1908.] 



Fowl Cholera. 



347 



get well acquire a certain amount of immunity and if they 

 thrive are valuable for restocking purposes. 



Appearance after Death. — In ordinary cases the only 

 marks visible to the naked eye will be found in the intestinal 

 tract, the contents of which are watery, frothy and some- 

 times bloodstained. In the intestinal wall and particularly 

 in the mucous membrane patches of clotted blood are found, 

 and areas of congestion ranging in colour from red to purple 

 and black. The liver and spleen are usually enlarged, while 

 in some cases the lungs are consolidated. In some places the 

 mucous membrane may be destroyed, and in others patches 

 of yellow exudate may be found. It must be remembered, 

 however, that there are other poultry diseases with which 

 it can easily be confused by the inexpert, and that in certain 

 cases a microscopical examination is necessary. 



Precautions. — I. All newly purchased birds should^be isolated 

 for a day, and the same course should be adpoted in the case 

 of birds returning from a poultry show. 



2. Crates and packing material should always be disinfected, 

 and care should be taken to secure an uncontaminated supply 

 of food and drinking water. 



3. When the disease appears all infected birds should be 

 strictly isolated, and the healthy ones should be moved to fresh 

 ground. The infected runs and pens should be sprayed with 

 a disinfectant, such as a 5 per cent, solution of carbolic acid, 

 or 2 per cent, of commercial sulphuric acid in water. 



Remedy. — There is no practical medical treatment which 

 can be advised for diseased birds. A protective serum is in 

 use on the Continent, but the small value of poultry renders 

 the extensive use of this remedy too costly except perhaps 

 in the case of valuable pedigree birds. 



Fowl cholera is a notifiable disease in some Continental 

 countries, and English poultry keepers wishing to sell stock 

 in such countries would be obliged to give a guarantee of 

 freedom from infection. 



