FOWL TYPHOID AND SIMILAR INFECTIONS 61 
SEPTICEMIAS CAUSED BY COLON BACILLI 
Fowls. Outbreaks of septicemic infections in fowls caused by 
B. colt have been reported by Ligniéres, Martel, Claussen, Zeiss and 
Schlegel. 
The symptoms are practically indistinguishable from those of 
fowl cholera. The birds show somnolence, depression, diarrhea and 
inappetence. In the late stages, the comb may be dark colored as 
in cholera. 
At autopsy, there is inflammation of the intestines with hemor- 
rhages in places. There may be a small amount of serous exudate 
in the abdominal cavity. The spleen is softened and hypertrophied. 
There is pericarditis manifested either by the presence of hemor- 
rhages, solid exudate or fluid exudate. Microscopic examination of 
stained smears from the blood and organs shows numerous bipolar 
staining rods. However, the organisms average twice as large as 
those of fowl cholera. 
In inoculation experiments made by Ligniéres, hens resisted sub- 
cutaneous and intramuscular injection of 1 to 2 cc. of culture. On 
the other hand the pigeon succumbed to a dose of 1 cc. The same 
dose injected subcutaneously into the rabbit and guinea pig caused 
only a local abscess, while intrapleural or intraperitoneal injection 
killed. 
Martel killed hens by intramuscular injection of small amounts 
of culture. Failure resulted from attempts\to cause infection by 
intravenous injection or by ingestion of cultures, excrement and 
virulent products. The guinea pig, rabbit, white rat and white 
mouse were found to be susceptible to injections. 
Claussen isolated a strain that was uniformly fatal to canary. 
birds, white mice and guinea pigs. Pigeons, hens and ducks became 
sick only exceptionally. The infection led to the death of only 50 
per cent of the inoculated birds, while the remainder recovered 
after three to six days. The incubation period was on an average, 
-twelve hours long. Rabbits were very refractory to inoculation. 
Claussen concludes that colon organisms occurring in the intes- 
tines of healthy hens possess the ability of becoming virulent under 
certain conditions and cause a cholera-like infection. These spe- 
cial conditions are believed to be furnished by the harmful influ- 
ence exerted by shipment for long distances with resulting hunger, 
thirst, cold and lack of ventilation. 
Zeiss reports a case in which two hens in a healthy flock sud- 
