CHOLERA AMONG POULTRY. 
479 
ronio have, it is true, described some diseases of birds, observed 
in France and in Lombardy; but the characters of the affections 
they describe are totally different from those observed at Choisi. 
The cholera had scarcely appeared at Paris, when it was ge¬ 
nerally reported that a disease of most destructive mortality was 
raging among the poultry throughout the commune. Here, as 
at Paris, the cry of “ poisoning” was loudly made; all persons 
who were persuaded that the food and drink of mankind were 
mixed with poison, found no difficulty in convincing themselves 
that similar villany was practised in the poultry yards. But the 
mortality soon reached such a pitch, that this idea was aban¬ 
doned, and then it was generally reported, that the cholera was 
the cause of the epizootic. 
Wishing to arrive at the source of these rumours, I learned, 
that since the 3d of April, a vast number of fowls had perished 
in several houses situated in different quarters of the hamlet. 
During the first days of the disease, the number of deaths had 
been very considerable, after which period the birds were killed 
by the owners on the occurrence of the first symptoms. In one 
fowl-yard, of eighty cases, one or two alone recovered. Many 
remedies, amongst others bleeding under the wings, had been in , 
vain resorted to. A considerable quantity of the diseased fowl 
had been eaten by the inhabitants without any bad effect. 
The causes of this malady appear to me altogether unknown ; 
and I saw no reason for supposing it to be contagious. Never¬ 
theless, when a single death occurred in a fowl-yard, the mor¬ 
tality only ceased when it had no more victims to destroy. The 
most cleanly poultry feeders suffered as severely as the most 
filthy. The kind of food had no influence on the disease. The 
fowls at large in the streets of Choisi were attacked with equal 
severity with those perpetually confined or occupied in incubation. 
Rabbits, geese , and ducks, however , lived with impunity in the 
same yards where the hens were universally perishing , and three 
turkeys only were affected. 
The disease, generally speaking, commenced in the morning. 
The hens were noticed to be dull and weak, their wings droop¬ 
ing, and their crops distended with undigested food. In a few 
cases the disease commenced during the day, and lasted four- 
and-twenty hours. The respiration was short and hurried, the 
motions of the heart accelerated, and diminished in force in pro¬ 
portion to their increase in velocity. In almost every instance 
there had been numerous whitish liquid dejections. The gullet 
was distended with thready mucus, which escaped from the 
beak. The combs were of a livid red colour, and the tint deep¬ 
ened to a violet as death drew near. After the disease had lasted 
from two to five hours, convulsions usually finished the sufferings 
