FOWL CHOLERA 485 



Eversion of the Oviduct. — Hens or pullets are sometimes 

 discovered on the nest or about the yard with a red or 

 purplish mass protruding from the vent. This condition 

 may be caused by inflammation of the oviduct, followed by 

 straining in an effort to lay an egg. If the bird is discovered 

 before its flock mates begin to pick at the everted oviduct, 

 the bird will usually make a good recovery, if the mass is 

 gently pushed back into place, the finger having been 

 covered with, carbolized vaseline. If there is dirt of any 

 kind upon the oviduct, it should be washed off with warm 

 water. The birds should then be put in a dark, cool place for 

 twelve hours or more, preferably with the feet fastened in a 

 loop in such a way that the rear part of the body will be 

 slightly elevated. As a usual thing the trouble will not 

 occur again, and the bird may start laying within a day or 

 two. If the difficulty appears more than twice it should be 

 considered chronic, and disposition made of the bird. 



Fowl Cholera. — Cholera is a disease caused by a minute 

 organism which finds its way into a healthy flock in numer- 

 ous ways. Possibly the most frequent is the purchase of an 

 infected bird. The disease is highly contagious, and once it 

 gains entrance to a flock is likely to spread very rapidly. It 

 may be brought in by wild birds of which several species 

 appear susceptible. It may even be introduced by means of 

 dogs, cats, or other animals that have been over areas 

 occupied by infected flocks. 



Fowl cholera is not as common in this country as is popu- 

 larly supposed. It is frequently confused with fowl typhoid, 

 or even acute cases of diarrhea. The most noticeable symp- 

 toms are a marked diarrhea, in which the excreta from the 

 kidneys (urates) which usually appear as the white pasty 

 material of the feces, are yellow. While such a symptom 

 does not absolutely prove that cholera is present, it should 

 be considered as a highly suspicious one, and steps should 

 at once be taken to control the disease. Later the color 

 of the urates may change from yellow to bright green. 

 Along with these symptoms the crop is frequently distended 

 and a postmortem examination reveals the fact that the 

 digestive organs are congested and inflamed. Though there 



