Microbic Diseases Individually Considered. 299 ■ 



Meguiii has recorded an outbreak in pigeons in which 

 the young animals quickly succumbed to diphtheria ; 

 he attributes the disease of the young pigeons to the 

 fact that the mothers were affected with old, little 

 marked oesophageal lesions the virulent products of 

 which mingled with the lactescent liquid of the crop 

 were fed directly to the young. 



The disease appears in poultry pens in consequence 

 of the importation of birds coming from infected cen- 

 ters or on the return of animals which have been ex- 

 hibited in bird shows. The virus appears to be 

 preserved for a considerable time in contaminated 

 pens and in manure. 



In spite of the cases advanced by different observ- 

 ers it appears to be well established that the disease 

 of fowls is not transmissible to man. 



Diphtheria of calves. — There exists in the bovine 

 species a diphtheritic affection transmissible chiefly to 

 calves and also having its origin in a special bacillus. 

 It localizes itself in the back of the throat, in the 

 trachea, and in the bronchi. 



Babies. 



Rabies occurs, under natural conditions, in all do- 

 mesticated animals and in several wild species: wolf, 

 fox, jackal, bear, etc. It is very much the most fre- 

 quent in carnivora, and more especially in the dog 

 and wolf. 



Microbe. — In despite of numerous researches con- 

 cerning the pathogenic agent of rabies, its morpho- 

 logical characters are yet unknown. Its existence 

 however can not be doubted ; it multiplies in the 

 organism to which it is inoculated, and loses or gains 



