when taken for foraging, they get
the infection during the fly season. Hence cases of surra are not uncommon in
Jodhpur and are only occasionally reported from Bikaner Division.
Surra cases are also reported from the State of Ajmer. From the reports
available, the number of camels treated for surra in the State during 1951-52,
1952-53, and 1953-54 is 28, 238 and 51 respectively. But it is, however, doubtful
whether all these were local cases. Majority of them were believed to be from
camels brought from outside the State, i.e. from Rajasthan which surrounds it on
all sides. Complete figures for surra are not possible as some cases receive private
treatment and are not included in the hospital records.
The above statement shows that surra is very much prevalent in Rajasthan
and Ajmer and is as much a serious problem there as elsewhere, perhaps
as camels are highly susceptible to the disease and Rajasthan is the most
important camel breeding centre in India.
THE VECTOR PROBLEM AND THE INCIDENCE OF TABANID ELIES
It has been established that tabanid flies are primarily responsible for the trans-
mission of surra. These flies are common in India and Basu, Menon and Sen Gupta
[1952] have dealt with their detailed distribution. All the common species are
blood-thirsty and voracious biters, being able to puncture the thick skins of equines
and bovines in a few seconds and to cause an abundant flow of blood upon which
the females become engorged. Warm blooded animals, including man, are subject
to their persistent and unrelenting attacks. The adults are strong fliers and occur
abundantly in the neighbourhood of water. They lay their eggs generally on leaves
and stems of plants overhanging the water. After hatching, the larvæ fall into
the water and develop. When mature, they crawl to dry soil, pupate and after a
few days emerge as adult flies [Basu et al., 1954].
In the absence of water and sufficient atmospheric humidity tabanid flies
cannot breed and survive, and since these flies act as mechanical transmitters of
Trypanasoma evansi, the causal organism of surra, transmission of the disease
cannot take place. Since surra cases are seen throughout Rajasthan, fly breeding
must also be taking place. If surra cases are common in a locality even in the
absence of these flies, there must be some vectors other than the tabanid flies. It
has therefore, been, suggested that in portions of Rajasthan with scanty rainfall
and dry and arid conditions, tabanids can not be a problem and that the trans-
mission of surra must be taking place through the agency of some other vector.
In fact, Cross and Patel [1921] reported transmission of surra by the ticks,
Ornithodorus crossi and O. lahorensis, but their findings have not so far been con-
firmed. Sankarnarayan [1948-50] found that camel ticks were incapable of
March, 1957]
P.
BALARAMA
MENON
11
transmitting surra. The author also has failed to transmit surra in the laboratory-
through the agency of ticks (unpublished). Since it is only a mechanical trans-
mission without the parasite undergoing a development or cyclical changes inside
the vector's body, it naturally follows that such transmission through bite from
an infected animal to a healthy one should take place within a short period of time.
So unless there is a developmental phase inside the ticks, it may not be possible
for them to act as transmitters, as ticks do not move quickly from one animal to
another for their feed. Biting flies alone are capable of doing it on account of
interrupted feeding as those flies visit many animals in a herd in quick succession.
During the present investigation it has been found that tabanid flies are present
in all the Divisions of Rajasthan and they can breed and complete their life-cycle
under the conditions prevailing there. During the present survey it has been
possible to visit all major water collections in different parts of the State and to
collect all stages of the fly, viz. the egg, larva, pupa and adult (Table IV). Large
numbers of egg masses were collected from several lakes and ponds in all the
Divisions except Bikaner from where only very few batches of eggs could be
obtained. It had not been possible to visit Sri Ganganagar and other canal
irrigated areas in Bikaner Division which may provide conditions suitable for the
breeding of tabanid flies. Adult flies were caught while laying eggs on subaquatic
vegetation and also while feeding on camels. Among the adults collected and
identified, four species were found, viz. Tabanus rubidus Wiedemann, Tabanus
striatus Fabricius, Tabanus macer Bigot and an undetermined species of Atylotus*.
It may be mentioned here that Basu et al., [1952] reported 17 species of Tabanus
from the north-western dry region of India in which Rajasthan is included and from
where no record was available till then. Hence the four species of tabanids collected
from Rajasthan during the present investigations, are new records for the locality.
