232 DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



experiments for determining: if any other measures of 

 treatment are available. 



FOWL CHOLERA. 



This is a contagious disease of birds caused by- 

 bacteria, and transmissable by cohabitation and in- 

 oculation. It is characterized by high fever, great 

 weakness and prostration, and usually terminates in 

 the death of the affected bird. 



History. — This disease is mentioned in some of 

 the oldest works treating of the diseases of animals. 

 It was studied in 1782 by Chabert who regarded it as 

 a form of anthrax. This error is frequently repeated 

 by writers of the present day. Fowl cholera is not 

 a form of anthrax and has none of the characteristics 

 of that plague which is so fatal in its results upon 

 nearly all warm-blooded animals. 



Since 1825, fowl cholera has been frequently ob- 

 served in France and caused enormous losses in 1830, 

 1850, and above all in 1860. About 1830 it became 

 known in Russia, Bohemia and Austria. During 

 recent years it has been observed in about all. the 

 countries of Europe as well as in the United States. 



Benjamin in 1851 considered it to be a contagious 

 disease and remarked that people and dogs might 

 consume with impunity, the meat of affected fowls. 

 Delafond and others observed that it might be trans- 

 mitted to birds and rabbits by using the blood, the 

 secretions, and portions of the flesh as infective 

 agencies. They also recognized the virulence of the 

 excrement and the important part which this plays in 

 the dissemination of the contagion. 



The recent investigations of this disease began 

 with an important article by Perroncito in which the 

 specific germ of the disease was described. This was 



