DISEASES AND PESTS OF FOWLS 
human beings, but the weight of evidence 
is against this conclusion. 
Treatment. Diphtheria is extremely in- 
fectious. It is best to kill the first cases at 
once. If the bird is of particular value, it 
may be isolated and the patches on the 
throat swabbed with 50% hydrogen per- 
oxide or 5% creolin, with a small bit of 
cotton wool wound around a stick. If 
great care is exercised, 20% carbolic acid 
or 20% creolin may be painted on the 
patches, but neither should be allowed to 
touch the normal skin. Burn the swabs. 
Treat accompanying roupy symptoms as 
recommended under roup. 
The term canker is also applied to cer- 
tain spots or growths that occur on the 
throat. These are not in any way associ- 
ated with diphtheritic roup, or any danger- 
ous, contagious disease, and are due to in- 
jury or to an unhealthy condition of the 
mucous membrane. 
51 
