OBIOKEN CHOLERA. 65 



sleep and made to walk, there is at first an abundant evacuation, followed at 

 short intervals by scanty discharges, which, with the frequent contractions of 

 the sphincter ani, are evidence of considerable irritation of the posterior part o' 

 the intestinal canal. 



"In most cases affected birds are very thirsty throughout the whole period of 

 the disease; frequently, however, the thirst is^ not exaggerated, and In excep- 

 tional cases they scarcely drink at all, 



" Post-mortesm, appearances. — ^The comb is pale and bloodless, but neither dark 

 nor dark blue, as seems to be the case in France. The superficial blood-vessels 

 generally contain but little. blood, and there are, in most cases, soiled feathers 

 about the anus to which the excrement may adhere in considerable quantity.* 

 On opening the body the first organ to attract attention is the liver, which in 

 nearly every case is enormously enlarged and softened, with the blood-vessels 

 very apparent ; it is often of a very dark or dark green color, is frequently at- 

 tached to the surrounding parts by false membranes, and is as often surrounded 

 by a transparent, colorless effusion. In exceptional cases its appearance is nearly 

 or quite normal. The gall-bladder is generally greatly distended with thick, 

 dark bile, which has frequently passed through its walls in sufficient quantity 

 to stain all the organs in it-s vicinity. 



"The crop is generally distended \^ith food, though no special lesions have been 

 noticed here. The proventrioulus, or true stomach, viewed externally, ofien 

 presents a number of circular diaooloratibns, about one tenth of an inch in diame- 

 ter, which on section are found to be small clots of extravasated blood. No 

 lesions have been found in the gizzard. ~ The small intestines are usually con- 

 gested ; often the mucous membrane is nearly black from engorgement of the 

 blood-vessels, and occasionally the internal surface is the seat of ulcerations 

 of various size and number. In one case a fibrinous plug bad formed about 

 midway of the small intestine, completely obstructing the 'passage of the bowel 

 contents ; this plug was three inches long and very firm. 



"The rectum and cloaca generally present deep red lines upon their mucous 

 membrane, evidently the first stage of inflammation, which results in chronic cases 

 in thickening of the walls, especially of th^ rectum, the desquamation of the 

 mucous membrane, and the formation of large ulcerous surfaces. In some cases 

 this thickening and ulceration extends into the colon, and it is generally seen in 

 the chronic pr sub-aointe forms of the disease in the cseca, the walls of these 

 being thickened, denuded of their mucous membrane, and the cavity filled with 

 a plug of coagulated lymph. 



"The mesentery is generally congested, often thickened and rendered opaque 

 by inflammation ; the ureters are distended with yellow urates ; the kidneys 

 seem engorged, and on section accumulations of the tenacious, yeHow urates are 

 frequently seen ; the spleen is generally normal in size and appearance, though 

 frequently enlarged and softened. The pericardium is sometimes-J*>''«'i''6a~ 

 with efiiision, in which cases there is noticeable hypersemia of Ji^nrface of the 

 heart. The lungs are often, though not generally, engorged with dark blOod ; 

 they are seldom, if ever, hepatiitea. The blood'vessels are sometimes filled with 



8 * This may also happen in common diarrhoea. 



