192                               Rhinosporidiosis in Bovines

the spores are said to escape, is seen in the wall depending upon the orientation
of the ascus in section. The spores in an ascus vary in their sizes ; some of
them are large, and each large spore has a capsule containing a nucleus and
proteinacious granules and the rest are small spores with no capsule and
contain finely granular protoplasm and a nucleus. The large spore measures
8 to 10 µ and the small one 5 to 7 µ.

                                8. IDENTITY OF THE PARASITE

It is interesting to note that rhinosporidiosis in cattle occurs in such areas
in the Madras Presidency where it is known to exist in man. There appears
to be no difference in the histopathology of the lesion or in the morphology of
the fungus in the material obtained either from man, bovine or equine.
Wenyon [1926] doubts the existence of any specific differences between equine
and human rhinosporidiosis. Ayyar [1932] pointed out that there is a very
close resemblance between the human and bovine lesions as regards the site of
growth, gross appearance of the tumour, its histology and the morphology of
the sporangia, etc. He sent some of his material to Ashworth who confirmed
those findings and said that the discovery of Rhinosporidium in bovines may
throw light on the mode of infection. Allen and Dave [1936] also said that the
sections of rhinosporidial lesions from cattle looked very similar to those from
man. The author could not find any specific difference in the morphology of the
causal organism or in the histopathology of the lesions in men, bovines or
equines. It would appear, therefore, that the causal organism of rhinospo-
ridiosis in man and animals is identical. This conclusion seems to throw light
on the mode of transmission as prophesied by Ashworth and will be discussed
later.

                  9. DISSEMINATION OF SPORES FROM THE LESIONS

The mature ascus may burst upon the nasal mucous membrane liberating
the spores on its surface or it may burst in the soft tissue. In the former case
the spores get mixed up with the nasal mucus and may be passed outside the
animal body, or as it usually happens in cattle or even in human beings, they
may be swallowed with the nasal mucus to find their way outside the body
through the faeces. If the ascus bursts inside the tissue, the spores remain
in the tissue having to complete their destiny there alone. To complete their
biological destiny outside the animal body, the spores are for obvious reasons
provided with protection and food material which on. the other hand, are not
required by those that are destined to complete their life-history in the tissue,
where protection and food are provided for by the host tissue. It is interesting
to note that the author found in the nasal discharge only the large type of
spores each having proteinacious granules and a capsule. Other workers with
material obtained from human patients, particularly Allen and Dave [1936]
have recorded the presence of only the large spores in the nasal discharge
which is diagnostic of the infestation. Ashworth [1923] and Karunaratne
[1936] said that the smallest developing trophozoite in the tissue measure