SCHIRACH, 1771. 13 



Paralysis. — But littlo is dofinitoly knowTi about paralysis of bcos. 

 Tho tlisoaso has not boon donionstiatod to bo infoctious. Many su])- 

 positions have boon mado by difl'oront writers as to tho cause of tlio 

 trouble, but no satisfactory evidence has been produced to prove the 

 cause. 



Dysentery. — A condition knowTi as dysentery has often boon 

 observed b}' the boo koo])or. But littlo is known about tho disorder. 

 There is considerable evidonco that the nature of the winter food 

 ])lays a part in its causation. Zander (p. 89) has recently suggested 

 that there are two forms of this affection, a noninfectious one and 

 an infectious one. To an infectious form he ascribes Nosema apis 

 as a cause. ^luch work must yet be done upon this condition. 



Isle oj Wight disease. — Tho disorder known as Isle of Wight dis- 

 ease was first reported from tlie Isle of Wight by Imms (p. 79). 

 Maiden (p. 93) reports that the disease has more recently spread to 

 the mainland (England). This disorder has so far not boon found 

 in any other country. The cause has not been definitely established. 



It is urged that the reader peruse the preface to this bulletin 

 (pp. 7-9) carefully. B}'- so doing the intent of the writers of this bul- 

 letin will be better understood and the chances of misinterpretation 

 will be lessened. 



CONSIDERATION OF PAPERS ON THE CAUSES OF BEE DISEASES. 



SCHIRACH, 1771. 



Schirach^ in 1771 classified the diseases which most frequently 

 attack bees as follows: (1) Dysonterj"; (2) disease of the antennas; 

 (5) foul brood; (4) queens laying drone eggs only; (d) sterile queen; 

 (,6) queenless colonies. 



Dysentery he considered to be dietary in origin. No belief is 

 expressed as to the cause of the disease of the antennae, to wliich 

 he refers, but he states that with this disease the danger is not great. 

 Tlio disease which he designates as foul brood, however, he believed 

 to be quite dangerous, very fatal, and a true pest after it has reached 

 a certain stage. To this condition he attributed two causes, one 

 cause being ascribed to tho imi)roper food which was consumed by 

 the larvae, and the other being a fault of the queen in permitting 

 the brood to bo so arranged in the cells that the heads point inward. 

 Considermg these two widely different causes ascribed to an abnor- 

 mality in the brood, one might suspect that there was more than 

 one disease in the condition which he designated as foul brood. 

 That part of the disease condition, to which as a cause he ascribed 

 the food, could well be an infectious disease — either American foul 



> Schirach, A. G., 1771. Histoire naturelle de la reine des abeilles, avec I'art de former des essalms. 

 La Haye. Pp. Lxni+269; 3 platea. 



