DIPHTHERITIC ROUP. 3 



and the mouth also becomes filled with viscid slime, 

 and in advanced cases passes out a foetid odour. The 

 growths spread downwards, enter the oesophagus and 

 trachea, and so cause the death of the individual. 

 The mouth and nose also become blocked by these 

 purulent masses. This disease, which is highly con- 

 tagious, as a rule coming in an epidemic form, can 

 at once be told by the dejected look of the patient, 

 the frequent glairy mucus exuding from the mouth 

 and nostrils (similar to the exudation in ordinary 

 Roup), and finally by the appearance of the internal 

 excrescences. 



Two Forms of Growth. 



I have noticed two distinct forms of growth in 

 the bird's mouth, which I also found contained dif- 

 ferent microscopic organisms. The most virulent, 

 yet most easy to treat, form of growth are the large 

 creamy loose foliate patches, which are often spongy 

 and elongate ; these grow rapidly and soon fill up 

 the mouth, and may often be seen exuding from it. 

 The second kind of growth is firmly attached, it 

 occurs in small dots and spindle-shaped patches upon 

 the underside of the tongue and sides of the beak ; 

 these latter are firmly embedded in the skin and 

 increase much less rapidly. 



Discovery of Parasites in the Growths. 



Rivolta and Delprato were the first, I believe, to 

 discover the parasites in these purulent masses, and 



b2 



