DISEASES OF POULTRY. 75 



zoa. While such organisms have undoubtedly been 

 discovered in connection with these lesions it is some- 

 what doubtful if their presence is more than accidental. 

 The sore head, chicken pox, or pigeon pox, which in- 

 vades the mouth, in certain cases, was long considered 

 to be a form of psorospermosis. The most recent in- 

 vestigations, however, attribute this disease to a fungus 

 of the group of blastomycetes. It is, also, stated that 

 the tongues of poultry and pigeons may be invaded by 

 psorosperms. These observations must be confirmed 

 by use of the most recent methods of research before 

 thej' can be accepted and before the disease, if any, 

 which they cause can be described. The article on 

 Chicken Pox or Sore Head in the chapter on Diseases 

 of the Skin may be consulted in this connection. 



ASPERGILLOSIS. 



It has been shown by Dieulafoy, Chantemesse and 

 Widal that young pigeons are frequently affected with 

 a disease which appears in the form of a white nodule 

 in the floor of the mouth. This is apparently caseous 

 and in size varies from that of a pea to that of a small 

 nut. It may be accompanied by miliar}^ tubercles in 

 the lungs which are either isolated or agglomerated 

 in caseous masses. Similar tumors may be found in 

 the oesophagus, intestine, liver and kidneys. These 

 nodules which closely resemble those of tuberculosis 

 do not contain the bacilli of tuberculosis but there is 

 found in them the fungus known as the Aspergillus 

 fuviigatKs. This fungus also, affects the mouth and 

 air passages of poultr}-, and has been described in the 

 chapter on Disease of the Organs of Respiration. 



According to Dieulafoy, Chantemesse and Widal the 

 "crammers of pigeons" are affected with a chronic 



