PREFACE 
The writing of this book has been prompted by a conviction held 
by the authors, regarding the magnitude of the losses experienced 
by poultry producers as a result of preventable infectious diseases 
and parasitic infestations. 
It is believed that the importance of these losses warrants the 
effort expended in presenting the essential facts concerning poultry 
diseases to meet the needs of veterinary practitioners, veterinary stu- 
dents and poultrymen. 
The title of the book indicates a slight broadening of scope beyond 
the field of a work on diseases of poultry. Material included deals 
with the ostrich, cage birds and wild birds in semi-domestication in 
zoological gardens. Chapters dealing with anatomy of birds, and 
killing of poultry have been included. 
The peculiarities of diseases of birds are indicated by the emphasis 
laid on certain features of the subject matter. In general, skill in 
diagnosing diseases of birds by observing symptoms is of less impor- 
tance than ability to recognize the identity of disease at autopsy. 
Symptoms are slightly characteristic, but autopsy material is freely 
available. Consequently more facts concerning details of gross 
lesions are given than those relating to symptoms. In many cases, 
particularly in the septicemias, symptoms and lesions are not dis- 
tinctive, and fine distinctions of etiology must be made by a bacteri- 
ologist. On this account considerable material useful to a bacteri- 
ologist alone has been included. 
Available sources of information are indicated in the references 
appended to each chapter and by specific references to authors in the 
text. Special acknowledgment is made for assistance obtained from 
Neumann’s “ Parasites et Maladies Parasitaires des Oiseaux Do- 
mestiques ” in the preparation of the chapters on parasites. Much 
material concerning the less common parasites has been drawn from 
this book and Neumann’s zoological nomenclature has been largely 
followed. 
A. BW, 
B. A. G. 
