HEALTH AND DISEASE OF POULTRY 607 



place as the basis of all successful treatment. In many cases they 

 might, very likely should, prove sufficient in themselves. Fre- 

 quently, however, they must constitute only the foundation upon 

 which a complete and efficient treatment may be built. Hence it 

 seems wise at this point to present somewhat in detail the applica- 

 tion of these maxims in the treatment of some of the diseases of 

 poultry. Fortunately, most of the important diseases may be so 

 grouped as to permit suggestions for the intelligent application of 

 these maxims to any disease. Such, it should be understood, is the 

 sole object of this discussion. It is not a manual of treatment; it is, 

 rather, an outline of treatment of some representative groupings of 

 poultry ailments for the purpose of incorporating the maxima 

 studied above and of showing their relation to whatever specific 

 treatment local or general may be adopted. 



DISEASES OF THE REGION OF THE HEAD. 



The one prominent disease group that occurs to the mind in 

 connection with this title is that collection of ailments known under 

 the general term of "roup." This name includes all affections 

 usually so designated by poultrymen in different parts of the 

 country, namely, snuffles, wet nose, cold in the head, contagious 

 catarrh, sore eyes, cold in the eyes, roupy disease of the eyes, diph- 

 theritic sore eyes, sore mouth, sore throat, roupy disease of the 

 mouth, diphtheritic sore mouth, chicken diphtheria, diphtheritic 

 roup, and canker. Being an infectious disease, roup is caused by 

 microbes, not by drafts or dampness. These latter are predisposing 

 factors which operate, as in a common cold, by furnishing condi- 

 tions favorable for the multiplication of the roup germs. Hence, 

 roup should be before the mind in treatment when there occurs in 

 birds any deviation from the normal in the condition of the eyes or 

 upper air and food passages, whether it be watering of the eyes, run- 

 ning at the nose, or slobbering, on the one hand, or, on the other 

 hand, the presence in eye, nostrils, or mouth of yellowish, cheesy 

 material, and (note this particularly) whether, with any or all of 

 these symptoms, there is or is not an odor. 



Without doubt the only safe treatment of roup is to kill the 

 sick birds by a bloodless method, immediately burn their carcasses, 

 and then, directing attention to the apparently healthy birds, clean, 

 out, clean up, and clean the water supply as previously directed in 

 maxims 1, 2, and 3. 



If, however, the poultrvman for any reason desires to treat the 

 sick birds, they should be isolated at once, kept at a safe distance 

 from the flock, and visited only after the healthy birds have received 

 their usual attentions. The poulterer immediately on leaving the 

 hospital should change or disinfect his shoes, remove his hospital 

 overalls, and thoroughly wash his hands and clean his nails. He 

 must keep constantly before his mind the fact that he is maintain- 

 ing a pesthouse on his premises, and everything must be done to 

 prevent transfer of the contagion from sick to well. 



For the birds which are apparently well it is sufficient to clean 

 out once a week, clean up by a liberal use of air-slaked lime, and 



