RELATION OF ETIOLOGY OF BEE DISEASES TO TREATMENT. 41 
EUROPEAN FOUL BROOD. 
European foul brood is another infectious bee disease. It attacks 
the brood at an earlier period in the growth of the larvae, as a rule, 
than American foul brood. The cause of this disease is not definitely 
known. From brood dead of this disease Cheshire and Cheyne iso- 
lated Bacillus alvei. From their work it was long supposed that 
Bacillus alvei was the cause of the disease, but later investigations 
make the value of their work doubtful. 
A number of organisms have been found in the larva? dead from 
this disease and some of them have been described. One species has 
been encountered in our investigations of the disease which is of 
special interest. The individuals of this species are quite small, 
apparently non-spore-producing, and have so far failed to grow when 
sown on our artificial media. Until we know more about this species 
it will be referred to as Bacillus " Y. n Since the cause is not posi- 
tively known, the amount of heat and chemical disinfectants to de- 
stroy the virus has not been demonstrated. If, later, Bacillus " Y " 
is demonstrated to be the cause, we shall expect that very much less 
heat will be sufficient to kill it than is necessary to kill Bacillus larvce, 
the cause of American foul brood. Likewise we shall expect that 
chemical disinfectants will be much more readily effective. Until we 
know more about the etiology of European foul brood we can do no 
better than to suggest the application of the same principles which are 
found advisable in American foul brood. 
SO-CALLED " PICKLED BROOD." 
We refer to this disorder of the brood as the " so-called pickled 
brood " and not pickled brood, because the condition which William 
R. Howard, of Fort Worth, Tex., described is not what the bee 
keepers know as pickled brood. The exciting cause of this disease 
is not known. The larva? die at that age just preceding or just after 
capping. Some bee keepers haA^e a theory that heredity plays a very 
important part as a predisposing cause. As far as is known the 
disease does not seem to be infectious. 
This disease is treated by some bee keepers by requeening, on the 
assumption that heredity is the important factor in the production 
of the disease. If more were known concerning the etiology, the 
treatment might be materially changed. 
PARALYSIS. 
Paralysis is a disease of the adult bee. The cause of this malady 
is not known. It does not seem to be infectious, although in some 
apiaries a large number of colonies may be affected at the same time. 
Some have advanced the theory that the character of the food is the 
exciting cause. 
78013°— Bull. 75— 11 4 
