A GUIDE FOR KEEPERS OF POULTRY 99 
combating it. Tle thinks the chicks die from poisoning 
from the operations of germs growing in the yolks. He 
succeeded in isolating a bacillus, named Bacillus No. 9, 
which he believes caused the mortality among chicks just 
before they emerge from the shell or shortly after. He 
believes newly-laid eggs are free from these germs, but 
that eggs may become infected after being laid, as the 
germs pass readily through the shell. He thinks in many 
cases where chicks die when very young that the bacillus 
enters the unabsorbed yolk through the umbilicus (navel) 
before the opening is thoroughly closed, where it finds 
ideal conditions for development and rapid multiplication. 
He recommends fumigating incubators before placing 
them in use. The plan he adopted was to put in the 
‘incubator a pint jar containing + drams of permanganate 
of potash in small crystals and 10 cubic centimeters of 
formaldehyde. On this basis it requires 16 ounces of for- 
maldehyde, 40 per cent strength, and 6% ounces of per- 
manganate of potash to fumigate 1,000 cubic feet of space. 
To fumigate an incubator having an egg chamber with 3 
cubic feet of space costs about 1% cents and a brooder 
having 76 cubic feet of space costs about 7 cents. He 
tried fumigating incubators by putting in them a small 
glass dish of formaldehyde as soon as the first egg 
pipped. Although the fumes of the gas were very strong 
it did not seem to hurt the chicks in the least, as they 
grew up hardy and thrifty with very small loss from any 
disease. This late fumigation would of course not save 
the chicks that had become infected in the eggs as the 
gas could not reach them. (See Eggs—Disinfecting and 
Incubators—Disinfecting.) 
CHICKEN POX.—This is a disease in which sores ap- 
pear on the face and comb of fowls, these sores becoming 
