• .• : • 



.• • •. 



• • • « • 



Healthy flocks and those intended for exhibition purposes may 

 be vaccinated to establish immunity. This has proven very 

 satisfactory as the appended report will show. The immunity 

 established will last for at least one year. 



Bacteriological Experiments 



A bacteriological study of epitheliosis of birds was made 

 under the direction of the writers by Dr. Israel Wallman. 

 The experiments consisted in the following: 



1. Collecting cultures from the different lesions in each 

 case, and isolating the organisms which were cultivated in pure 

 cultures to study their cultural characteristics and pathoge- 

 nicity. 



2. Experiments with the blood to determine its virulency. 



3. Experiments with the filtrate from an emulsion of 

 scrapings from mucous membrane and cutaneous lesions. 



4. A study of the pathogenicity of each of the different 

 organisms alone, combined, and in connection with the filtrate. 



5. Experiments in transmitting the disease by direct inoc- 

 ulations from the lesions. 



Seventy-four cases of various forms of the disease were 

 used in these experiments. Of these 54 showed lesions on the 

 mucous membrane only, 8 cutaneous lesions, and 12 had both 

 forms. Normal birds were used as controls. 



Experiment No. 1 



The following organisms were found fairly constant in sick 

 birds, while in healthy birds the same organisms were constant 

 with the exception of No. 1 described below. 



Organism No. 1. (Probably the bacillus diphtheriae 

 columbarum of Loeffler). A short, thick, highly motile 

 bacillus taking a bipolar stain. Gram negative. 

 Broth: slight deposit and scum. 

 Dextrose-broth: acid, no gas production. 

 Sucrose: same. 



Lactose: no acid, no gas production. 

 Milk digested without acid production, gelatin and blood 



serum digested. 

 Does not produce indol nor reduce nitrates. 

 On agar abundant growth, edge leaf-like. 



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