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the enormous number of Parrots annually imported 

 into this country — 80,000 by one man alone ! — and to 

 the inversely infrequent occurrence of the birds in our 

 houses in consequence of the inordinate death rate 

 from "Parrot Fever" or "Ship Fever." It follows 

 therefore that of those which survive their landing 

 and sale a large proportion dies after an interval of 

 weeks or months in that final stage of the disease 

 which has been erroneously ascribed to tuberculosis. 

 This ending is indeed so common that at least one 

 writer, whose pathological work in this direction of 

 some years ago is of sufficiently high order to com- 

 mand attention up to a certain point, has considered 

 the Parrot as not only highly susceptible to human 

 tuberculosis, but also as best presenting the type from 

 which to consider the disease as presumably affecting 

 birds. 



In a very interesting letter which Dr.W. T. Greene 

 kindly sent me in 1903 there is so good a description 

 of the acute stage of the disease that I can do no 

 better than reproduce it. He says : — " the symptoms 

 " are very marked ; the bird is dull, listless, and 

 " sleepy ; its feet feel very hot to the hand, and no 

 " doubt the general temperature is raised, but it is im- 

 " possible to ascertain this exactly as the subjects are 

 " for the most part wild and resent handling. The 

 " appetite fails, a discharge appears from the nostrils, 

 " diarrhoea sets in, and death supervenes in less than 

 " a week from the onset of the acute symptoms. In 

 " some instances death occurs much earlier, though I 

 " am inclined to think in such cases the malady was 

 " contracted during the voyage. The post viortem 

 " appearances are extreme congestion of the liver, and 

 " haemorrhage into the brain or between the meninges. 

 " It is a frightfully infectious disease, so that a cage in 

 " which a parrot has succumbed becomes a focus of 

 "infection. The disease is endemic in certain shops, 



