810 Infectious Articular Inflammatiou in Young Geese and Ducks. 



disease often leads to emaciation, especially if several joints are af- 

 fected or if an arthritis contiinies for a long time. 



Quite similar symptoms of articular inflammation sometimes fol- 

 low upon mastitis or diseases of internal organs. 



In the course of certain specific infectious diseases, forms of poly- 

 arthritis may be noticed which simulate the acute or chronic forms of 

 joint rheumatism. Diseases leading to the development of such symp- 

 toms occur in fowl cholera, influenza of horses, distemper, swine ery- 

 sipelas, hog cholera, foot-and-mouth disease and glanders. They usual- 

 ly appear as the disease declines, one or several joints being inflamed. 



Infectious Articular Inflammation in Young Geese and Ducks. 



(Socalled Lameness of Geese; Osteoarthritis infectiosa.) This affection, 

 first observed by Prahl and described as ' ' lameness of geese, ' ' was investi- 

 gated by Lucet and its nature was recently cleared up i)y Freese. It 

 occurs as an enzootic in geese and ducks 5 to 8 weeks old, and is caused by 

 the staphylococcus pyogenes aureus. Lucet succeeded in producing arti- 

 ficial transmission of the disease in young geese by intravenous injection, 

 and Freese caused it in like manner in young ducks. 



The anatomical changes consist in a serous or sero-fibrinous in- 

 flammation of a joint, a hemorrhagic inflammation of the bone marrow, 

 and in intestinal catarrh; in case of a protracted course the osteomye- 

 litis assumes a purulent character. 



Symptoms. Clinically the disease occurs in two forms. 



In the acute form (peracute form of Lucet) one notices great 

 apathy, complete loss of appetite, and besides severe lameness in one 

 or both legs. The hock and single toe joints chiefly are affected, at 

 times also single joints of the wings, especially the elbow joint; in the 

 latter case the birds droop the affected wings. If the course of the 

 disease is very rapid no further changes appear in the joints (Lucet) ; 

 but in most cases one finds them also swollen, hot, painful and fluc- 

 tuating. At the same time there is violent diarrhea, and often slight 

 catarrh of the conjuctivse. Death occurs within 2 to 4 days. 



In the chronic form the symptoms of arthritis are most prominent, 

 while the general symptoms are less pronounced, and diarrhea is no- 

 ticed only at the beginning of the illness. After a duration of about 

 14 days death occurs, or the birds gradually recover, but they re- 

 main stunted and cannot be fattened. Exceptionally an acute relapse 

 occurs which leads to death. 



The treatment consists in the local employment of antiphlogistic or 

 disinfectant remedies, but Prahl found these useless, while puncture 

 of the joint cavity and subseciuent fomentations with disinfectant solu- 

 tions resulted in recovery of the animals in 12 days. 



Literature. Freese, D. t. W., 1907, 322.— Lucet, A. P., 1892, 841.— Prahl, Pr. 

 Mt., 1871-72, 168. 



Wing Paralysis of Pigeons. In carrier pigeons an arthritis some- 

 times occurs, also in conseciuence of infection, which assumes an en- 

 zootic character (Klee, personal observation). Housing in draughty, 

 cold lofts predisposes to it. 



