68 American Fisheries Societ 



If it be true that water once infected will breed the disease in fish 

 afterward placed there, evidently we cannot be too careful about 

 turning out fish even only supposed to be infected. At the station 

 where T am located there has been but little trouble with this disease, 

 notwithstanding the fact that there have been a few cases and that it 

 is necessary to keep the trout in the same ponds year after year. In 

 order to hold them at all it is necessary to keep them close to the spring- 

 where they can have a good supply of cold water. Two years ago there 

 were a number of infected fish. Last year we found but two and so 

 far this year only one. Apparently the disease is diminishing in this 

 pond. Perhaps complete draining of the pond each fall may affect 

 the result. 



Mr. Meehan : I might refer to some experiences in other places in 

 Pennsylvania. Dr. Marine's investigations indicated that with a change 

 in water and a change in condition the fish recovered; and further 

 investigations were rather against the likelihood of inoculation. How- 

 ever, his conclusions in that respect were by no means complete or 

 satisfactory to him or to us. 



One of the places in Pennsylvania in which goitre was exceedingly 

 prevalent two years ago was that of the Blooming Grove Hunting and 

 Fishing Club, a private club in Pike County. They had a hatching 

 house and a number of ponds. I suppose 70 per cent of the fish, or at 

 least a very large percentage, had the swelling of the thyroid in a very 

 pronounced degree. You could pick up a net of fish out of a pond and 

 you would find several of them in that condition. It was there that I 

 sent Dr. Marine when he first came to Pennsylvania to study the 

 subject. 



It was found that apparently the chief cause of the goitre was filthy 

 ponds. They were inexpressibly filthy; the feeces and the uneaten 

 food would be simply washed down toward the lower end of the pond, 

 toward the outlet, and would rest there 6 or 8 inches and perhaps more 

 in depth. In fact, it was filthy all over the bottom of the ponds. But 

 that condition has been entirely done away with at Blooming Grove. 

 The poiuk are kept clean and the food supply has been somewhat re- 

 duced, with the result that goitre has appreciably diminished. 



There was another concern in the state, the Penn Forest Brook 

 Trout Company, operating a commercial hatchery in Carbon County, 

 but now out of business. A few years ago goitre prevailed there very 

 plentifully — probably as bad as at the Blooming Grove Hunting and 

 Fishing Club. 1 pointed out at the time that goitre, which was then 

 commonly called "throat tumor." was caused by filthy ponds. It was 

 found that the ponds contained from one to two feet and even more 

 of inexpressible filth. They bad not been cleaned in probably 12 or 15 

 years. The ponds were immediately drained off and cleansed, with 

 the exception of two or three, and were kept clean thereafter, and 

 goitre diminished very rapidly. I have been told that there is no goitre 

 at Penn Forest now. But that seems to be rather improbable when 



