FORMAT FOR THE MEMBERS

FOLIO   AGR-1                 DR MAHESH CHANDRA AGRAWAL

FATHER'S NAME              LATE SHRISHRIRAM BANSAL

DATE & PLACE OF BIRTH     26TH APRIL,1944 ; FIROZABAD

DEGREE                                                 YEAR                           COLLEGE
BVSC & AH                                              1967                          VETY COLL,JABALPUR
MVSC                                                         1974                          VETY COLL,JABALPUR
Ph.D.                                                           1978                           VETY COLL,JABALPUR
MARRIAGE                             28.6.1973           MRS VEENA AGRAWAL

POST                    RETIRED AS DEAN,VETY COLL,JBP

ADRESS:3/4 ,DATT ARCADE PHASE THREE, SOUTH CIVIL LINES,JABALPUR482001

MOBILE 09993224849                             LANDLINE 0761 2621772
E-MAIL ADDRESS  drmcagrawal@gmail.com    ; mcagrawal@yahoo.com

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WHERE ARE OUR ANCESTORS-HOMINIDS

26th April,2020
JABALPUR

Is it not important to know our ancestors ? To ignore this question is just opposite to the great emphasis given to our old generation-our grand father or great... grand father ? This question is puzzling me since some time. Here, I have raised the question to know more about our ancestors. This list may start by including Primates in zoological calendars. We will see these primates in abundance in nature ; but this is not the chain of the genus Homo- to which we belong.  hence its correct to raise the question -where are our ancestors  or other Homo species ? 

Prior dealing this subject , let me elaborate some thing more. When we raise this question , our Historians give answers that we are talking about PRE-HISTORIC TIME hence they do not have any solid evidence except excavations and finding one or two tools and erecting whole story over these findings. Thus it is clear that every one here is a blind person,searching his valuables in a dark room; perhaps , it is right to say that everyone postulates a theory according to his wish list with least evidences. There are some other points to consider ,prior dealing this subject :

2.Most of these excavations are done in eastern part of Africa. Some Archaeologists done some work in Eastern Europe. In that sense , India has remained isolated ; neither eminent European Archaeologists want to say with authenticity about Indian conditions.

3. It was easy to find some thing in Sumerian civilization, or Egyptian civilization as we could draw some conclusion on finding a part of body from burial side . However, in Indian continent, it is very difficult to get human body since burying a dead body was discarded since long (?).

4. I do not know whether , this is a subject of Art or persons from science background should also participate in this discussion. Till now the subject has been dealt by the Historians or Archaeologists-those who have no science background or depend on others for narrating some scientific fact.
 There is little doubt that our Ancestors have descended from Some African part-most probably Eastern Africa. Afterwards .there is great dispute about the journey of our ancestors. Most of the Archaeologists consider that The African man first settles at Mesopatamia ,where they learned the technique of Agriculture and domestication of wild animals from there they spread to different parts of the earth. There is great civilization of Egypt, Rome and also of Sindh valley civilization (svc).Some Historians considered that African people spread to these places and they developed separately their Agriculture and civilizations. However, there is little doubt that persons of these civilizations could meet among themselves when such chance arises. There are some evidence which suggests this collaboration. If we study deeply, Egyptian and svc, there appears some similarities-i.e. Both civilizations used bullocks for their Agriculture which is just opposite to European civilization which used Horse as their main animal. Both civilizations believe in After life and they carried all the comforts to the departed soul. Both worshiped not one but many Gods-some are important to their family or area only. However, there is a vast difference in the pattern of disposal of dead body. Where as Egyptian civilization buried the dead person, svc learnt the technique of burning the dead body. But if you study geography of these two areas , the difference may be appreciated; while there is shortage of wood in Egyptian culture (hence burying of dead), it was in abundance in svc hence the persons might be considered it fit to burn the body. Unfortunately, the latter practice has prohibited us to throw more light over Indus valley civilization. However, it appears more appropriate to think that our Ancestors were absent at both these civilizations.
If you see a zoological key, there is mention of three Homo species- Homo erectus, Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. Some have named the last surviving species as Homo sapiens sapiens.
Unfortunately unlike to other zoo animals, we do not have any surviving species of genus Homo ?  so the main question is where are our Ancestors ??
This Homo erectus has first appeared about 1.6 million years ago . All of us have read in our tenth standard book that from the chain of a large number of primates, this was H.erectus who stand up and could be able to walk on his hind feet. He used his fore legs as a tool and this was most important historical difference which ever observed in any animal species . Though this animal was very weak in light of other wild animals hence was easily prayed by the wild animals. Thus our H.erectus developed a most modern weapon of those time to save themselves from wild animals and this was Fire. This protected our ancestor from many other animals and then it developed a fine instrument of those time and it was a spear which can kill any large animal without going near to it and thereby fetching large quantity of meat. The after story is about how man conquered the nature and dominated all over the world but during this development our Ancestor has also vanished . All what we have learnt is that H.erectus was a less wise man and it has given rise to a more wise man or what we call H.sapiens. But is it possible that whole generation of H.erectus has vanished from the earth ? or can we make some clue over this statement?
It is said that Homo erectus was indistinguishable from H.sapiens from neck down . This statement is very important for zoological point of view. If we observe how nature has created different species, or sub-species or strains... This is sexual differentiation between these animals-- a sexual contact continues among same species but when this sexual gene transfer become impossible due to many reasons, there is formation of separate species. In that sense H.erectus and H.sapiens were not two separate species but only one species with little  difference though they were similar to each other from neck down... This suggests that sexual transmission of genes continued among them and after completing their sexual life H.erectus vanished from the earth.  Do we have any other similar example in whole of animal kingdom? to me it appears an unique example. or man has created this story to save himself from the shame -to answer where are their ancestors?
Where is our another Ancestor ? i.e. Homo neanderthalensis . It is said that this ancestor developed in some European country and has been nick named as Ice-man. Some persons have claimed their presence in some ice-caves but no details are available on it also.
If we study our mythological books, there is mention of different category of the persons- they may be Rakshas, Gandarbh, Kinner, Bhoot pishach. Some or one of them might be our Ancestor but H.sapiens eradicated these different varieties as there was cultural and other differences.
What ever may be the reason but I am right in raising the question ...WHERE ARE OUR ANCESTORS???

