134 Diseases of Poultry 



Diagnosis of Worms in General. — Accurate diagnosis of 

 worms in the intestines can be made only by finding the 

 worms in the droppings of the fowls. Fowls affected with 

 worms to any great extent frequently show the general 

 symptoms of dullness and depression. Birds that are sus- 

 pected of being affected with worms should be shut up in a 

 coop and given a dose of some vermifuge or a purgative dose 

 of Epsom salts. If careful observation of the droppings is 

 made at frequent intervals the worms, if present, can usually 

 be detected in this way. This is not, however, an infallible 

 test. 



If there is any reason to suspect that worms are present 

 in the flock one or two birds showing the most advanced 

 symptoms should be killed and examined. The entire 

 digestive tract should be opened and the contents carefully 

 examined. The intestines should be washed out in a gentle 

 stream of water and their walls examined after immersing in 

 a pan of water. If tape worms or other parasites which are 

 attached to wall are present these can be seen readily under 

 water. In case there is any doubt a competent veterinarian 

 should be consulted, or a bird may be sent to the Zoological 

 Division of the Bureau of Animal Industry of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. In 

 this way the worms will be identified and any specific remedies 

 will be recommended. 



The principal parasitic worms which affect the digestive 

 tract of fowls may be grouped into three classes as follows : 

 Tape worms, round worms and flukes. 



Tape JJ^orms 



Tape worms have long been known to infest domestic 

 poultry. Occasionally serious outbreaks of the tape worm 

 disease occur in various parts of the country. These out- 



