LEUKAMIA OF THE FOWL: SPONTANEOUS AND 
EXPERIMENTAL. * + 
By HARRY C. SCHMEISSER, M.D. 
(From the Department of Pathology of The Johns Hopkins University.) 
I. REvIEW oF THE LITERATURE. 
The first publication was made by Moore’ in 1895-1896, in which 
he reported observations upon an epizootic disease of fowls which he 
designated “ infectious leukemia.” His studies were based upon cases 
obtained from five different outbreaks, and upon those artificially 
produced by means of the specific organism (Bacterium sanguinarium) 
isolated from the organs of these fowls. The descriptions of the 
spontaneous and experimental cases clearly show that he was not 
dealing with a true leukemia of the fowl, but rather with an acute 
infectious disease, characterized by fever, diminution in the number 
of red blood cells, and increase in number of white blood cells, this 
increase being “ restricted” to the polymorphonuclear leucocyte with 
the eosin staining spindles, 7. ¢., the phagocyte of the normal fowl’s 
blood. 
Butterfield,’ in 1905, reported three cases of aleukemic lymph- 
adenoid tumors of the hen. His studies were limited to the livers 
of these animals. They correspond in every detail, both grossly and 
microscopically; were uniformly and strikingly enlarged (340, 420, 
270 gm. respectively) and of a diffuse, light, cream, yellow color. 
Histologically, the liver tissue was extensively replaced by large oval 
or round, sometimes irregular, collections of cells. The intralobular 
capillaries were filled with the usual nucleated red blood cells. Most 
of the nodules of tumor cells were thought to be in connection 
with the portal spaces. The cells resembled in general the “large 
* Submitted for publication, October, 1914. 
+ Dissertation submitted to the Board of University Studies of The Johns 
Hopkins University, in conformity with the requirements for the Degree of 
Doctor of Philosophy, 1914. 
