292 



Diseases of Poultry 



mannite and maltose. Even these differences appear to be 

 lost if strains of B. pullorum are used which have been cul- 

 tivated in the laboratory for some time. These studies, 

 however, are not extensive enough to justify as yet the 

 assumption that the two organisms are identical. 



Diagnosis of White Diarrhea. — The symptoms of white 

 diarrhea are in general the same for the different forms of 

 the disease. They may be briefly stated as follows : The 

 affected chicks appear stupid and remain under the hover or 

 hen much of the time. They isolate themselves from the 

 rest of the flock and appear indifferent to what goes on 



*. ^ ^ 



Fig. 63. — Ten day White Leghorn chicks showing symptoms of bacillary 

 white diarrhea. (After Rettger and Stoneburn.) 



about them. Their feathers become rough and the wings 

 droop (cf. Fig. 63). There is progressive loss of weight. 

 The birds eat little or nothing and appear unable to pick 

 up their food. Their actions in this direction are chiefly 

 mechanical. The characteristic whitish discharge from the 

 vent very soon makes its appearance. The discharged mat- 

 ter may be creamy or sometimes mixed with brown. The 

 discharged matter is more or less sticky or glairy. In many 

 cases it clings to the down in sufficient quantity to plug up 

 the vent. This condition is known as "pasting up behind." 

 This latter condition, however, is not necessarily indicative 

 of white diarrhea. 



