HEAD, THROAT AND LUNGS 



Roup OT contagiouB catarrh is a very common disease. It has not yet 

 been positively determined that this disease is distinct from diphtheria or 

 diphtheritic roup. It may be acute or chronic in form, and is character- 

 ized by a catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes, 

 nose and throat.' It is always accompanied by the familiar foul "roup 

 smell". The odor is peculiar to the disease, and is very lasting and pene- 

 trating and when once recognized there is very little danger of ever mis- 

 taking any other disease for roup. The disease is often very contagious, 

 but in some cases only mildly so. It should always be regarded as dan- 

 gerous even in mUd cases since some of the worst epidemics of this disease 

 have had their origin in mild cases that were deemed of little importance. 

 It is caused by a specific germ. The predisposing causes are, all condi- 

 tions of bad hygiene and improper care, neglected colds, hereditary tend- 

 ency and weak constitution. 



SYMPTOMS 



The symptoms develop in from two to five days after infection. First 

 there is dryness and inflammation of the mouth and throat, foUowed by 

 frothiness and bubbles in corners of eyes, sneezing, and a thin sticky dis- 

 charge from nostrils begins. Symptoms now develop slowly or rapidly, 

 according to the> virulence of the attack or the condition of the bird. The 

 disease may confine itself to the simple catarrhal symptoms of discharges from 

 the nose and eyes (always accompanied by the "roup smell," which in roup 

 can always be detected by seizing the bird and squeezing the discharge 

 from the nostrils, or by opening the mouth) ; or the disease may, if virulent, 

 run rapidly through the whole range of symptoms — one or both eyes puffed 

 and swollen, discharge from nostrils thick and purulent or glairy, cakes and 

 crusts on nostrils and on feathers where the head rests under the wing at 

 night, diphtheritic patches form in the mouth and throat, cheesy masses form 

 about the eyes; fowl often shows marked constitutional symptoms of 

 poisoning by the disease — appetite lost, dumpishness, feathers roughed, 

 loss of weight, followed by death, or the fowl may continue to live with a 

 chronic form of roup. 



Do not expect a roupy fowl to get well spontaneously. I doubt if any 

 fowl tliat had had roup was ever really permanently cured. The disease 

 has a habit of running a chronic or a dormant course, and then cropping 

 out to infect a lot of fresh victims. Fowls apparently cured of roup are 

 liable to show the disease at regular periods coincident with the first at- 

 tack. Birds sick with an acute attack of roup will not fatten, but those 

 apparently cured or having chronic cases will take on fat if fed for it. Hens 

 with chronic roup may lay eggs. Such eggs do not produce healthy chicks. 

 Eggs from fowls apparently cured will hatch chicks that are apparently 

 all right until the season of the year arrives when their parents had roup — 

 then they are almost certain to contract the disease. That is where the 

 hereditary predisposition comes in. The disease itself is not inherited, 

 but the tendency to become a victim of roup may be transmitted for gen- 

 erations. Birds bred from roupy stock ace particularly liable to contract 



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