478 
Singular Occurrence of Cholera among Poultry 
at Choisi-le-Roi. 
The following -Account of an irruption of well-marked cholera 
amongst the poultry at Choisi-le-Roi, is well deserving the at¬ 
tention of all observers of epidemic diseases. Our readers are, 
doubtless, aware, that vague and obscure anecdotes of similar 
events have been frequently related during the progress of cho¬ 
lera from Astrakhan to the British islands. We have alluded 
to some alleged occurrences of this description in our article of 
the 19th November, 1831*, a reference to which will sufficiently 
shew the great importance of such events in enabling us to ap¬ 
proach a rational decision on the questions relative to the mode 
of propagation of epidemics. It will also be seen on consulting 
that number of The Lancet, that up to the time of its publi¬ 
cation, no well-authenticated or conclusive record existed of the 
occurrence of cholera in the inferior tribes of animals. It is true 
that enormous quantities of fish had suddenly perished in the 
ponds at Marienverder, in Prussia, while cholera raged in that 
district; but the almost insuperable difficulty of obtaining the 
evidence of symptoms, or pathology, in the diseases of fishes, 
was sufficient to prevent the deduction of any important inference 
from the occurrence. We have now, however, before us, ample 
and well-authenticated details of a true cholera epizootic. The 
symptoms are as marked as in the human subject; the patho¬ 
logy is as closely similar as the difference of physical configura¬ 
tion between man and the gallinacea permits. The event, we 
repeat, is deeply interesting, and it is fortunate that it has met 
with so well-qualified an historian as M. Carrere. 
On the Epizootic Disease at Choisi-le-Roif, by M. Carrere, 
late Interne cles Hopitaux . 
During the disastrous progress of cholera in Paris, the village 
of Choisi-le-Roi, while perfectly free from the epidemic, was the 
scene of an epizootic disease, of which domestic poultry were the 
only victims. In the history of many other epidemics we find 
coincidences of this description of peculiar diseases affecting the 
lower animals, while pestilences were decimating mankind. 
Sometimes horned cattle, at other times horses, have been espe¬ 
cially attacked; but there have not been recorded more than two 
or three examples of epizootics among birds. Chabert and Bo- 
* See Veterinarian for January 1832, page 42. 
f Choisi is situated about five miles from Paris, on the banks of the Seine. 
It is considered a remarkably healthy village. 