It may also be mentioned that T. rubidus is a well known carrier of surra and that
T. macer is also one of the seven species of Tabanus which have been incriminated
in the transmission of the disease.
TABLE IV
Breeding places of Tabanus flies in different parts of Rajasthan visited during
the survey
Locality
1
Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Source of water
2
Mandour
canal
catchment area
Balsaniand (lake)
Takhatsagar (lake)
Tabanid breeding
3
No breeding
—nil—
Fairly heavy breeding in
isolated places. Egg batchtes
mostly recent and some
freshly laid
Remarks
4
With overhanging vegeta-
tion
No vegetation.
Entire
rocky edge
Isolated pockets with
bamboo grass vegeta-
tion, both floating and
emergent.
Signs of
animals
frequenting
the place
* Identified by the Commonwealth Institute of Ento m ology, British Museum, London.
12
INCIDENCE OF SURRA IN RAJASTHAN [Vol. XXVII, Part I,
TABLE IV (contd.)
Breeding places of Tabanus flies in different parts of Rajasthan visited during the
survey
Locality
1
Jodhpur
Pali
Pali
Udaipur
Udaipur
Udaipur
Chittorgarh
Chittorgarh
Ajmer
Source of water
2
Sardarsamand (lake)
Irrigation canal
Pali lake
Fateh sagar and Saroop
sagar (lakes)
Pichola lake
Udaisagar lake and the
nullah falling into it
Gambhir Nadi (River)
Gomukhi Kund (Drinking
water supply in the
fort)
Budda Pushkar (lake)
Tabanid breeding
3
Many old egg batches
found on a few dry
Acacia plants standing
in water and a few
batches on casurina
and calatropis plants
in canals taking from
the lake
Fairly heavy breeding on
both the banks
—nil—
Breeding
present
in
sheltered pockets on
grass, etc. overhanging
water
No breeding
Heavy
breeding.
Bunches
of
eggs.
Many larvœ collected
from the edge of the
nullah
Heavy breeding especially
on round grass Scirpus
No breeding
Fairly heavy breeding
Many egg batches
collected.
Flies
collected from camels in
the locality
Remarks
4
No marginal overhanging
vegetations ; only rocky
stones and boulders at
the edges. These large
lakes are not potential
breeding places but
the canals taking from
it with plentiful grass
and other vegetation
are
likely
breeding
places
From Sardarsamand to
Pali the canal running
with plenty of vegeta-
tion
Scanty emergent vegeta-
tion
Irrigation canals from
the lakes also breeding
Sides of the lake are pucca
built and hence no
breeding can take place
Potential breeding places.
Plenty of reeds and
grass.
Ideal
place
for breeding
Not much water with
emergent grass. Eggs
abundant on both the
banks a little farther
down the bridge
No emergent vegetation.
Algœ present
Plenty of grass and vege-
tation.
Potential
breeding place after
rains
March, 1957]
P.
BALARAMA
MENON
13
TABLE IV (contd.)
Breeding places of Tabanus flies in different parts of Rajasthan visited during the
survey
Locality
1
Ajmer
Ajmer
Ajmer
Kota
Kota
Jaipur
Source of water
2
Puskkar (lake)
Anasagar (lake)
Pisangan tanks
Kota tank
Chambal river
Jal Mahal tank
Tabanid breeding
3
No breeding
No breeding
No breeding
A few eggs collected
No breeding
Heavy breeding in small
patches.
Many-
banches
of
eggs
collected from a dry
babul twig standing
in water and some on
isolated grass blades.
Many adults caught
while laying eggs
Remarks
4
Steps of stone leading
into the lake on all
sides.
No possibility
of breeding excepting
in a small patch in a
corner where some grass
is growing
Lake
with
extensive
catchment area and a
stone and marble built
embankment on one
side.
Possibility of
breeding on the opposite
side where grass, etc. are
growing
No marginal vegetation
Marginal
vegetation
confined only to small
patches on the south-
west corner of the tank,
rest being stony sides
Plenty of water but no
vegetation near about.
A possible source of
breeding
No marginal vegetation ;
Water saltish ;
cattle
grazing nearby
14
INCIDENCE OF SURRA IN RAJASTHAN [Vol. XXVII, Part I,
TABLE IV (concld.)
