i'Ki:vENTiON 495 



theria to fowls. He is inclined to the view that human diph- 

 theria is transmissable to fowls and fowl diphtheria to man. 

 Cole* reports a case of supposed transmission of the disease 

 from a fowl to a child. 



The diphtheritic disease of fowls reported by Loir and 

 Duclonx in Tunis, in 1894, spread to the people of that place, 

 resulting in an epidemic of serious proportions. Menard re- 

 fers to the fact that men employed to feed young squabs con- 

 tracted diphtheria by blowing the masticated food into the 

 mouth and crop of squabs suffering with that disease. vSchrev- 

 enst reports several cases of diphtheria in children in which 

 he traces the source of infection to certain poultry. 



Guerin has pointed out with emphasis that there is no re- 

 lation between diphtheria in man and in fowls. 



Although the number of reported cases of the transmission 

 of fowl diphtheria to the human species and vice versa is small 

 in comparison with the extent of the disease in poultry, the 

 evidence that such a transmission is possible is quite sufficient 

 to discourage the careless handling of diseased fowls. It is a 

 quite common practice, especially in the rural districts, to 

 bring the sick chickens into the house for treatment, where 

 the children of the household are allowed to fondle them at 

 will. It is not improbable that when this disease is thorough- 

 ly investigated the number of cases of direct infection from 

 this source will be found to be much less than it is at present 

 supposed. Until such investigations are satisfactorily com- 

 pleted the indiscriminate handling of diphtheritic chickens es- 

 pecially by children and the exposure of fowls to the infection 

 of diphtheria in the human species, whereby they may become 

 carriers of the virus, should be strenuou.sly avoided. 



^ 383. Prevention. In order to prevent this disease it 

 is evident that many conditions must be strictly complied 

 with. The character of the food and the general sanitary cou- 



* Archives of Pediatrics, XI {1894), p. 3X1. 



II Bulletin de 1' Acad. Royale de Med. de Belgique, Vol. VIII 

 {1894), p. 380. 



