563 



is lo kill one of the sick chicken.s, wlieu he suspects 

 tapeworms, and to cut out the intestine; he should 

 then open the intestinal tract from the gizzard to the 

 anus, in a bowl of warm water, and look for the i)ar 

 asites. 



At least one species of tapeworm (Davainea tetra 

 gona) causes a serious nodular disease in the intestine 

 of chickens which upon superficial examination mav 

 easily be mistaken for tuberculosis. This disease was 

 probably first published by Rivolta & Del Prato (1880 

 or 1881?). It was afterwards described by Plana (1882) 

 as o-ccurring in chickens in Italy, and quite recently 

 Moore (1895) has recorded it in this country. The fol- 

 lowing- is extracted from Moore's article on the sub- 

 ject: 



In the spring of 1894, a fowl (Gallus domesticus) died at the 

 experiment station of this Bureau with a disease characterized 

 by nodules or tuibercle-lilce bodies in the intestinal wall. Upon 

 closer inspection the lesions were found to be in the subserous 

 and muscular coats, and not, to any appreciable extent at 

 least, in the glands. In the intestinal contents there was a 

 large number of small tapeworms, many of which were firmly 

 attached to the mucosa. Later in the season about twenty 

 fowls from the same flock were used for experimental purposes, 

 and upon post-mortem examination were found to be more or 

 less affected with this disease. In addition to these, one of four 

 fowls which were examined from a flock of poultry on a farm 

 adjoining the experiment station was found to be infe.sted 

 with tapeworms and the intestinal wall studded with nodules. 

 A fowl received from Newbern, N. C, and one from Tacketts 

 Mills, Va.., were similarly affected. 



Although but one fatal case came under my observation, the 

 extent of the lesions in several of the fowls examined indicated 

 that sooner or later many of them would undoubtedly have suc- 

 cumbed to this disease. The close resemblance of the nodules 

 to tubercles renders necessary a somewhat detailed description 

 of the lesions and of the means by which this disease can be 

 readily differentiated from tuberculosis without the aid of 

 laboratory facilities. 