Breeding places of Tabanus flies in different parts of Rajasthan visited during the
survey
Locality
1
Jaipur
Jaipur
Jaipur
Bikaner
Bikaner
Source of water
2
Amber tank
Rawalji-ka-Bandha
(tank)
Babuji-ka-Bandha
(small tank)
Devikund and Devikund
Sagar (tanks)
Kodamdeshar tank
Tabanid breeding
3
No breeding
Fairly heavy breeding
No breeding
Evidence of breeding ;
old egg shells on a
creeper overhanging
water
No breeding
Remarks
4
Water dry
Plenty of marginal grass.
Ideal place for breeding
with
water
and
abundant
vegetation
and elephant grass
Without much vegetation.
Cattle grazing nearby.
No adults found
Both the tanks are
bereft of vegetation
except a patch on the
eastern side of Devi-
kund.
Eggs were
found on old projecting
twigs. Both the tanks
dry up in summer
No vegetation
From the statement given above (Table IV) it is clear that even the dry Bikaner
is not free from tabanids. This survey was undertaken in the month of March
when most of the sources of water were expected to be dry. After the monsoon,
when all the tanks are full and there is plenty of vegetation at the banks, fly breeding
in these areas is expected to be heavy and this has been proved by the high incidence
of surra in post-monsoon months (Table II). It is reasonable to presume that a
more detailed survey carried out in the post-monsoon months in Rajasthan may
reveal the presence of some more species of tabanids. Since Tabanus flies are
present in Rajasthan in a sufficient number it is only reasonable to suppose that,
as in other places, transmission of surra is taking place in these areas through the
agency of these flies.
EGG PARASITES OF TABANUS
It is known that the eggs of Tabanus flies are sometimes parasitised by other
insects. Menon [1954] reported on a new species of Telenomus (Scelionidae:
Hymenoptera) destroying large numbers of egg masses of Tabanus flies in certain
villages around Izatnagar (U.P.). During the course of the present survey, among
16
INCIDENCE OF SURRA IN RAJASTHAN [Vol. XXVII, Part I,
Centrodora sp. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidæ) is recorded for the first time as a
parasite of the eggs of tabanid flies in India. It had been possible to breed these
parasites into adults in the laboratory when the infected egg batches were kept
in a moist chamber. The possibility of its utilisation in the control of Tabanus
flies is suggested.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author expresses his thanks to the Director of Agriculture, Rajasthan and
the Director of Animal Husbandry, Ajmer, for giving him all facilities during his
tour of their States and providing him with surra incidence and livestock
census figures. He also thanks Mr. N. S. Sankarnarayan, Disease Investigation
Officer, Rajasthan and Ajmer, for all co-operation and help extended during
these investigations. He is grateful to Dr H. D. Srivastava, Head of the Division
of Parasitology, I.V.R.I., Izatnagar, for his keen interest and on whose suggestion
this piece of work was undertaken.
REFERENCES
Basu, B. C. (1945). Distribution and seasonal incidence of surra in India. Indian J. vet. Sci. 15, 4,
277-279
———— Menon, P. B. and Sen Gupta, C. M. (1952). Regional distribution of Tabanus flies in
India and its relationship to the incidence of surra. Indian J. vet. Sci 22, 4, 273-292
Idem (1954). Field studies on the bionomics of Tabanus flies with a view to work out control measure s
Indian J. Ent. 16, 1, 67-76
Cross, H. E. and Patel, P. G. (1921). A note on the transmission of Surra by ticks—Vet. Bull. No. 6.
Department of Agriculture, Punjab
Menon, P. B. (1954). A new species of Hymenoptera-Telenomus sp. n-parasitising eggs of Tabanus
flies. Indian vet. J., 31, 3, 205
Sankarnarayan, N. S. (1948-50). Progress Report of the Veterinary (Disease) Investigation officer,
Rajasthan and Ajmer for the years 1948-49 and 1949-50. Govt. press, Jodhpur
Senior-White, R. (1927). Catalogue of Indian Insects, Part 12—tabanidœ. Govt. of India Central
Publication Branch, Calcutta.