FIRST UNIVERSITY IN NAME OF JAWAHARLAL NEHRU IN INDIA

19th January,2020

Our Hindi News Paper, Published from Jabalpur, Dainik Bhaskar , is quite interesting and provide good reading contents; on every Sunday it publishes RASS-RANG where many good authors contribute many good articles.

These days Jawaharlal Nehru University , New Delhi attracted international attention for opposing CAA and NRC though its student president Ms Iishi Ghosh candidly accepted the main mote of the agitation is KASHMIR or to de- stabilize the present government. The general public has not forgotten slogans from JNU about " Bharat tere tukde honge- insha allah, insha allah". It appears that all this work is by ART students as we have learnt that science students and faculty of JNU is quite good and engaged in good research work.

Perhaps due to the popularity of JNU our news paper in Rass Rang has published an article "KAHANI JNU KI" contributed byDrs Pushpesh Pant  and Jagdeeswar chaturvedi- both have been alumni of JNU.  There are many inputs in the article and we wish to discuss a few of them , here.

It is mentioned in the article  that Raj Thapaar and her husband Romesh Thappar in 1969-70 were planning to immortalize the memory of jawaharlal Nehru and discussed the matter with smt Indira Gandhi who became Prime Minister of India,later.

Accordingly Jawaharlal Nehru University was established  in 1019 acre in South Delhi on 22nd April,1969 with its first vice chancellor Dr  G Parthsarthy.

It is a matter of concern that the article has claimed it as first university in India in name of Jawaharlal Nehru. Its more intriguing that name of smt Indira Gandhi is linked with the University.

If we go in the history, the  first university in name of jawaharlal Nehru is that of Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya which was established on 2nd October 1964 at Jabalpur.  .The most interesting matter is that this university was inaugurated by Smt Indira Gandhi on 2nd October,1963 in the hall of the then Agriculture College, Adhartal, Jabalpur.( at that time , she was Minister of information and broad casting).

So it is not correct that first univ in name of JNehru was JNU. Really it was JNKVV at Jabalpur   

But if we see all the history of JNKVV, it  has not been so famous as JNU. There are many reasons for this and requires deep investigation. However, it may be said that unlike to Pantanagar, all the Agriculture colleges of the state (six ) and veterinary colleges (2),working at that time in the state, were amalgamated in the university as their constituent colleges  .While all colleges were having state Professor post which was also Head of the department, these posts of state professor were reduced to  Associate Professor with abolition of Professor and HOD from all the  colleges; only one post of University Professor and Head of the Department was created at Jabalpur , thereby jeopardizing all the good work these colleges were carrying. Moreover, there was acute financial crisis in the university affecting teaching research and extension of the university. 

Another claim in the article is that semester system and internal examination with answer copy exhibition was first in JNU. 

