Tuberculosis of Parrots. 615 



be destroyed. The poultry yard as well as the houses, coops, 

 etc., should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before new 

 stock is acquired. 



Literature. Roloff, Mag., 1868. XXXTV. 100. — Paulieki, Ildd., 1872. 

 XXXVIII. — Zuern, Krankli. cL Gefluegels. Weimar 18S2. 197. — Eibbert, D. ni. 

 W., 1883. 413. — Maffiicei, Z. f. Hyg., 1892. XI. 445. — Wolffhuegel, Monh., 1904. 

 XY. 457. — Weber & Bofinger, Tbk.-Arb. d. G.-A., 1904. 1. H. 112 (Lit). — 

 Schern, Z. f. Tm., 1905. IX. 419 (Lit.). — M. Koch & Eabinowitnch, V. A., 1907. 

 CXC. Beiheft (Lit.). — Teetz, B. t. W., 1906. 244. — Moore, Z. f. Infkrkh., 1906. 

 L 3.S3. — A^olkmann, W. f. Tk., 1908. LH. Nr. 20. — O. Bang, Cbl. f. Bakt., 

 1908. XLVL 461. — Saalbeck, Diss. Leipzig 1909 (Lit.). 



Tuberculosis of Parrots. Since Cadiot & Roger found tuliercle 

 bacilli in the organs of a parrot that were pathogenic for guinea pigs, 

 others also have shown (the authors in five cases) that tuberculosis 

 of these animals (though they are susceptible also to avian tuberculosis) 

 is, in most cases, caused by the human type of tubercle bacillus. These 

 reports confirm the view entertained long before that parrots become 

 infected in the dwellings of consumptive persons, and conversely justify 

 the assumption that persons may be infected by tuberculous parrots. 

 Infection, however, usually proceeds from injuries in the skin of the 

 head or of the mucous membrane of the mouth cavity ; primary affection 

 of the lungs is much less frequent and intestinal infection is only 

 occasionally observed. The bones or joints may sometimes become in- 

 volved through metastasis. 



After M. Koch & Rabinowitsch demonstrated by experimental 

 infection with pure cultures that parrots are susceptible also to the 

 virus of avian tuberculosis, Weber, Titze & Weidanz shoM^ed, by more 

 extensive experiments, that parrots could be fatally infected with in- 

 travenous injections of 0.001 gm. of pure culture of any of the three 

 types of tubercle bacilli. A single ingestion of human or hovine hicilli 

 resulted in infection just as readily while it required fi-om 10 to 13 

 ingestions of avian tubercle bacilli to produce fatal generalized tuber- 

 culosis. 



Tuberculosis of parrots is a comparatively conimou dit^^ease. Thus Froehner 

 found that 170 of the 700 parrots treated at the Berlin Klinik and Poliklinik from 

 1886 to 1894 were tuberculous, i. e. 24.3%. 



Tuberculosis of the skin and subcutaneous connective tissue is mani- 

 fested by the appearance of globular or oval, rather firm nodules and 

 tumors with smooth surface, ranging in size from that of a pin head 

 to a hen's egg. In the course of time these become caseous and the 

 overlying epithelium becomes horny and forms thick scabby layers, 

 sometimes growing into structures several centimeters long (Eberlein). 

 Some of these nodules, especially those of the palpebral conjunctiva, 

 are soft and bleed upon the slightest provocation. When they develop 

 near the angle of the mouth they interfere with the movements of the 

 bill, while those in the region of the angles of the eyes may push aside 

 or dislocate the eyeball ; those developing on the top of the head may 

 perforate the skull (Cadiot). If these nodules are broken by scratching, 

 ulcers covered with cheesy masses form in their place. 



Similar nodules, though usually smaller and of softer consistency, 

 are comparatively frequent in the mouth cavity, especially on the 

 tongue, near the frenum, on the hard palate, more rarely also in 

 the nasal cavities. According to their seat or their size they may in- 



