96 



to bring sick (.liiciceiis into the house for treatment 

 where the children of tlie household are allowed lo 

 fondle them al will. It is not improbable that when 

 this disease is tt-orouj^hly investigated the number of 

 cases of direct infection from this source will be found 

 to be much larger than is at present supposed. Until 

 such invesligaticns are satisfactorily completed the in- 

 discriminate handling of diphtheritic fowls, especially 

 by children, and the exposure of fowls to tJie infection 

 of diphtheria in the human species whereby they may 

 become carriers of the virus, should be strenuously 

 avoided." 



2. FOWL CHOLERA. 



The desigr-ation fowl cholera includes several in- 

 fectious diseases of poultry, none of which have been 

 thoroughly studied in this country during recent years. 

 The fowl cholera that occurs in France and Germany 

 is very well understood, but its symptoms do not agree 

 fully with those of the various diseases known as fowl 

 cholei-a in this country. The Bureau of Animal In- 

 dustry in Washington has made some investigations 

 of outbreaks of fatal contagious diseases among chick- 

 ens and pigeons but the work is not yet completed. 

 So far as it has gone, it indicates that one of the af- 

 fecrions known as fo.wl cliolera is caused by a rod- 

 shaped bacillus that is exceedingly resistant to ex- 

 tremes of tempei-atui'c, and can probably live in ])ro- 

 tected places for a long period.* 



♦Bulletin No. S, U. S. Departmont of Asrirultuie, 1S9.'). 



