AVIAN DISEASES 189 



vancement to these two fields of knowledge. The scientific contribu- 

 tions of Neuman on parasites show that such organisms are the cause 

 of many a dreadful disease, not only with man and animal, but with 

 all avian life. The careful study of their life histories should appeal 

 to our protozoologists and inspire them to contribute to our knowledge 

 of those parasites which are causing an enormous mortality of our 

 most valuable birds. 



After the removal of a sick fowl from the flock a diagnosis is 

 usually made. Very often the specific organism causing the infection 

 is readily discovered, while, on the other hand, the most diligent scien- 

 tific efforts may fail to reveal the character of the disease. Many fail- 

 ures are accountable because there is a lack of sufficient knowledge or 

 a lack of thoroughness in making the investigation. 



The fundamental difficulty in ascertaining more definite knowledge 

 about our poultry diseases is the lack of enough scientific men to take 

 hold of the situation. To-day we have no rational system of medical 

 treatment for birds, nor can one be looked for until scientists, who are 

 busy on anatomy and physiology of avian life, offer to the layman a 

 definite plan of procedure, when these parasites and bacteria have made 

 their way into the body and brought about pathological lesions. 



The relation of bacteriology and parasitology to the infectious 

 avian diseases as mentioned before, is fundamental. If bacteriologists 

 and protozoologists will enter upon this field of avian diseases as a 

 basis for their research in their respective fields, the results of their in- 

 vestigations will lead to an improvement in the conditions of our 

 poultry yards, and give facts which are necessary before any treatment 

 can be found. With men of this character at work upon avian pathol- 

 og;v, success is inevitable. 



