HINDRANCES AND DISEASES. 93 



PREVENTION OF DISEASES. 



Although the greatest trouble in raising turkeys maybe 

 due to a lack of vigor or hardiness, the result of breed- 

 ing from young, inferior or closely related stock, there is 

 no question but that turkeys, as well as other living crea- 

 tures, are liable to be destroyed by diseases which even the 

 most vigorous may not escape, if exposed to the most viru- 

 lent form. Overfeeding, underfeeding, lack of exercise 

 and various influences may make individuals more suscep- 

 tible, but certain infections are so powerful as to over- 

 come even the strongest and finest specimens. 



The Rhode Island Experiment Station says : * ' Cholera, 

 scarlet fever, diphtheria, and many other serious diseases 

 which affect man, are all prevented from becoming gen- 

 eral by nearly the same means. These diseases are propa- 

 gated by germs given off by the patient. If infected per- 

 sons are not immediately separated from the well, and iso- 

 lated, prevented from coming in contact with others, 

 they would cause an epidemic, which, once well started, 

 might sweep the country. Not only are such patients 

 kept in quarantine, but those who care for them are also 

 prevented from coming in direct contact with the well. 

 When the disease has run its course, the patient, the at- 

 tendants, the rooms occupied, and every article that the 

 germs may have come in contact with, are disinfected, 

 cleansed with some solution that kills germs. If this is 

 properly done, all of the germs within doors are destroyed. 

 If this were not done, every one using the same rooms, 

 clothing or articles in the room, would be liable to infec- 

 tion, even a long time after the patient had vacated the 

 premises. Germs of disease may dry up, and, if not de- 

 stroyed, again become active a long time after, if given 

 suitable soil to grow in. They grow faster and multiply 

 with greater rapidity in some soils, and, as in the case ol 

 weeds grown in sand and rich loam, the ranker the 

 growth, the more rapidly they spread, the greater the 



