STUDIES ON THE FAECES L. Paloheimo, Liisa Syrjälä, and K. A. Vainio Department ofAnimal Husbandry, University of Helsinki Received September 23, 1968 In medical science the term coprology is frequently used. It means the science offaeces and is generally applied only to diagnostic study of faeces. However, the examination of the faeces reveals not only diagnostic criteria, it also throws light on the physiology and ecology of the animals. In this paper are presented some contributions to physiological coprology. According to its origin the faeces material is generally divided in two fractions: food residues and metabolic material. This seems, however, to be a too simplified division. In fact there are in the faeces three different fractions (Paloheimo 1962 p. 1; 1966, p. 86): 1) An exclusivelyexogenous fraction (= food residues), containing substances which during the passage through the alimentary tract have undergone at most slight transformations. 2) An exclusively endogenous fraction, containing e.g. mucus, bile constituents, and calcium phosphates. 3) A bacteria fraction, containing living bacteria and bacteria debris, the origins of which are food substances as well as endogenous material. Using the ultra-sound one can produce microscopic preparations in which the food residues ofplant origin appear clean washed (Figs. 1 and 2). The picture in Fig. 3 is taken from an unwashed preparation. Fig. 4 shows a typical picture with bacteria debris. This picture is very different from Fig. 5 which is obtained from rumen fluid. Aggregations of living bacteria are found in the faeces only on the surfaces of undigested food particles (Fig. 6). Fig. 7 shows cells detached from the intestinal epithelium and Fig. 8 uric acid crystal globules from chicken excrements. All these pictures are taken in our department. Sieve analysis offaeces The sieve analysis can be employed for different purposes. If the quality of the diet of a wild animal is to be studied, a distribution of the faeces material into different sieves makes the task easier. Regarding farm animals, the sieving of the faeces reveals whether the concentrate food has been ground finely enough. Intestinal parasites and their segments https://www.c-info.fi/en/info/?token=ciW_eshK1tvT1tJG.br4liaENfdX99GMD7Rpt-w.KL0qiVx74xayrBLFJPuids0VS4EvBTTzDweA4MzZ1Tf1Eh-4Q-EN0rDHySzcxS1OPGSUHFwIs--FdwmgCom1BTri8Q2jnIq0ekPZRRgvPuvFZG4t8kfGDt-mb2BSuFwEac2Q8tuimG1BAbLk9q0YfVASmkicpmg2DRU9k3MMcf2GUt3yOGNzm2OTOd3kWJ7AIoaGISDqxY8ZhdQDOpPG2RtCHvud Fig. 1. Washed plant tissue fragments from from cow faeces. X 300. Fig. 3. Unwashed plant tissue fragments from cow faeces. X 400. Fig. 5. Microorganisms in the rumen fluid of a cow. x 500. Fig. 2. Entangled spirals from plant tra- cheids. From cow faeces. X 400. Fig. 4. Bacteria and bacteria debris from cow faeces. X 800. Fig. 6. Living bacteria on the surface of a food particle rich in nutrients. From cow faeces. X 300. 238 can be detected. The percentages of the fractions reveal the efficiency of the mastication, In this department the last mentioned purpose has been the most essential. Sieving is a conventional procedure. Ideally, a sieve should effect a sharp separation between undersize and oversize particles, and the largest undersize particle should be only just smaller than the smallest oversize particle. In practice, appreciable portions of both fractions have the same size range. Especially in the faeces of herbivorous animals the food particles are mostly pin-formed and are retained on a sieve plate if they fall on it flatways but fall through if they fall longitudinally. By shaking the sieve or mixing the material upon it one gives each particle repeated possibilities to fall longitudinally. But even if the sieving is performed under running water, much time and water is needed before the sharp separation of oversize and undersize particles is completed. The undersize fluid is now sieved through the next sieve whereat the amount ofwater to be poured through the third sieve still increases. There are still two features which tend to restrict the fall of small particles through the sieve: a blinding of the sieve by the wedging of particles into the openings, and the sticking to each other of individual particles. In the sieving of faeces a preliminary shaking of the material with water is not sufficient for detaching the slime and bacteria from the vegetable particles, but an ultrasonic treatment is of considerable help in this respect. Hellström (1958, p. 49) was probably the first to use ultrasonic treatment in studies on faeces. See also Hellström and Aamisepp (1965, p. 27). In the following paragraphs our method and some of its applications are presented. Circular sieves 19 cm in diameterwere used. The depth ofthe sieves was 5 cm. 4 sieves were used for each analysis. The sides of the square openings were 2.0 mm, 1.0 mm, 0.5 mm, and 0.1 mm. The weight of the samples must depend on the dry matter content of the faeces. The dry matter of the sample should be about 3 g. If the faeces contain e.g. 15 % dry matter, a2O g sample is convenient. The sample is mixed with water in a 200 ml beaker and decanted in portions into a larger beaker the total amount of water being about 200 ml. Fig. 7. Cells detached from the intestinal epithelium and attached on the surface slime of cow faeces. X 500. Fig. 8. Uric acid crystal globules from chicken excrements. X 800. 239 240 In the second beaker the mixture is treated with an ultrasonic probe (Blackstone) about 15 minutes in room temperature. The mixture is poured from the beaker on the 2 mm sieve, and the undersize is allowed to fall into a pail. Then the sieve is placed in a large porcelain dish in which water is poured on the sieve until the water surface lies 2—3 cm above the sieve plate (Fig. 9). The suspen- sion is then kept in motion with a spoon and at a moment when theparticles are. scattered as evenly as possible the sieve is abruptly raised. The undersize is poured into the pail and the treatment is repeated with the oversize. This time, as the undersize suspension is no longer very dense, one may half a minute after the raising of the sieve when the main part of the particles has sunk, lay the sieve slowly down whereat the water will rise again upon the sieve plate. The suspension is agitated and the sieve abruptly raised. This procedure can be repeated once or twice before the undersize is poured into the pail. When the sieve is again in the dish, water is poured on it and the treatment is continued until the undersize is practically free from particles. The sieve is now placed obliquely in the dish which must still contain water (Fig. 9), and from the lower part of the sieve the particles are ladled with a spoon into a weighed smaller dish. The drying of the sieve with the particles is not recommended. The further details in the removal of the final oversize from the sieve may be left to the analyser’s own judgment. The water in the smaller dish is evaporated and the dry matter content determined and calculated as percentage of the faeces dry matter. The undersize fluid poured into the pail after the sievings through the 2 mm sieve, is poured into the 1 mm sieve. The treatment is continued in the same way as with the 2mm sieve. Then follow the sievings through the 0.5 mm sieve and, finally, through the 0.1 mm sieve. The amount of the undersize fluid increases gradually so that two or three pails are needed. The fluid from the last sieving (with the 0.1 mm sieve) can be discarded ifone does not continue the fractionation by sedimentation. In the following paragraphs the fractions Fig. 9. Above: the sieve in the dish (primary position). Below: the sieve placed obliquely in the dish. 241 are named: 2 mm, 1 mm, 0.5 mm, 0.1 mm, and