192 PARASITES OF THE DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



There is an abnormal desire for food, in spite of which the heavily 

 infested chickens emaciate and become anaemic, as manifested by pale- 

 ness of the comb and wattles. The feathers become erect, ruffled, and 

 dull, and the birds have a tendency to isolate themselves, often in 

 drooping attitudes, or the constantly hungry creatures may seem never 

 to be at ease, but are constantly running about, this probably accounting 

 in part for the loss of flesh. In such aggravated cases there is often ad- 

 vanced emaciation, and, completely exhausted, the bird may die. 



Diagnosis. — A reliable diagnosis can only be made by finding the 

 segments in the feces, or by killing and examining one or two of the 

 birds showing suspicious symptoms. When the latter method is adopted 

 the intestine should be removed and slit opien under water. After 

 gentle stirring to remove the contents, it may be transferred to a basin 

 of clean water, when the worms, if present, will usually be seen attached 

 to the mucosa. 



Control. — As in other forms of helminthiasis, control measures are 

 most effectually applied to the parasites in their stage of larval develop- 

 ment. Until more is known of the life histories of the chicken tapeworms 

 little can be done in the way of prevention other than that based by 

 analogy upon what has already been demonstrated. It is scarcely 

 practical to keep poultry from eating such possible intermediate hosts 

 as worms and insects. Means may be taken, however, to restrict their 

 access to flies, snails, and the lower crustaceans of stagnant water, 

 though such precaution cannot well be applied to birds running at large. 

 A more feasible accessory measure is the prevention of the larvse from 

 reaching the intermediate hosts by isolating the infected birds in screened 

 quarters where their droppings may be collected and made sterile by 

 burning or other means. 



Treatment. — Vermifuges may be administered in the form of pills 

 made up with bread. Probably the most suitable is areca nut which 

 can be given to adult chickens in doses of from ten to twenty grains 

 according to weight. Young animals may take from three to five 

 grains. After three days the treatment should be repeated. Other 

 remedies used are male fern, kamala, turpentine, and pumpkin seeds, 

 the dosage being proportionate to weight. 



Such a method of treatment has a disadvantage in that each bird 

 must be treated individually. Where the infection occurs in large 

 flocks the repeated handling of each bird involves such an amount of 

 time and patience as to put it practically out of the question. Again 

 we are indebted to Guberlet for experiments which seem to point the 

 way to a more practical method. Bearing upon this department of his 

 work, his report is here quoted in part. 



"Fifteen birds which showed symptoms of tapeworm infection were 

 placed in a cage which was insect-proof and were given the following 



