TRIGLYCERIDES AND FATTY ACIDS 149 



synthesize this vitamin by the action of microorganisms in the rumen or 

 other parts of the digestive tract. ^^^-'''^ Patton*^^~''i^ is of the opinion that 

 ketonemia in cattle is related to a deficiency of vitamin A, but the fact that 

 acetonemia has been observed in cattle fed liberal amounts of green alfalfa, 

 and even in cows on green pasture, seems to preclude that possibility. ^'^^•*''^' 

 419,420 Moreover, Shaw et al^^^ reported normal values for plasma carotene 

 (325 )Ug- %) and vitamin A (23.2 ^ig. %) in nine cows with ketosis in which 

 the blood glucose averaged 27.6 mg. % and the blood acetone bodies 

 presented a mean of 37.8 mg. %. Likewise, vitamin A therapy has proved 

 of little value in the treatment of acetonemia in cattle. ^^^~'*-* The clinical 

 ketonemia of cattle has also been attributed to dysfunction of the pituitary 

 gland ;*2^ however, the data do not appear to be conclusive. 



According to Knodt et a/.^'-^ the average mean content of total acetone 

 bodies in 126 analyses of blood of normal cattle was 2.99 mg. % (0.69 to 

 5.54), while the mean value for 58 analyses of cows with ketosis was found 

 to be 33.6 mg. % (2.40 to 89. 3). ^^^ Urinary acetone bodies averaged 10 mg. 

 % (86 analyses varying between 2.50 and 70.0), while the figure for cows 

 with ketosis averaged 253.8 mg. % (53 analyses varying between 10.0 and 

 1568). According to Sjollema and van der Zande,^^^ urinary acetone bodies 

 are present to the extent of 10 to 13 g. per kg. urine (1000 to 1300 mg. %) 

 in acetonemia, whereas the normal level of urinary ketonuria is 0.1 to 0.7 

 g. per kg. urine (10 to 70 mg. %). However, other workers^^^-"*^* state that 

 the urine of normal cows usually contains 0.3 g. of ketone bodies per liter 

 (30 mg. %), or less. 



Saarinen and Shaw*" noted that plasma phosphohpids and the cholesterol 



^1^ H. H. Dukes, The Physiology of Domestic Animals, 6th ed., Comstock, Ithaca, 

 N. Y., 1947, p. 527. 



^15 L. A. Maynard, Animal Nutrition, 2nd ed., McGraw-Hill, New York & London, 

 1947, p. 208. 



^i« J. W. Patton, Vet. Med., 39, 150-153 (1944). 



"'J. W. Patton, Vet. Med., 39, 271-278 (1944). 



«U. W. Patton, Vet. Med., 40, 163-167 (1945). 



^" J. C. Shaw, R. C. Powell, Jr., and G. C. White, J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc, 100, 473- 

 478 (1942). 



"" S. J. Roberts, North Am. Veterinarian, 27, No. 5, 284-287 (May, 1946). 



"1 J. C. Shaw, L. D. Matterson, M. E. Sin-genor, and C. A. Hourigan, /. Am. Vet. 

 Med. Assoc, 106, 285-291 (1945). 



^"C. E. Hayden, M. G. Fincher, S. J. Roberts, W. J. Gibbons, and A. G. Banks, 

 Cornell Vet., 36, 71-84 (1946). 



«U. M. Hendershot, J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc, 108, 74-75 (1946). 



"^ M. G. Fincher and C. E. Harden, Cornell Vet., 30, 197-217 (1940). 



*^^ C. B. Knodt, J. C. Shaw, and G. C. White, ./. Dairy Sci., 25, 837-849 (1942). 



""J. Sampson and C. E. Harden, .J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc, 86, 13-23 (1935). 



4" \\ Saarinen and J. C. Shaw, J. Dairy Sci., 33, 496-507 (1950). 



