M. ANANT NARAYAN RAO                        189

In the Madras Presidency rhinosporidiosis in man has been reported fairly
frequently from certain districts and it is interesting to note that the bovines
noted above are also from those very districts. So far, all the reported cases
of rhinosporidiosis in animals have been from districts other than the Northern
Circars ; opportunity is now taken to record the first case in a pony at Cocanada,
East Godavari.

No cases of rhinosporidiosis in bovines or equines have been reported
from Northern India. Allen and Dave [1936] state that at their instance, the
Director of Veterinary Services, Central Provinces, issued instructions to his
staff to look for rhinosporidial growths in animals in that province but no cases
were reported. Those authors made enquiries in the Drug district of Central
Provinces and failed to obtain even one infected animal, though they saw
over sixty human beings affected with the disease in Raipur and Drug districts.
This seems interesting as far as it goes, but compared to what obtains in the
Madras Presidency, it seems reasonable to assume that cases of rhinospori-
diosis in bovines or equines have escaped diagnosis till now and it may not
be long before such cases come to light.

                                  2. SITE OF INFECTION

The predilection seat for rhinosporidial growths in animals appears
to be the nasal mucous membrane. In all the bovine and equine cases re-
ported so far, such growths were found only in the lower third of the nasal
cavity. An analysis of the clinical histories of the affected bovines shows
that the growth is either found on the margin of the hole on the nasal septum
made for the nose string or by the side of the sessile lesions of nasal schistoso-
miasis, in the lower third of the nasal cavity. Hence, it would appear that
trauma is a necessary factor for the development of rhinosporidial tumours.

The author learns that in certain parts of Northern India, the system of
puncturing the nasal septum is not in vogue, and that nasal schistosomiasis
exists there. Therefore, there is at least one factor present in causing trauma
in the nose in cattle and adequate investigation may result in demonstrating
the existence of the disease in bovines in that part of India.