This statement is also not correct as the semester or trimester system of education with internal evaluation was brought  first time in Agriculture universities from American university of land grand pattern system. I still remember that internal examination with answer copy exhibition was started since 1965 in JNKVV- a time when JNU has not come in operation.

other claims like no timing for answers, no requirement of attendance etc  was only followed in JNU. The authors have claimed that such acts have made students disciplined though we are having reservations over such observations. They are blaming Emergency as the reason for indiscipline of JNU students, but Emergency has been experienced by all the students of other universities ,also. There is a mention that one history examiner has asked students to reply five questions with the remark " agar ye na ban sake ,to apne man se kinhi panch savalo ke answer likh dijiye" This is a unique culture of JNU and we have not heard it from any other univ.

As JNU is a central university with large funds and many collaborations, there is a mention about a book " JNU KA SACH" written by Dr Shankar Sharan who is Professor in NCERT also. But JNKVV is not so fortunate though one of its teacher Dr Mahesh Chandra Agrawal has written about Agriculture research and education in India with special reference to JNKVV with  title of the book  'YE HAI HAMARE KRISHI VISHWA VIDYALAYA". This book is available on AMAZONE INDIA and interested persons may read this book to know more about Agriculture research in India.   

Unsung Indian Scientist for Ronald Ross's Success

A BITTER TRUTH ABOUT CATTLE REARING AT OUR FARMLANDS

14TH JAN2019

This is the time when our nation is celebrating Lohari in Northern India and Pongal in south. This is the time when our village youth are readying themselves with JALLAKUTTI. Makar sankarati will be celebrated tomorrow with great fun fare as Prayagraj is celebrating Kumbh during this period..

Let me clarify in the beginning that what so ever i am writing it has no political links and i will write only scientific facts , as per my memory. This writing is coming from my heart after seeing many TV channels and their reporting how our cattle are made vagabond and it appears there is no caretaker of cow herd except our congested Goashala. But strangely i could not see any buffalo in the herd. Why it is so ?

As we all know that Agriculture development and domestication of  animals occurred simultaneously..There may be a controversy whether our Sindh valley civilization developed separately or was linked with  Masopatamina civilization but domestication of Bison, a forest animal resulted in development of cattle. At that time our all economy depended on Agriculture , so we preferred a cow who can give milk and its males may be used for Agriculture. Therefore, through out India , a dual purpose cow or cattle breed was developed. The importance of cow was well recognized by the visionary Lord Krishna who gave due recognition to the cow in our society. So much so that he gave second name  as GOPAL ( those who rare cow) to his title . We are all well versed with his taking village cows for grazing and preventing the ladies to sale butter prior use to their family members.

It gives us two important observations of those days. The first was there was no or very negligible cost in raring a cow in the village as it mainly depends on grazing. Its importance was narrated by Krishna to their fellow members by asking them to worship "GOVARDHAN' a hillock that provides feed and fodder to our cattle . The second observation is that mostly this dairy job was carried out by ladies or gopi.

Importance of bullocks in the agriculture field can be judged by depicting his elder brother BALRAM  with PLOUGH OR HAAL. Perhaps this whole story tells the importance of oow in those periods  Importance of cow increased  so much  in the society that they started worshiping cow as their mother- the individual who provides all to our children.Cow was giving milk,butter, bullocks used for ploughing fields while their dung was used for preparing manures.

This feeling of treating cow as mother is re-generated in modern period where great changes has occurred on real ground.

 Time has changed a lot . The most important fact is that cow has not remained main source for carrying Agricultural activities. Instead of bullocks ,we have now tractors which are present in big farms while small farms may also take them on hire and carry the tilling work in shorter time. Instead of cow manure we are having chemical fertilizers . Again bullock carts have been abandoned and rtractors or alike mechanical vehicles are used in the village for transportation.

Another important fact is ban of selling these cattle or their slaughter by any one particularly in north India. Perhaps for this reason our villagers are no longer interested in keeping cattle in their house hold. If Government of India is interested to maintain importance of cow , it has to do some new innovations . Looking to the bitter truth where every thing depends on freebies , one has to think how we can bring back economic importance of cattle in our society.

  

CAN A VETERINARIAN DO HOMEOPATHIC ANIMAL TREATMENT UNDER VET LAW

I have noted in recent times that some veterinarians are finding good results with Homeopathic drugs and are recommending homeopathic treatment in veterinary practices. This let a general curiosity in me what is the position of Homeopathic treatment in Veterinary practices ? Whether our veterinarians are protected by law if any animal during homeopathic treatment die ?

This let me to search the rules and regulations of veterinary practices and VCI in India .I will try to elaborate the matter only with legal points so that we can take future actions to safe guard our veterinary  profession.

