Bodh Xtilnrs (ind Uci'iofx. 123 



Book Notices and Reviews. 



A Systkim of \'i;ti;ki\akv Mkdicixk. By v;irious writ9rs; edited, 

 by K. Walla/r lloaio. F.ll.O.V.S. In two vols., £2 2s., net. 

 Vol 1. now ready, prioo £1 Is., net. London: Baillioro, Tin- 

 dall and Cox, 8, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden. 



A copy of Vol. I. luis now reaelied us, and in eonlinualion of 

 our previou;- notice wo would add: 



That the sections dealing with bii'ds are mostly from the pen 

 of our Hon. Vet. Surgeo;i (Mr. H. Gray, M.E.C.V.S.), but every 

 section of tiie animal world is dealt with, and the work should 

 appeal not oiUy to professional men, but to all stock-owners, poultiy- 

 keepers, and owners of zoological series of all kinds. The i)ird 

 .section will apiu-al mainly to oui' readei-s. The ai'ticles referring 

 to the coccidiosis of bii'ds, the aspergillosis of birds, avian cholera, 

 avian jdague, bird-fever, bird septicaemia, and psitta-cosis, fiom the 

 pen of Mr. H. Gray, should prove of great value to the students 

 of aviary diseases, and greatly assist the aviculturist in ^the care of 

 the occupants of his aviaries and cages. 



Mr. G. L. Ingram, M.E.C.V.S., of the " Browni " Institution, 

 Lonnon, has devoted a chapter to avian tuberculosis, and points out 

 Die .special characters of this disease in birds. 



Tlie writer of the articles on avian diphtheria (loup of poultry- 

 farmers) and epithelioma conta,giosum (pigeon or fowl-pox) has des- 

 cribed them as two distinct diseases. But modern investigators 

 have concluded they are due to the same virus, wdiich wall pro- 

 duce one or the other, that is to say, some birds, after inoculation, 

 will manifest diphtheritic symptoms, others eruptive symptoms or 

 both sets of symptoms combined. They aie due to an ult-a visible 

 organism, wdiich cannot be seen lay the most powerful microscope. 

 Catarrhal roup, which is probably a mild form of avian diphtheria, 

 is also ably described by Mr. Gray. The pigeon or fowl -pox is one 

 of the oldest known diseases of birds. It was noticed by Pal- 

 ladius, A.D., 300; Demetrius described it A.D. 12G1, and De 

 Cresentij A.D., 1233—1307, and occurs in every part of the 

 woild : but although frequent in the United Kingdom, is particularly, 

 common in India, Italy, and other warm countries. We believe 

 tlie Italian veterinary surgeons pay the greatest attention to the 

 diseases of poultry; the Germans next, then Russians, French, 

 Americans, Roumanians, etc., and tlie English the least. 



Several diseases of rabbits and fishes are fully de- 

 scribed, and also the bee plague, the silkworm disease, and two 

 diseases of mice, liaving an economic value. One mouse disease is 

 allied to or identical with that of swine erysipelas, the other supplies 

 the haccilus for the mauufactui'e of Danysz Mouse and Rat virus. 

 Psittacosis (Parrot disease or plague) is described in its relation 

 to public health, as well as from a veterinary point of view. 



