l66 I'OUI/IKV DISKASKS AN'D Tlll-IK TUKAT M KNT. 



Piiic/nosis. llill (Diseases of ruiiltrv) gives the following 

 symptoms: "A bird affected with innammatioii of the cji^'j^ pas- 

 sage sufl'ers acutely. At first tlure is a contimi;il and violent 

 straining (sometimes resultini; in apoplexy). The wings are 

 dropi)ed and the feathers puffed out. The vent is usually hot 

 and if a thermoiiK'tir l)e in-erlcd the tenii)eralure will l)e found 

 high, fre(|uently 105 to 107 degrees.* As the inflammation pro- 

 ceeds the l)ird hecomcs more and more mopish and exhausted 

 hut does not strain so violently, pain and exhaustion acting as 

 preventatives. Idtimatel\- the temperature becomes lower, the 

 body cold and with a few, convulsive gasps the sufferer dies." 



To these symptoms Salmon adds the following, basing his 

 account largely ui)on the statements given by Ziirn : "The bird 

 at first shows indications of a desire to lay without being able 

 to produce eggs or it may lay eggs containing more or less blot^d 

 or eggs without shells or small and misshaped eggs containing 

 albumen Imt no yolk, or finally the yolk may be dropped with- 

 out any covering of albumen or shell. As the innamniation in- 

 creases there is high temperature, straining and an effort to rub 

 the abdomen upon the ground. In later stages tlie liird becomes 

 dull, indisposed to move, the comb is pale, the plumage rough 

 and the temperature falls to normal or below." 



litiology. There are pr(^l)a1)l\' to be distinguished three 

 classes of causes wdiich lead io inllammation of the oviduct. 

 These are : 



1. Physiological; from irritation due to too frequent laying 

 or from too stimulating foods or coutHments. 



2. Traumatic; from irritation due to too large eggs, or to the 

 breaking of eggs witliiu tlie o\i(hict. or similar causes. 



3. Sjiecific infection; it is probabl\- that alone or in combina- 

 tion willi the causes classed under 1 and 2 a specific infection 

 of the lining membranes of the ovitluct may occur. 



In an inflamed oviduct there very often is a copious sero-fibri- 

 nous exudate. This hardens about any foreign body (egg. 

 broken Q^^g, etc.) wdiich may be in the oviduct, and by accretion 

 causes this foreign body to increase in size. This, of course, 



*Tliere must be some mistake about this. 105° to 107° are not at all 

 high tempcraUires for the domestic fowl. In fact in our experience 

 at this Station 105° would seem to be a slightly subnormal temperature 

 rather than one indicating fever. 



