18 
THE COLORADO EXPERIMENT STATION 
(cloudy swelling). At B the cells are farther along in the disease process and 
it will be noted that the nucleus has disappeared and the cell is disintegrating. 
At C are the congested vessels; and at D the white blood cells referred to 
above. There may also be noted in these areas some giant cells. At E 
are the protozoa causing the disease. A microscopic examination of 
sections from the kidneys, shows that poisonous products have been 
taken up by the blood. In these sections we found degenerative changes. 
Figure 20.—A section of liver, No. 19. from the area marked by b, magnified 
900 diameters; stained with liemutoxylon and eosin. a, liver cells showing cloudy 
swelling; b, liver cells undergoing disintegration; c, congested blood vessels, pas¬ 
sive congestion; d. white blood cells (eosinophiles) so abundant in the blood and 
diseased tissues in this disease; e, the protozoan causing the disease. 
SYMPTOMS.—This disease is most common in turkeys of one month to 
a year old, although we have noticed it in birds much older. Only one case 
was found in the hen. The symptoms are not manifest till the disease in 
the organs has progressed to a considerable extent. The bird is at first dull, 
later the wings and tail may droop, feathers become ruffled and the bird 
sits around most of the time. Diarrhoea and loss of appetite is now noted, 
the discharge being of a greenish-yellow color. Gradually growing weaker, 
the bird usually dies in from three to ten days from the first signs of the dis¬ 
ease. In the cases that live longer, the birds become emaciated. A blood 
study shows eosinophilia. The head may or may not turn purple, from 
which it gets its name—“black head.” 
TREATMENT.—Thorough cleansing of the hen house and yard, with 
disinfection; care as to feeding and watering, and intestinal antiseptics are 
indicated, as recommended for fowl cholera. The sulphocarbolates tablets 
as used in chicken cholera gave the best results in our experiments. It is 
best to secure these tablets from your veterinarian or druggist as they are 
on the market in 30 grain veterinary tablets. Dissolve one tablet in each 
quart of water. This solution can be given as a drink or used to mix soft 
feed. In one outbreak, a lady reports as follows: “Some turkeys were too 
sick to eat. In these cases a small piece of the tablet one-half the size of a 
sweet pea was dissolved and given twice a day. Nearly all these recovered.” 
