180 DISEASES OF DOMESTICATED BIRDS 
occurs four to six days after the appearance of the first symptoms. 
Treatment consists of administering a 2.5 per cent solution of car- 
bolic acid in the drinking water or in the mash. 
WATERFOWL 
Strongylus nodularis has been reported as occurring in water- 
fowls, most frequently in the mucosa of the gizzard. The female 
worms vary in length from 12 to 22 mm. while the males vary from 
10 to16 mm. The parasites are about 5 mm. in diameter, and are 
threadlike in form. They are more narrow at the ends, especially 
at the head end. Freese reports a loss of 200 out of 700 geese, due 
to the parasite. 
Symptoms. Single individuals occur very frequently in healthy 
geese without causing symptoms or noteworthy lesions. Extensive 
invasion of young geese is attended with serious results. At the 
beginning of sickness the young geese appear weak, sit most of the 
time and move with reluctance. They make characteristic choking 
movements and soon show more or less diarrhea. The birds have a 
very good appetite and consume their feed ravenously. In spite of 
the large amount of food consumed, the birds gradually become ema- 
ciated almost to skeletons. Finally they fall from weakness and 
are unable to rise again. In this stage the birds stop eating and die 
in a day or so. The whole course of sickness occupies three to eight 
days. The younger the geese, the more they are affected. The 
young, as a rule, die. 
Morbid anatomy. The carcass is excessively emaciated and only 
traces of the breast muscles remain. The mucosa of the small in- 
testine, especially near the gizzard, is reddened, thickened and cov- 
ered with a large amount of viscid mucus. The principal lesions are 
found in the gizzard. Except where the epithelium normally forms 
horny plates, it is covered with a thick, bark-like mass, dark brown 
or dark brownish red in color. The consistency of the mass is more 
or less tough and in some places, is more like mucus. In and under 
this material are innumerable parasites in coils. Not infrequently 
the worms are attached to the bark-like mass by their heads, with 
the other ends free in the lumen. Sometimes a mucous layer, with 
worms, is located in the lower third of the esophagus. Occasionally 
a few worms may be found on the mucosa of the small intestine. The 
statement of some authors that the parasites occur under the mucosa 
is incorrect, for they occur only under the epithelium and less com- 
monly directly in the epithelium. 
