MISCELLANEOUS INFECTIONS 605 
some of the skeletal muscles showed Zenker's hyaline degeneration 
together with minor hemorrhages and edema. Several of the proven- 
tncles showed low grade inflammatory signs toward the gizzard The 
intestines regularly showed lymphatic infiltrations of the villi most 
marked toward the tips but without congestion. The lumen showed no 
parasites, bacteria or protozoa. Liver showed in almost every case 
pigmentation by hemosiderin at times as heavy as that seen in per- 
nicious anemia. The finer bile ducts here showed peripheral round cell 
infaltrate, which was not continued into the major ducts as determined 
by serial sections. Parenchymal cells were cloudy and swollen. Spleen 
showed m early cases poljanorphonuelear infiltrate of the follicles in 
lat^r eases atrophy of follieidar splenocytes and more or less pigment 
occurred m both stages. The spinal cord and various peripheral nerves 
showed no inflammation or degeneration as determined by the appro- 
priate special nerve stains. The above clinical, histological, protozoologi- 
cal and bacteriological examinations having failed to detect the cause 
and the epizootic now being over, its nature becomes a matter of 
deduction. The only constant features of any importance were the 
paralysis, the intestinal round cell infiltrate and thickening, the pigmen- 
tation of the liver and degeneration of skeletal muscles. Of the various 
possibilities, beriberi was early considered. This is not possible because 
the food of the birds was a varied one and furthermore none of the 
nerve degenerations of beriberi were noted. Second, acute bacterial or 
protozoal infections are unlikely because no constant primarv lesions 
were discovered at autopsy, the numerous cultures failed to produce the 
disease and other birds living on the stream draining the lake were not 
similarly affected. Third, a food poisoning. This is possible first because 
paralytic symptoms were present such as are seen in vetch and mussel- 
poisoning and secondly because the epizootic ceased when the birds were 
taken from the lake and placed upon the grass. If this be the case the 
toxic material produced the paralysis by direct action upon the muscle 
fibres just as that of typhoid fever does and must have caused hemolysis 
as shown by the hepatic pigmentation. The source of this food poison- 
ing is conjectural. Perhaps a dead fish decomposed in the water or 
there were some algfe with poisonous properties present Tlie outbreak 
has a resemblance, but only a superficial one, to infection with one of 
the group of botulism bacilli. The cause of the trouble must be con- 
sidered as undetermined. 
Enterohepatic Disease. Since the normal drainage 
from the intestinal tract passes so largely through the 
liver, there is Httle to wonder at in morbid lesions of the 
latter organ consequent upon disease in the former. Not 
only does this succeed upon bacterial infection of the 
digestive tube but also upon infestation with animal 
parasites, under the latter condition forming changes of 
