194 THE GROUSE IN HEALTH AND IN DISEASE 



No case of " Grouse Disease" appeared to be justified up to a certain point, but 

 disease yet as there has as yet been no outbreak of Klein's epidemic pneumonia 

 within the Committee's knowledge, it was impossible to speak positively 

 upon the subject. 



Klein, of course, had "piners" to work with as well as "birds that died 

 in good condition " before they had time to pine ; but as already stated 

 he came to the conclusion that they exemplified two phases of the one 

 disease. 



It appeared quite reasonable to believe that in an epidemic of the infectious 

 pneumonia some of the birds might survive long enough to become piners ; 

 therefore the Committee were prepared to accept Klein's explanation in so far 

 as it applied to the birds which he had the opportunity of examining. But 

 it could never happen that uncomplicated cases of Cobbold's Strongylosis 

 should die plump and in good condition. 

 Loss of All birds dying from Strongylosis must be "piners." because 



weight an 



invariable their death results mainly from an inability to absorb nourishment 



accompani- 

 ment of owing to the csecal mucosa being damaged. The consequent emacia- 

 Cobbold's 



disease. tion is a sine qua non in the diagnosis. 



The weak point, as it appeared to the Committee, in Klein's argument was 

 that he makes no adequate mention of the ceecal lesions caused by the 

 Weak point Trichostronqylus , lesions which in the majority of adult birds examined 



m Klein s . 



theory. by the Committee have been the most prominent, indeed the only 

 prominent feature upon dissection, and which the Committee believe to be 

 at the root of the whole question. 



Before proceeding further to discuss this point it will be well to look 

 into the accounts of dissections which have been recorded from time to 

 Records of time (many unfortunately in the most cursory manner), with a view 



previous v _ 



dissections, to seeing what pathological lesions were found to account for 

 death. 



Klein's work is again in many respects far ahead of all the rest ; and as it 

 is necessary to go into it in some detail it will be better first to glance at 

 the work of others. 



Dr Cobbold's notes on the pathologj^ of " Grouse Disease " have already 

 been quoted ; * but reference must again be made to a description which he 

 gives of the caeca in an "extreme case" dissected by him. 



1 See p. 188. 



