42 



cess to the icteiioi" of tlie earth-worm, then when the 

 earth -woiin is eaten by a chicken yonng gape-worms 

 develop from these eggs and the chicken becomes dis- 

 eased. Some of the gape-worms are partially couglicd 

 up and then s^^ allowed by the fowl; the eggs in them 

 pass thrO'Ugli tlie digestive tract and are voided with 

 the faeces so that in this ^^'ay. also, the soil of the 

 barn-yard or the water may become contaminated. 



The symptoms of gapes are very easy to recognize. 

 Tlie afflicted fowl has difficulty in breathing; it opens 

 its mouth frequeitly and gaps, or gasps for breath. 

 This manner of O'pening the month is the characteris- 

 tic from which the disease derives its name. There 

 is some coughing accompanied by the expulsion of 

 frothy slime. Somietimes the miature wonns are 

 coughed out. The afflicted bird loses its spirits, it 

 stands about with the feathers ruffled and head down, 

 at intervals opening its mouth as thcugh gasping for 

 air. If there is am* doubt as to the nature of the dis- 

 ease an examination of the throat should be made. 

 Tliis is done by catching the bird and holding the 

 moutli open by pressing with the thumb and finger on 

 each side of the beak. This forces the mouth open and 

 exposes the throat. Then by introducing a small ob- 

 ject to depress the tongue the larynx may be exposed 

 ajul the interior examined. Pressure upon the larynx 

 from below will force it up into i)lainer view. Death 

 results in some cases quickly, from suiTocation, and in 

 other cases slowly, from exhaustion and secondary dis- 

 eases. When this disease appears in a flock, the 

 afflicted fowls should at once be removed in order to 

 ])i'event the distribution of the parasite. The worms 

 <'an frequently be removed from tlie wind i>ipe by in- 

 troluoiiig a In^op mndo by doubling a hois(^-li;iir. ITiis 



