217 



"remarks on 'tuberculosis ' IN DOMESTIC FOWLS. 



" ' Johne ' — Deutsche Zeitschrift fuer Thiermedizin, ('84), 155 — describes the 

 appearance of tuberculosis among fowls fed by a consumptive woman. Her sputum 

 was thrown upon the manure pile, where the fowls had access to it. The symptoms 

 were ' great emaciation ' and debility. 



" Nocard— Kecueil de M^d. Vdt (1885) annexe, 93; — reports that ten fowls of a yard 

 attended by a consumptive man died of tuberculosis of the abdominal organs. The 

 fowls were seen eating the sputum. 



"Nocard (Compt. Eend. Soc. Biologic (1885), 601), subsequently found the 

 ■disease among the fowls of a slaughter-house, ' which were being fed on the diseased 

 organs of cattle which could not be sold in the market.' 



" Ziirn, in an examination of six hundred hens found sixty-two affected with 

 tuberculosis — turkeys, pheasants and partridges, &c. are subject to tuberculosis. 



" The tubercular lesions are limited to the intestines and the liver ; or they may 

 involve the ' ganglia ' and the ovary. 



" In the case of the disease affecting the fowls in your district (in one case a 

 dairyman losing 45,) assuming it to be tuberculosis — which can only be determined 

 by microscopical examination for the ' bacilli ' of tuberculosis the question is : ' In 

 what way was it communicated?' Two ways may have already been noticed. 

 Authorities are well agreed that the milk from an udder (tuberculous) is infectious. 

 Sputum of tuberculous patients is so infectious, that even when diluted with 100,000 

 times its bulk of water, it is still infectious. Even although the disease may not be 

 recognized, ihe symptoms being often very obscure, it may exist in animals slaugh- 

 tered and sold for consumption. It is more prevalent among dairy cows subjected 

 to unsanitary conditions and may exist also in the udder without being suspected. 

 In France the percentage of meat found tuberculous at the various abattoirs varies 

 from 1-43 to 14"5 per 1,000; observations extending over a period of 5 yeai-s. In 

 England (Cope, Vet. Journal, 1889, 398) it varies from 1 to 26 per cent. 



"Animals, such as dairy cows, subject to special feeding, brewery and distilleiiy 

 waste, <tc., are specially liable to a tuberculous condition. Finally, it may be con- 

 cluded that since the neglect of sanitary precautions, generally, undoubtedly gives 

 rise to tuberculosis, it fo flows that fowls crowded together in roosting houses with- 

 out ' proper ventilation.' &c., may generate tuberculosis. In cold winters in order 

 to maintain heat it is a custom with many to ' exclude all air,' and no provision is 

 made to permit foul odours to pass off." 



ANOTHER DISEASE WHICH CAUSED GREAT LOSS TO FARMERS. 



During the first week of September a letter was received from M. Andrd Bertrand, 

 a farmer of St. Esprit, P.Q., stating that a disease had broken out among his poultry 

 and that a number of turkeys, chickens and fowls had died. The remaining birds he 

 feared would be lost. A brief description of the disease was given. 



A reply was sent asking him to forward a detailed description of the 

 disease, and expressing the fear that cholera was the ailment. A statement of how 

 his pouliry was housed, extent of premises, &c., was also asked for, as it was 

 intended to submit the correspondence to Prof. Wesley Mills, of McGill University, 

 for his opinion. 



In response the following letter was received from M. Bertrand : — 



" Sir, — You ask me to give you a description of my place and of the disease 

 ^hich has broken out among my fowls. I live on my farm, which is a large one. 

 My farm buildings are extensive and commodious, with the hen-house in the corner 

 of the stable. The buildings are situated near the river. When I noticed that my 

 ibwls wei'C getting sick I closed the hen-house and then the fowls went to roost in 

 the trees, in the barn or under the gallery. They all died one after another, until, 

 now, I have only nine chickens out of one hundred. Ten turkeys have died out of 

 thirty-six. The symptoms of the disease are as follows : The fowls commence at 

 once to fail and to appear broken down, although they eat until the last day. The 



