506 ' EXPERIMENT STATION RECOBD. 



toxins can not be considered as causing a cessation of phagocytosis, except to a very 

 limited extent. The two causes of the absence of phagocytosis are beUeved to lie 

 principally in alterations in the bacteria which protect them against the phagocytes. 

 During the first stages of the disease the bacteria appear to exercise an irritating 

 effe(;t upon the phagocytes, by means of which the former become located and are 

 surrounded and destroyed by the phagocytes. Later this influence appears to be 

 lost and the phagocytes seem to be unable to find the pathogenic organisms. 



Bacillar septicemia in cliickens, F. Fuhrmann {Mitt. Xaturw. Ver. Steiermark, 

 1901, No. 38, 2^P- ^48-255, pi. 1). — The author investigated a disease of chickens 

 which ran a course without producing any observable pathological changes in the 

 internal organs. Detailed notes are given on the behavior of the bacillus on various 

 nutrient media. The bacillus did not coagulate milk and was decolorized by Gram's 

 method. From 2 to 4 flagella were observed on each bacillus. No spore formation 

 occurred. The optimum temperature was about that of the body. Pigeons and 

 mice were found to be immune to subcutaneous and intramuscular infection. 

 Chickens, siptted rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs, on the other hand, were very sus- 

 ceptible. So far as the author's observations go, the filtrates from cultures of bacil- 

 lus are not toxic. It is Ijelieved that the organism in question belongs to the group 

 of coli bacillus. 



Goose septicemia, C. Curtice {Rhode Island Sta. Bui. 86, pp. 189-203). — A seri- 

 ous outbreak of a fatal disease among geese occurred in a feeding plant at Adams- 

 ville, R. I. Among a large number of geese which had been bought in different 

 parts of the State about 3,200 were affected and died. The death rate averaged from 

 5 to 30 per day and reached 60 on 1 day. A similar outbreak occured at Little 

 Compton, during which 500 geese, or about 20 per cent of the whole flock, died. 

 The symptons of the disease were seldom observed in their entirety. Some of the 

 geese died within 5 minutes after the first appearance of the disease, and as a rule the 

 course of the disease was not longer than 36 hours. Apparently no cases recovered. 

 Post-mortem examinations showed quantities of mucus in the throat and nose, con- 

 gestion of the blood vessels of the head, catarrhal products in the intestines, small 

 hemorrhages in the walls of the intestines, and minute yellow or w^hitish spots on 

 the liver. The bacteriological work was chiefly performed by Dr. Theobald Smith, 

 whose notes are included in the bulletin. A bacterial organism was isolated by 

 Dr. Smith from the blood, liver, or mucous exudate of the affected geese. The 

 organism is oval and stains at the poles. It belongs to the group of hemorrhagic 

 septicemia. Inoculation experiments showed that this bacillus is pathogenic for 

 rabbits, guinea pigs, pigeons, mice, ducks, and geese, whether administered hypo- 

 dermically or by way of the mouth. Young geese fed on small jaieces of the 

 intestine and liver from diseased geese were found dead the next morning and they 

 showed similar post-mortem appearances to those observed in cases of natural infec- 

 tion. It is believed that infection in geese takes place by way of the mucous mem- 

 brane of the head. Experiments with hens indicate that this animal is immune to 

 the disease, while in 1 case ducks were not affected by feeding with virulent material, 

 but succumbed to hyj^odermic inoculation. It is suggested that while infection takes 

 place through the mucous membranes of the head, it probably occurs only in animals 

 in which there are lesions of these membranes. Treatment must be preventi\-e, 

 medicinal treatment being useless. On the premises where the most serious outbreak 

 occurred the geese were fed in lots of 300. It is suggested that they be divided into 

 smaller lots, and that the premises be thoroughly disinfected from time to time. 

 After the larger outbreak mentioned above had occurred the feeding plant was used 

 for fattening ducks without any case of the disease having appeared in the latter. 



Diphtheria of birds, C. Gueein {Ann. Med. Vet., 51 {1902), No. 5, pp. 259-272).— 

 A careful study was made of the symptoms, pathogenesis, and treatment of this dis- 

 ease. An organism was isolated which, when inoculated into healthy Isirds produced 

 the same symptoms which were observed in cases of natural infection. The pigeon 



