HEALTH ASD DISEASE OF POULTRY 575 



vasion of the parasites so well; however this may be, they succumb 

 very readily to the disease. The symptoms are similar to those of 

 older birds, and even more pronounced. They begin by moping 

 and hunching up as if they were cold, diarrhoea soon sets in, the 

 tail droops, then the wings drop and they go about uttering a piti- 

 ful "peep," after which they soon die. A blackening of the head 

 does not always occur. 



Remedies. It has been pointed out that Entero-Hepatitis ia 

 caused by a microscopic parasite which passes with the excreta from 

 diseased turkeys. Whether these pass a part of their life cycle out- 

 side of the living bird, is not known, nor do we know how long 

 they will retain their vitality after expulsion. Suffice it to say that 

 the diseased bird scatters many of them in the vicinity in which 

 other fowls are fed; therefore the first step towards remedy is pre- 

 vention. Food given to fowls should never come in contact with 

 their droppings. 



It is customary, especially on the farm, or in places where 

 poultry is confined to small runs, to scatter grain to fowls where 

 they are compelled to pick it out of their excreta. By this means 

 bacterial diseases and intestinal parasites are passed from fowl to 

 fowl. 



There is more tuberculosis spread in this way than by all other 

 means combined, and there are more fowls affected with tuberculosis 

 than all other diseases combined. So it is with Entero-Hepatitis, 

 one bird with an advanced case of the disease, will infect the feed- 

 ing ground of others. It would be far better to sacrifice that bird 

 at once than risk spreading the infection to the whole flock. This 

 holds good with any other disease. A sick bird should be removed 

 from the flock and placed in close quarters which may afterwards 

 be disinfected, or the bird may be killed at once and burned. This 

 precaution is worth many times the value of the one sacrificed. 

 When Entero-Hepatitis once becomes established medical treatment 

 is not very successful, owing to the difficulty of reaching the para- 

 sites at the seat of disease, yet, treating them with some of the fol- 

 lowing remedies is well worth the trouble. 



Dr. Salmon has recommended Benzonaphthal 1 grain, Salicy- 

 late of Bismuth 1 grain. Hyposulphite of Sodium may be useful 

 in doses of two to four grains, or Betel in the dose of one grain. 

 Any of these doses should be administered twice daily for some time, 

 to birds weighing not less than four pounds. For birds under that 

 size the dose should be decreased proportionately. 



Summary. The most reasonable course to follow when the 

 disease is known to exist is to separate from the flock any fowl show- 

 ing the least symptom of disease. Place it where it may be treated, 

 and if it does not respond to medicines, but continues failing, kill 

 the bird without drawing blood and burn the carcass, then sterilize 

 the coop where it has been kept with quick-lime, using a sufficient 

 quantity to cover the ground. An easy way to prepare the lime, so 

 that it can be scattered, is to place it in a box and sprinkle water 



