600 DISEASE IN WILD MAMMALS AND BIRDS 
colony by mistake. When we were aware that the disease 
had appeared antiserum was administered therapeutically 
to all that were sick and prophylactically to all the rest 
— large doses, 25-35 cc, were given for treatment, smaller 
quantities, 10-20 cc, being used as a preventive. 
Seven sick animals recovered and no animal (8) given 
serum prophylactically became sick. This experience en- 
courages us to think that with antiserum and rigidly 
enforced quarantine rules, distemper will not be a serious 
matter to handle. 
The hygiene of the foregoing conditions is of a general 
character — removal of the specimens when known to be 
sick, thorough cleansing of the cages, segregation of 
mates or of neighbors when this is practicable, burning 
of refuse, liming of the ground and such other measures 
as the local conditions may indicate. 
Diphtheria. 
Although no cases of mammalian diphtheria have been 
observed, three and possibly four birds have suffered 
with this disease. The three acceptable cases were in 
cassowaries {Casuarius occipitalis) occupying adjoining 
cages and sickening mthin a few weeks of one another. 
Just how the infection was brought to them must remain 
a mystery since no additions had been made to the group 
for some time previously. All three birds were observed 
during life, and from the first case the Bac. diplitherice 
avium was isolated; in smears from the other two simi- 
lar bacteria were seen but isolation was unsuccessful. The 
two acutely fatal cases showed large pseudomembran- 
ous collections on the nasopharyngeal mucosa and beneath 
the tongue while the nares were occluded by the same 
material. Plaques of membrane were also found on the 
surface of the esophagus and proventricle. The exudate 
ran out of the mouth and formed dried crusts upon the 
cervical skin. Pseudomembranes of a continuous charac- 
ter were lacking in the third bird, their place being taken 
