STUDY OF POLYNEURITIS GALLINARUM. 427 



is not the case is shown by the lact that fowls fed on pohshed 

 rice and protected by an extract of rice polishings also lose weight 

 but do not develop neuritis. Thus 25 fowls fed in this way, of 

 an average original weight of 3.08 pounds, weighed 2.68 pounds 

 at the conclusion of the experiments which lasted ninety days. 

 They thus lost an average of 0.4 pound, or 13 per cent, of their 

 original weight as compared with the 22 per cent lost by the 

 fowls on the same diet but which received no protection. More- 

 over, several fowls in this group ended the experiment with no 

 loss of weight, and one or two fowls actually gained a few ounces. 



Fulminating cdscs. — While the disease, as described above, ap- 

 pears to be the usual form, a certain percentage of cases present 

 marked variations. Some of the cases are even more rapid in 

 their course, and for lack of a better name may be called fulmi- 

 nating cases. During the incubation period they may lose con- 

 siderable weight and may appear to be in poor health, but they 

 rarely show any paralysis of the legs. They will be seen in this 

 condition on one day, and the next day will be found lying on 

 the side completely prostrated, often with the neck retracted, 

 and exhibiting the characteristic breathing already described. 

 Death follows within a few hours. The course of the disease in 

 these cases is therefore much more rapid, and is marked by much 

 greater muscular wasting and general prostration than usual. 



In a still smaller percentage of cases, paralysis of the legs 

 occurs suddenly as already described, but the bird remains in 

 good general health. The comb is red, the appetite remains 

 good, and the fowls lose little weight. We have had several fowls 

 that lived in this paralyzed state, but in good health otherwise, 

 for a month while still subsisting upon polished rice. 



Treatmeyit. — Fowls affected with any of these forms of poly- 

 neuritis can rarely be saved by feeding an ordinary mixed diet. 

 Almost all die in spite of efforts to save them by hand feeding. 

 But if they are given an extract of rice polishings, the majority 

 of them can be saved. A great difference, however, has been 

 observed in the manner in which fowls respond to this treatment. 

 Thus birds affected with the form of the disease described as 

 fulminating have been observed that appeared moribund, but 

 recovered almost completely after the administration of this 

 extract, so that they were able to walk about within a few days. 

 This result has not been obtained with fowls suffering from 

 marked paralysis. If birds of this latter group are given this 

 extract, they improve in general health, but the paralysis remains, 

 and it is usually only after several months of treatment that 

 they recover complete control of their legs. 



