255 



into the affected birds, or when on the other islands, forwarded to 

 the applicants for use. 



The following observations not hitherto recorded, seem of 

 value : 



Age of Birds Affected. A gradual spreading downward in so 

 far as age is concerned, has been noticed as following the advance 

 of warm weather. In the early spring for instance pullets and 

 cockerels, and even mature birds, were most frequently affected. 

 The season's first chickens did not seem to become infected until 

 nearly half grown and fully feathered, that is when they were 

 about 2-pound broilers. During May, 8 to 10 weeks chickens, and 

 during June, 4 to 8 weeks, and even dowmy 3 weeks old chicks, 

 were commonly affected. 



When no treatment was attempted the mortality advanced with 

 the season. 



Chicks less than a month old show the lesions first at the 

 margins of the mouth or eyelids, from which they spread rapidly 

 into the mouth as yellow diphtheritic patches or into the eye as 

 cheesy masses of fibrinous exudate. Unless promptly treated both 

 locally and by vaccine, 90 to 100% of these young birds die. 



Local Treatment. Our attention has been called to some very 

 good results obtained from the application of ordinary crude or 

 black oil to the sores and scabs, and even to the eye proper, after 

 removal of the cheesy masses, whether more effective than tincture 

 of iodine remains to be seen. It may, however, be considered a 

 good substitute when iodine is not at hand. We believe, however, 

 that iodine is to be preferred for instillation into the eye. 



Bad Residts from Vaccine. In a few cases, vaccination has 

 resulted in the appearance of bluish black discolorations and swell- 

 ings at the place of injection, due possibly to spore bearing bac- 

 teria resistant to the temperature at which the vaccine is atten- 

 uated. In no case, however, has more than a few head in any 

 one flock become so affected. Only one of these was saved by a 

 timely incision into the affected parts and treatment with antisep- 

 tic lotions. The fact that such a small number only has become 

 affected in this manner points to the possibility of the needle hav- 

 ing been contaminated or else that the skin was soiled at the place 

 of injection. It is, therefore, well to adhere strictly to the in- 

 structions which require a sterile needle and the disinfection of 

 the skin before injection. In order to avoid handling two sets of 

 disinfectants, we have discarded the use of cresol solution and 

 use only tincture of iodine, a drop or two of which is placed on 

 the skin at the point of injection, and the needle inserted through 

 the resulting brown spot. 



The new vaccine mentioned in the May report is now ready for 

 final test on a laree scale, and it would, therefore, be highly de- 

 sirable if a laree ffock of young chickens but slightly affected or 

 not yet infected could be located. The vaccine has been made in 



