RELATION TO HUMAN DIPHTHERIA 331 



diphtheria to the human species, and vice versa, is affirmed by 

 several writers. 



Gerhardtf reports 4 cases of diphtheria in Wesselhausen, 

 Baden, among 6 workmen who had charge of several thou- 

 sand fowls, many of which died of diphtheria. There were 

 no other cases of diphtheria in the neighborhood and the evi- 

 dence was quite conclusive that the disea,se was contracted 

 from the affected fowls. It is also stated that an island on the 

 northeastern coast of Greece had been free from diphtheria for 

 at least a third of a century, when a dozen turkeys, several of 

 which were diseased, were introduced. Soon afterwards diph- 

 theria appeared in a house near the garden where the turkeys 

 were kept. The disease became epidemic on the island caus- 

 ing the death of 36 people, over 40 per cent of those attacked. 



DebrieJ reports briefly the clinical history of 6 cases of 

 diphtheria which occurred in the garrison of Sebdou, and states 

 that while the sixth case (2 were fatal) was still under treat- 

 ment in the hospital 10 fowls kept in a house not far from the 

 hospital were attacked with diphtheria and exhibited symp- 

 toms strikingly like those present in the human beings. Five 

 of the 10 fowls died and two heads were sent to Arloing, who 

 confirmed the diagnosis of fowl diphtheria. The fowls were 

 fed by a hospital attendant and it was ascertained that an 

 identical outbreak had occurred among the fowls at a neighbor- 

 ing place from which one of the 6 cases of human diphtheria 

 had been brought. Debrie is inclined to the view that human 

 diphtheria is transmissible to fowls and fowl diphtheria to man. 



Cole* reports a case near Jacksonville, 111., where a flock of 

 fowls became affected with a disease characterized bj' an exu- 

 date on the mucosa of the head. Some of the exudates emit- 

 ted a foul odor. As the weather was cold, one of the chick- 

 ens was taken into the house where a child about 2J2 years 

 old fondled it. Four days later the child was taken sick ap- 

 parently with diphtheria, from which it died. There were no 

 other cases in the neighborhood and the affected chicken was 

 the only possible source of infection. 



fRevue f. Thierheilkunde u. Viehzucht. Bd. VI. (1883), p. 180. 

 JReviewed in Centralblatt f. Bakteriologie. Bd XIII. (1893), S. 730. 

 *Archives of Pediatrics, XI, (1S94), p. 381. 



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