DISEASED BBOOD. 271 



wbooping-cougb, and measles, and their rapid spread' 

 from a given point, «&e. We must also admit that 

 some cause or causes, adequate to the effect, must 

 have produced the first case. -To contagion, then,, 

 I would attribute the spread of this disease of our 

 bees, at least nineteen cases in twenty- I will admit, 

 if you please, that one stock in. twenty or fifty may be 

 somewhat affected by a chill to a small extent. It is 

 only a portion of the brood that is in danger-r-only 

 such as have been sealed over, and before they have 

 progressed to the chrysalis state, are attacked. ■ How 

 many then can there be in a hive at any one time, in 

 just the right stage of development to receive the fatal 

 chill ? Of course there will be some ; but they should 

 be confined to the cells near the bottom, where the 

 bees had left them exposed. These should be all ; 

 and these few would never seriously damage the stock.' 

 "Why then does this disease, when thoroughly started, 

 spread so rapidly throughout all the combs in the 

 hive ? Will it be said that the chill is repeated every 

 few days through the summer? Or will it be admitted- 

 that something else may continue it ? 



I think there must be other causes,, besides the chill, 

 even to start it, in most cases. As our practice will 

 be in accordance with the view we take of this matter, 

 and the result of our course will be somewhat import^ 

 ant, I will give some of the reasons that have led to- 

 this conclusion. 



