"GROUSE DISEASE" 153 



Speedy, Teasdale-Buckell, and a host of other naturalists and 

 sportsmen have supplied a large collection of interesting facts 

 and observations, and an almost equal number of hypotheses 

 and theories to account for them, while Cobbold, Klein^ 

 Farquharson, Colquhoun, Andrew Wilson, and Young have 

 all contributed towards an understanding of the pathology 

 of " Grouse Disease." It is proposed first to discuss the con- 

 clusions at which various writers have arrived, and as the 

 work of Cobbold and Klein stands out pre - eminently the 

 simplest course will be to take their conclusions first. 



Dr Cobbold' s view, was that " Grouse Disease " was entirely Dr Cob- 

 due to a threadworm known by the scientific name of Tricho- colons 01 

 strongylus pergracilis found in the intestines of the bird. In 

 his opinion " the irritation, probable distress and subsequent 

 emaciation of the birds are readily explained by the presence 

 of hundreds and thousands of strongyles ; and the mere 

 circumstance that these parasites are very small, is quite 

 sufficient to account for the fact that investigators have 

 hitherto overlooked them." 1 He considered that the difference 

 observed in the intensity of the disease during various epidemics 

 might be partly accounted for by the presence of tapeworms 

 and threadworms in varying proportions in the same Grouse, 

 but that the strongyles were " sufficient by themselves to cause 

 the death of the host " without the " assistance of a second 

 kind of parasite." 2 He also thought that the intensity of the 

 attack might vary with the strength of the individual victim. 

 " A strong bird," he says, " will overcome or resist the irritation 

 set up by the presence of hundreds of entozoa ; while a feeble 

 bird, or one attacked before it is perfectly grown, will, more or 

 less rapidly succumb to the invasion. 



Professor Klein came to the conclusion that there was a Professor 

 disease amongst Grouse which took the form of an acute 

 infectious pneumonia, and was characterised by the presence 



1 T. Spencer Cobbold, M.D., F.L.S., F.R.S., "The Grouse Disease," p. 15. 

 London : The Field Office, 1873. 



2 Ibid., pp. 24, 25. 



