SPIROCHETOSIS AND RARE INFECTIOUS DISEASES 143 
MALTA FEVER IN FOWLS 
Dubois reports the occurrence of this disease in fowls. The out- 
break lasted three months, with a mortality of 70 per cent. 
Symptoms. Birds of all ages are affected. The disease pre- 
sents two clinical forms: an acute or subacute form in which the 
duration is 8 to 10 days at the most, and a fulminating form lasting 
only a few hours. 
In the acute form the affected birds appear feeble, walk with dif- 
ficulty and display inappetence. After three or four hours the birds 
stop moving and appear depressed. The wings drop, the birds 
allow themselves to be caught easily, and sometimes show diarrhea 
with green discharges. There is extreme emaciation at the last. 
In the fulminating type few characteristic signs are observed. 
There is only weakness and depression. Some birds die suddenly 
without having shown symptoms. 
Morbid anatomy. In the fulminating type the lesions consist 
of ecchymoses on the lungs, a marked hypertrophy of the spleen and 
a certain degree of congestion of the liver. 
Inoculations made with the liver, the spleen, and heart blood of 
sick birds have given negative results. Likewise, inoculation of 
rabbit, guinea pig and pigeon.with the pulp of the spleen and heart 
blood of sick birds has always failed to affect these animals. 
The writer determined the agglutinative properties against JM. 
melitensis possessed by the blood of the affected birds. Of 8 fowls 
2-5 years old, 3 presented a positive reaction; of 9 birds 2-4 months 
old, 5 gave positive reaction. 
ANTHRAX 
Dawson points out that chickens may contract anthrax by eating 
the carcass of an animal dead of that disease. The disease runs a 
rapid and fatal course within 24 hours. The affected bird shows 
fever, high temperature, weakness, tremors and convulsions, together 
with bloody fecal discharges. Swellings may occur on the comb, wat- 
tles, sides of the head, in the mouth or on the feet. 
Moéllhoff concludes that birds are more or less susceptible to in- 
oculation with anthrax. Exception is made in the case of hens, 
which in his experiments showed high resistance. Out of sixteen 
hens exposed by subcutaneous, intramuscular and intraocular in- 
jection, with doses as high as 2 e.c. or by feeding, only one suc- 
