Veterinary experiences as a Japanese prisoner of war and ex-POW along the Burma railroad from 1942 to January 1946

Summary As a prisoner of war the writer was working for nearly three years in different POW camps, and outside them, along the Burma railway from Thanbyuyzat in southern Burma up to Kanchanabury in Thailand. In the army of the Netherlands-Indian archipelago (KNIL) he had the military rank of reserve horse-doctor. In civilian life he was attached to the Veterinary Institute in Buitenzorg (now Bogor) as a veterinary bacteriologist. His task as a POW became that of meathygienist and supervisor of the living animals in the camps. In this function he diagnosed swine fever in growing pigs which had mainly been fed on the offal of the Japanese kitchen. The acute course and the pathological alterations observed during the post-mortem examinations were identical with those of the Southern-African type of the disease. In slaughter cattle the author diagnosed some cases of lung tuberculosis, one of anthrax, several of rinderpest, some of rhinal granulomatosis and one of foot and mouth disease. In chickens he found NCD (pseudo-fowlpest) and in ducklings a mortal disease which the author then called 'keeling disease' but which he many years later, recognized as virus hepatitis. As assistant bacteriologist and ex-POW he joined the British regimental hospital in Bangkok. Here he had the opportunity to assist the bacteriologist pathologist, Maj. C. R. Peck IMS / IAMC in diagnosing the first case of melioidosis in an ex-POW of the KNIL who died from the sub-acute infection, notwithstanding treatment in the hospital with sulfa-drugs and penicillin.     

Histochemistry of gland cells of Eurytrema pancreaticum cercariae.

The cercariae of Eurytrema pancreaticum (Janson, 1889) possess four types of gland cells - proper cystogenic, penetration, ventral and dorsal gland cells. The secretion of ventral and dorsal gland cells is released into the tegument. The proper cystogenic gland cells are the largest and their contents serve for the formation of the cyst wall of metacercariae in the second intermediate host. The secretion of proper cystogenic gland cells contains besides neutral mucosubstances also acid mucosubstances with both carboxyl- and sulphogroups digestible with beta-glucuronidase. The secretion of penetration gland cells contains neutral mucosubstances and proteins with tyrosine, tryptophan and SS groups. The ventral gland cells contain mostly acid mucosubstances with sulphogroups, which are digested with beta-glucuronidase, and proteins with tyrosine, tryptophan and SH groups. The rudimentary dorsal gland cells contain a small amount of acid mucosubstances. The whole tegument of cercariae and the two main collecting canals of the excretory system exhibit a high alkaline phosphatase activity. The nerve ring and the main nerve truncs contain proteins with SH groups and hydrophilic lipids and exhibit a cholinesterase activity. The suckers contain a larger amount of glycogen.     

Prevalence of antibodies to equine viruses in the Netherlands

Summary The prevalence of antibodies to various viruses was investigated in a series of serum samples collected from horses in the Netherlands between 1963 and 1966 and from 1972 onwards. Neutralizing antibodies to equine rhinopneumonitis virus, equine arteritis virus and to equine rhinovirus types 1 and 2 were detected in respectively 76%, 14%, 66% and 59% of the equine serum samples tested. The observed incidence of serum samples positive to equine adenovirus in the complement fixation test was 39%. Precipitating antibodies to equine infectious anaemia virus were detected only in serum samples from two horses imported from abroad. Haemagglutination inhibiting antibodies to Myxovirus influenzae A / equi-1, M. Influenzae A / equi-2, and Reovirus types 1, 2, and 3 were present in respectively 82%, 50%, 10%, 33% and 3.6% of the serum samples tested. The most frequently observed incidence of antibodies to the various equine respiratory viruses occurred in the groups of horses having repeatedly contact with other horses.     

Tissue reaction to Cysticercus bovis in the lung of artificially infected cattle

The tissue reaction to Cysticercus bovis in the lung of cattle with an experimental infection was an inflammatory rim originating in the immediate vicinity of the cysts. The cysts recovered at days 83 and 102 p.i. contained living cysticerci. The rim was composed either of a layer of high histiocytes organized in palisades (at day 83 p.i.), or a lyer of flat histiocytes (at day 102 p.i.). The outer layer of the rim consisted of fibroblasts, reticular cells and a different number of eosinophil- and neutrophil luekocytes. On the periphery, the rim was formed by granulation tissue infiltrated with lymphoplasmocytes. At the border between the layers of the inflammatory rim there were conspicuous foci of a necrotic appearance typical of a tissue reaction to C. bovis.     

Virus eradication from some Pelargonium zonale cultivars by meristem-tip culture

On the older leaves ofPelargonium zonale chlorotic rings and flecks are common, especially during spring and fall. From such plants an isometric virus can be isolated that causes local lesions on the leaves ofChenopodium quinoa. An attempt was made to produce symptomless plants, reacting negatively onC. quinoa. Meristem tips on a basal medium supplemented with α-naphthalene acetic acid and coconut milk produced abundant callus, but no plantlets. However, on media containing low concentrations of indole acetic acid and kinetin or benzyl adenine, some plants were produced that fulfilled the above requirements. Those selected on horticultural properties, are considered as valuable mother plants. Of twenty-one cultivars such plants were obtained. They may prove an important contribution to the improvement of theP. zonale industry in the Netherlands.