4 
Coi.ORADO Experiment Station 
be fairly well known in western Kansas, Nebraska and in eastern 
Wyominj]^. In no instance have we seen the disease on irrigated 
land but it does occur in irrigated districts in places where the 
(thickens have the run of sod above the irrigating ditch. 
It has been so serious in certain localities as to cause settlers to 
stop raising chickens entirely. In several instances it has been 
known to cause from 50 to 90 per cent of fatalities in all young 
chickens raised in a single season, and several of the homesteaders 
have explained to us that they were unable to raise chickens with 
any degree of satisfaction on account of this one disease. In other 
places, it seems to take only a small percentage and while it causes 
some loss, yet it is not looked upon as being serious. It has also been 
the experience of some that the disease was extremely virulent in 
certain years, oUly to disappear entirely in the year succeeding. We 
could find no association with either dry or wet years. 
Cause — As is usually the case with an unknown malady, various 
explanations have been given as to its cause. While the problem 
appeared to be capable of easy solution during the earlier part of 
our investigation, we now find that we have not been able to ac- 
curately determine the cause of the trouble. Among the causes most 
commonly suggested may be mentioned chemicals, sand, sun, ants, 
cactus, sod and infection. The presence of caustic chemical sub- 
stances has never been shown to exist, and as a consequence this 
theory had to be abandoned. Sand is quite prevalent throughout 
Showing- .spines in the feet after running on cactus for one day. 
