I MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 163. 



it was found that the original source of the infection was the hen. Eggs 

 from infected hens contain the organism in the yolks; chicks produced 

 from infected eggs have the disease when hatched. The disease may be 

 spread through the medium of infected food and water. 



In 1911 Gage ^ thoroughly investigated the matter of Badermm pullorum 

 infection and fully substantiated the work of Rettger and Stoneburn 

 already cited, — that "white diarrhea," as poultrymen understand it, 

 is a bacillary disease caused by Bacterium pullorum, and that the hen is 

 the original source of infection, transmitting the organism from the ovary 

 to the eggs. At that time the author, from the material received at the 

 laboratory, concluded that most of the white diarrhea of chicks is bacillary 

 white diarrhea, caused by the same organism isolated by Rettger and 

 designated Bacterium pullorum. 



Jones 2' 3 also concluded that Bacterium pullorum produced fatal septi- 

 cemia or bacillary white diarrhea in young chicks; and that they are most 

 susceptible during the first twenty-four hours of life. Bacterium pullorum 

 was found in the egg. 



From the work of these investigators the conclusions are justifiable 

 that Bacterium pullorum can produce a white diarrhea; the hen is the 

 original source of infection; and that the disease may be transmitted from 

 the ovary to eggs for hatching. The carrier proolem thus is one of great 

 importance. The question also arises as to how ovarian infection may be 

 brought about. Experiments^ were conducted for three years at the 

 Storrs Experiment Station concerning tlais point, and one question which 

 was answered positively by the results of this work and substantiated 

 here in Massachusetts was, "Do chicks which survive an attack of bacil- 

 lary white diarrhea become permanent carriers of the disease?" The 

 results here at the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, and 

 those from the experiment station at Storrs, are very decisive, and demon- 

 strate that pullets infected as chicks may become permanent bacillus 

 carriers. The three plates accompanjdng show graphically the cycle of 

 infection, and picture normal and infected ovaries. 



At this time it is important to state that in substantiation of the work 

 of the Connecticut station on this point this department has been success- 

 ful in several instances in isolating Bacterium pullorum from eggs laid by 

 a Silver Penciled Wyandotte, the sole survivor of a large number of day- 

 old chicks which were submitted to Bacterium pullorum infection. 



Jones ^ suggested and used successfully an agglutination test for detect- 



1 Gage: "Notes on Ovarian Infection with Bacterium pullorum (Rettger) in the Domestic 

 Fowl." Journal of Medical Research, Vol. XXIV., No. 3 (New Series, Vol. XIX., No. 3), pp. 

 491-496, June, 1911. 



2 Jones: "Annual Report of the New York State Veterinary College," Ithaca, N. Y., 1910, 

 p. 111. 



3 Jones: "Annual Report of the New York State Veterinary College," Ithaca, N. Y., 1910-11, 

 p. 69. 



« Rettger, Kirkpatrick and Jones, R. E.: Bulletin No. 77, Storrs Agricultural Experiment 

 Station. 



6 Jones, F. S.: Journal of Medical Research, Vol. XXVII., No. 4 (New Series, Vol. XXII., No. 

 4), pp. 4S1-495, March, 1913. 



