200 Diseases of Poultry 



Visceral Gout 



In visceral gout the only symptoms shown by an affected 

 bird are a loss in weight or "going light" and a slight yellow- 

 ish tinge to the skin, comb and wattles. The bird has a good 

 and often abnormal appetite. Death occurs suddenly. An 

 examination of the abdominal cavity shows that all the organs 

 and serous membranes are covered with a chalky or talcum- 

 like powder. This powder has a mother-of-pearl luster and 

 on microscopic examination is seen to be composed of small 

 needle-like crystals. These are crystals of urate of soda. 

 These crystals are also found in the urinary organs. The 

 ureter and collecting tubules are often filled with a mass of 

 these crystals. Hebrant and Antoine give the following test 

 for the urate of soda. 



Dissolve the crystals in nitric acid and evaporate in a 

 watch glass. This gives a red onion peel mass which turns 

 purplish blue on the addition of a solution of caustic potash. 



Articular Gout 



In this form of the disease the crystals or urate of soda are 

 in nodules around the joints, especially of the feet and toes. 

 These nodules sometimes appear like strings of beads on the 

 under side of the toes. They contain a white or creamy thick 

 liquid composed mostly of the crystals. They are at first 

 soft but later become very firm. The presence of the nodules 

 causes stiffness and soreness of the joints and the birds become 

 indisposed to stand or walk. Sometimes the nodules ulcerate, 

 discharging a stringy pus and exposing the cavities of the 

 joints to the air. The development of fistulas causes the 

 death of the bones. The disease is slow in its development 

 and advanced stages are seen only in old birds. The birds 

 lose weight and in advanced stages diarrhea sets in and death 

 from exhaustion follows. 



