97 



'riie svouptt'iiis of Aii]eiu;ui low I cIhiIcih were lirst 

 ilesciibed by \Ji. Ssaliuou in IScSO. They include the 

 voiding of faeces of \\ hicii the part tlial is normally 

 white is yellow. The white part of the faeces is ex- 

 creted by the kidneys, and the yellow discoloration of 

 tliis excrement is iisnally the first indication of dis- 

 ease. Shoilly thereafter the droppings become thin 

 and fluid, they are voided frequently and envelop by 

 a layer of tliiu mucous. The fowl becomes depressed, 

 it stands still or assumes a sitting posture, goes into 

 a sunny, w&rm place if possible. The plumage be- 

 comes ruffled, the head is drawn down, the comb be- 

 comes pale and bloodless, and the appetite is depressed 

 or lost. The depression and torpidity of the fowl in- 

 creases until it seems to become unconscious and can- 

 not be aroused by objects that usually frighten it. The 

 bird becomes thin and Aveak and sometimes passes into 

 a stupor and dies. In other cases, it may have convul- 

 sions prior to death. 



The symptoms of the European fowl cholera, which 

 may also occur in this country, although it has never 

 been proven definitely, are in many respects similar 

 to the above. In many cases, the disease runs such a 

 vei^y short course that no evidence of illness is dis- 

 covered until the bird tumbles over in convulsions and 

 dies. Sometimes, the conrse of the disease is so rapid 

 that more tlian half of a large flock of apparently 

 healthy chickens will die during a single night. 

 Usually, however, the disease lasts from one to three 

 days, and is evidenced by loss of appetite, depression, 

 ruffling of the feathers, hanging wings, inclination to 

 get away from the flock, high temperature, discharge 

 of mucous from the mouth, diarrhoea, thin faeces, that 

 are at first slightly yellowish, hut later on greenish and 

 7-T 



