GUAM AGEICULTUKAL EXPEEIMENT STATION. 37 



impaired appetite and drooping wings. Diarrhea is usually present. 

 In the last stages of the disease the accumulation of white, caseous 

 material between the lids is so great as to cause a great bulging out 

 of the eye, the maxillary sinus is often swollen, and the diphtheritic 

 areas in the mouth have become so extensive that the swallowing of 

 food is impossible. 



Post-mortem findings show the eye filled with a white, cheesy ma- 

 terial and the nasal chambers occluded with this caseous substance, 

 while extensive white or yellowish-white diphtheritic patches are 

 found in the mouth. The mucous membrane of the eye shows acute 

 conjunctivitis. The ej'eball itself is found to be completely de- 

 stroyed in many cases. The diseased mucous membrane presents a 

 necrotic granular and pitted appearance. In some cases the proven- 

 triculus and gizzard show a sloughing catarrhal condition of their 

 mucous membranes. The toxins produced by these diseased condi- 

 tions are of a very destructive nature, as the condition of the eye, 

 nostril, and mouth indicates. jNIicroscopic examination of the dis- 

 eased tissue reveals cellular infiltration. 



An experiment for testing the value of bicarbonate of soda and 

 argyrol in the treatment of diphtheritic roup was undertaken. Hatch 

 Xo. 8 of 78 chicks was divided into two lots. Fifty-five per cent 

 of the chicks were affected with diphtheritic roup. In lot Xo. 1, 10 

 per cent argj^rol was used in the eyes of all the chicks as prophy- 

 lactic treatment once each day. The eyes of all diseased chicks in 

 lot Xo. 2 were cleaned of all caseous material and irrigated with a 

 20 per cent solution of bicarbonate of soda, after which they were 

 flushed out well with 20 per cent argyrol. The membranes covering 

 the ulcers of the mouth were removed and the raw surface painted 

 with tincture of iodin or burned with a stick of silver nitrate, de- 

 pending upon the nature of the ulcer. Other than the prophylactic 

 treatment, the chicks of lot Xo. 1 were not treated, and the disease 

 was allowed to take its course. At the end of 30 days 25 chicks had 

 died out of lot Xo. 1 and 19 chicks had died out of lot Xo. 2. The 

 following summarized conclusions seem justifiable from the data ob- 

 tained : The application of 10 per cent argj^rol in the eyes of healthy 

 chicks once daily proved of no practical value. The excessive secre- 

 tion and constant flow of tears in the eyes of a fowl so dilutes and 

 so rapidly carries away this prophylactic agent as to render its 

 medicinal properties of little consequence. The curative treatment 

 proved to be almost as valueless. In 24 hours after a thorough 

 treatment the diseased condition would be equally bad and in many 

 cases more exaggerated. Better results have been obtained through 

 administering this treatment three times daily than from any other 

 used. 



