564 



Description of the disease — The fowl which died apparently 

 fTOm this disease was much emaciated, and the lesions were 

 restricted to the intestinal wall. In the fowls used for other 

 purposes, there were no observable symptoms by which the 

 nodular affection could be detected prior to post-mortem ex- 

 amination. Diphtheria was the immediate cause of death of 

 the fowls from North Carolina and Virginia. All of the fowls 

 examined, affected with this disease, were from one to three 

 years old. 



The nodules were invariably more numerous in the lowest 

 third of the small intestine. They occasionally appeared, how- 

 ever, in small numbers in both the duodenum and colon. The 

 larger and to all appearances older nodules were found in the 

 ileum near the caeca. 



In the badly affected portion the nodules g.ive the appear- 

 ance of closely set protuberances, varying in size from barely 

 perceptible areas of elevation to bodies 4mm (1-6 inch) in diam- 

 eter. In some instances they appeared to overlap one another. 

 When separated by a band of normal tissue they were round 

 or somewhat lenticular in form. In the latter case the long 

 diameter was usually transverse to the long axis of the intes- 

 tine. The larger nodules were of a pale or dark yellowish color 

 while the smaller ones varied in shade from the more highly 

 colored areas to the neutral gray of the normal serosa. To 

 the touch they gave the sensation that would be expected if 

 the subserous and muscular coats were closely studded with 

 small, oval, solid bodies. The mucosa presented similar ele- 

 vations. Attached to the mucosa over the nodules were a 

 number of tapeworms. There were also in the more advanced 

 cases a variable number of small (0.5 to Imm) areas over the 

 larger nodules in which the mucosa had sloughed, leaving small 

 ulcerated depressions. 



The larger nodules contained a greenish yellow, necrotic sub- 

 stance which appeared in the advanced stages as a seques- 

 trum with a roughened surface. On section it has a glistening, 

 homogenous appearance. Surrounding the necrotic substance 

 was a thin layer of infiltrated tissue. The smaller nodules con- 

 tained a more purulent-like substance and the smallest ap- 

 peared to the naked eye as areas of infiltration. Sections of 

 the affected intestine showed upon microscopic examination 

 that the heads of the tapeworms had penetrated the mucous 

 membrane and were situated in different layers of the intestinal 

 wall. They were frequently observed between the villi. As 

 would be expected the heads were not readily detected in the 