As per Veterinary Council of India , you are not permitted to do veterinary practice even though you are possessing a veterinary degree if your name is not included in their or State Veterinary Council Register that means only registered veterinarians are allowed to do veterinary practices in India..  However, if you are a Veterinary teacher in an veterinary institute, you may do the limited veterinary practice ,confined to that veterinary institute , till your services . 

Thus a very peculiar situation arises when a veterinarian , with well recognized veterinary qualification retires from a veterinary college and forgo his registration , as he does not consider it  of any significance for him, even professor of medicine is prohibited by law  to do veterinary practice in the state if he has not renewed his registration. 

See ! a retired  professor who has guided so many students in his post graduate programs is prohibited by law to do veterinary practice or issue a veterinary health certificate in the field ? Should we  not think over this issue. In my opinion if a veterinary teacher with qualified veterinary degree retires , he should be permitted , with out renewing his registration, to continue his veterinary practices till he lives .

I venture to study the law of doing homeopathic practice by a veterinarian  by searching Google Engine. There appears some ambiguity in the matter and perhaps we may interpret the matter with our convenience. The website of regulations for veterinary practices in India (https// indiankanoon.org/doc/1469803/.) clarifies some facts and terms in this regards .

Recognized veterinary qualification means any veterinary qualification included in the first schedule or the second schedule.

Veterinary Medicine means modern scientific veterinary medicine in all its branches and include Veterinary Surgery and Obstetrics.

This means a registered veterinarian is allowed to do modern scientific veterinary medicine  and this may include Allopathy, modern Homeopathy and Ayurved 

But if you see syllabus of BVSc and AH which includes Anatomy, Physiology, pathology, pharmacology ,surgery, gynaecology etc  all the books of these subjects  are those which are prescribed in an Allopathic syllabus or our Medical colleges with Allopathic degree. Thus these persons are trained according to the Allopathic pattern of treatment while Homeopathic treatment is considered a separate discipline which require to acquire its own degree. Thus without acquiring such degree , can a registered veterinarian prescribe homeopathic medicines to his patient ? And if the animal dies during treatment, whether he is protected by law ?

A related question will be how we can check other persons not well qualified by prescribing Homeopathic drugs to the animals ? What will happen if they take shelter of court of law ?

I have raised this question on face book and whatsapp and has not received any satisfactory answer of such problem hence posting it on my blog with the hope that a new thinking will solve above problems.

I may add on 25th April,2018 that when VCI acts were passed in the Parliament a question regarding Homeopathy practice was raised by a member. Dr CM Singh the then President of VCI and NAVS, through the Minister told the lok sabha that a Veterinary research institute can conduct a homeopathy drug trial under guidance of a homeopath and the veterinarian can try or recommend this drug only for the treatment . But if a veterinarian wish to do Homeopathy practice, he has to acquire its knowledge as well as he has to register himself for homeopathy practice, then only law can protect him against some adverse eventuality. (This information was shared by Dr Rama Kumar V former Secretary of VCI through face book )

TACKLING AMPHISTOMIASIS AS A VETERINARY PROBLEM

Jabalpur

There are only three trematode infections of our domestic animals which have attracted greatest attention of the scientists and a lot has been worked out and written on these subjects. However, it is also true that these fluke infections are mainly problem of African and Asian countries. Why it is so ?  , As every one will appreciate there is a great climatic difference between these continents and mostly European continent is not conducive for development of these fluke infections in the snails.   Other reason of this difference, beside climatic, is husbandry practices in these continents.. While animal husbandry is confined to large agriculture farms in European and American countries ,it is mostly dependent on agriculture reseduces in African and Asian countries and considered a poor man's way of extra earning. Here, grazing of the animals is a big phenomenon in maintaining the domestic animals; these animals are allowed to let free in marshy lands, barren areas for grazing . They  fulfill their water requirements from local sources which are either in the form of lake, ponds, tanks, rivers , rivulets or even low laying areas filled with rainy water. And these are the great source of trematode infections in our domestic animals. 

