RHINOSPORIDIOSIS IN EQUINES.*

                                                   BY

                                 V. KRISHNAMURTI AYYAR, I.V.S.,

                    Ag. Principal, Madras Veterinary College, Madras.

                    (Received for publication on 23rd September 1931.)
                                        (With Plates III to V.)

The earliest recorded occurrence of Rhinosporidiosis in man dates back to the
year 1900 when Seeber discovered the parasite in growth from the nasal cavities
of two men living in Argentina. Since then cases have come to be recorded in man
in India and other parts of the world by various workers. Most of the cases
recorded in India were from the Madras Presidency and in the great majority of
such cases the lesions, which were of the nature of a polypus, were found in nasal
cavities, and naso-pharynx, while in a few others they were present on the uvula,
conjunctiva, lachrymal-sac, penis and the ear.

As regards its prevalence in animals, its occurrence was, for the first time,
recorded in the nasal tumour in a horse in South Africa by Zschokke in 1913. It
is reported that the tumour was round and was of the size of an egg, reddish in
colour and hard with a rough outer surface and that inside were found cysts which
were filled with a parasite allied to Rhinosporidium Seeberi. He designated the
parasite as Rhinosporidium equi.

Two more cases in mules came to be recorded in the same country in 1928 by
Quinlan and deKoch. One of the mules showed a number of pinkish tumour-like
growths with irregular masses in the nasal mucous membranes, the smallest
measuring about 2 mm. in diameter and 1 mm. in height, and the largest, which
appeared to be formed by the coalescence of smaller growths, measuring 2 cm. in
diameter and 1.5 cm. in height. The other mule made a roaring sound and
exhibited signs of dyspnoea when trotted, and in the left nostril was found a large
granulation-like mass practically filling the whole of it. In both these cases on
histological examination spore morulæ of rhinosporidium have been reported to be
present.

Recently the attention of the author was drawn by Professor J. H. Ashworth
of Edinburgh to a record of a nasal polypus of the horse due to Rhinosporidium
found in the Veterinary School in Montevedeo (Cordero and Vogelsang).

* Paper read at the 18th Session of the Indian Science Congress held at Nagpur in January 1931.

                                                    ( 49 )