SKIN DISEASE IN YOUNG PHEASANTS. 133 



become closed by the disease. In the large majority of fatal 

 cases the affection involves one or both eyelids and the 

 mouth; but in these cases also one or both legs show the 

 disease in numerous necrotic patches of the skin. The disease 

 is a cutaneous affection, and does not involve the deeper 

 parts; on the legs the bones are unaltered, and there is 

 no distinct visceral disease anywhere to be discovered by the 

 naked eye inspection. Under the microscope in the earlier 

 stages, the true skin is much inflamed, its vessels much 

 congested, and the blood in them in stasis; the tissue of the 

 skin is much infiltrated with inflammatory cells. Soon the 

 whole inflamed parts begin to break down into a necrotic 

 debris ; the area of necrosis gradually enlarges, but is always 

 surrounded by primary inflammatory change. This affection 

 is therefore a true progressive necrosis of the skin. 



" From a careful investigation, there can be no doubt that 

 the disease is contagious, and further, that the first cases of 

 disease amongst the young pheasants are due to infection by 

 the same necrotic disease of the hens used for rearing. It 

 ought to be stated that hens — fowls in general — are subject 

 to, and not unfrequently affected with, an infectious disease, 

 which shows itself as necrotic degeneration of the mucous 

 membrane of the mouth and throat, and also of the skin 

 around the mouth occasionally, but not ofteUj also of the 

 abdomen and chest. From inquiries which I instituted among 

 the keepers, I feel convinced that in this particular locality of 

 Suffolk the disease amongst the young pheasants was thus 

 introduced, viz., by some diseased hens used for the rearing. 

 It is obvious that if one hen is affected with the disease, 

 the little pheasants that she is rearing are sure to contract it 

 also, and these when affected, soon, in their turn, scatter the 

 contagium over different parts of the field. When a hen is 

 affected on the skin of the abdomen and chest, or when she 

 has the disease in the mouth, suflB.cient of the contagium 

 becomes available for the infection of the whole of her brood, 

 which during the first weeks she is habitually covering with 