 In true sense , history of parasitic diseases is not very old and it is only in late nineteenth century where malaria disease was suspected to be caused by a protozoan parasite . It is not surprising that the  old literature on fluke infections, contain  great emphasis  on  fascioliasis , considering it as main problem of our animals with little attention on amphistomes and schistosomes. This is so in any important veterinary parasitology book including that of Soulsby or old monneign book. It is not very difficult to speculate over this; as we are aware Fasciola hepatica was discovered long back because of ease of its finding in our domestic animals hence this was the fluke first considered causing much harm to the animal industry . Also other  reason for this emphasis was discovery of Lymnea truncatula, as intermediate host for Fasciola hepatica in Australia- a country with emphasis on sheep hasbandry ; therefore, the scientists claimed Fasciola hepatica as an important pathogen for sheep health. Moreover, this snail was amphibious in nature thus giving possibility  of its survival on land as well as in water. However subsequent research found that is is mainly F.gigantica in Asian countries where an obligatory aquatic snail is intermediate host . Again this snail (lymnaea aurricularia or L.accuminata ) is mainly present in perineal water source . This is in contrast to the intermeidate hosts for amphistomes and schistosomes which are present not only in perineal water sources but also temporary water sources. The other reason is increase in number of species of the flukes and snails proportionately in these cases. 

Therefore , we have advocated that along with fascioliasis , two other fluke infections are also problems in India or other Asian and African countries.

Till now , it is a simple story but further work becomes complicated since little attention has been paid on mysteries of amphistomiasis and schistosomiasis. We have written in details on schistosomiasis in a book form that has been published by Springer India in 2012.

Therefore, this write up desires our attention on amphistomiasis where following points are to be considered
Presently, there are three important publications on amphistomes from India
a. A review by BSW Chauhan on amphistomes published in ZSI in 1966 or so
b. Dr SC Dutt Monograph on Paramphistomes and Paramphistomiasis in domestic runinants- published by PAU in 1980
c.Dr NK Gupta ,1993 book on Amphistomes ;systematics and biology- published by Oxford university, New Delhi
If you vet any of these publications , you will observe they are written from a Biologist's view point and many questions and literature which is important to deal the disease has been left as such.
In recent years there are some chapters on aphistomes but again dealing mainly systematics while our view point is dealing the subject  from a Veterinary point of view ,

1. Its very simple to see amphistomes  in  slaughter houses or while conducting postmortem of a animal. This is because opening of stomach or rumen, reticulum, abomasum of any animal ,witnesses presence of amphistomes in these animals.

2.Those who are not well versed with Parasitology, claim these adult  amphistomes for death of the animal

3 But for a Parasitologist it is always difficult to ascribe these adult amphistoomes for any pathology of the animal though there is no doubt that these flukes suck nutrients for their host for survival and reciprocation. All the books of parasitology tell there is no harm or no much harm due to presence of adult flukes in the stomach and it is difficult to refute this opinion.

4. There are more than 20 species of amphistomes prevalent in India but only four have been incriminated for causing pathogenesis ( though persons like Dr SC Dutt have identified about 40 amphistome species and most of them have been synchronized ). But the main question remains why all amphistome species are not considered pathogenic ? Is it due to their low number in nature or little power of infecting  animals ? or no production of any toxic material during its life cycle ?

5. Another problem is that amphistomiasis is considered a problem of young animals and intake of large number of metacercariae simultaneously else smaller doses of metacercariae may not cause any harm to the host. The main reason ascribed for pathology is lodging of a large number of immature amphistomes in duodenum at a time thereby causing sloughing and blockage

6. Do we have technology to identify cercariae of each amphistome species and to calculate which amphistome species is more prevalent in particular area. Is there any relation between prevalence and pathology of the infection

7.Diagnosis of amphistomiasis is again a complicated issue as detecting amphistome eggs in the faeces is not considered pathogenic hence persons have to demonstrate immature amphistomes in faeces of the animals.

8.As detecting immature amphistomes in faeces is more tedious , scientists have developed a method of antigen detection test in faeces which if positive shows animals being suffering from amphistomiasis.

9. However, arguably eggs in the faeces will also turn the test positive hence will it not affect ssensitivity of the test ?
10. In fact, in countries like India, there are multiple infections that occur in an animal in nature and it is very difficult to ascribe importance of each infection in every host species. Perhaps , there are many factors like species of the animal, age , sex and nutritional status which decide pathogenecity of the infection.
11. Though it is simple to control these coprological fluke infections by preventing them not coming in contact with water hence preventing hatching of the eggs , yet it is easy to say then to practice. The future Gobar Dhan yojna may play a great role in controlling these fluke infections .

Nevertheless, i am planning to write all about amphistomes and amphistomiasis with a perspective of a veterinarian point of view and will appreciate to receive any research paper, project report , etc on my mail < drmcagrawal@gmail.com> Like schistosomiasis, i will not hesitate to incorporate any new modern technique that may help in solving the problem provided it cost effective and simple , ; this may be confirmed by reading the chapter "technologies developed" in the referred book.Needless to say that each and every contribution will be thankfully acknowledged in the book .