POULTRY DISEASES 
19 
WHITE DIARRHOEA 
CAUSES.—There are two causes of white diarrhoea, one, a bacillary 
form due to a very short, plump, rod-shaped germ (Bacterium pullorum) with 
rounded ends; and one due to a protozon, (Coccidium tenellum). The 
germ of the bacillary form has been isolated at this station from the liver, 
spleen, kidneys, and other organs of chicks dead of the disease, and the 
protozoon of the coccidian form, from the ulcers of the caecum and intestines. 
SYMPTOMS.—The bacillary form is accompanied by droopy wings, 
ruffled feathers, sleepiness, a tendency to huddle together, and little or no 
appetite. The abdominal yolk is not properly absorbed, and the whitish or 
whitish-brown, frothy discharge from the bowel adheres more or less to the 
vent fluff; the eyes are closed part of the time and there is apparently no in¬ 
terest in life. The appearance in many is stilty, with abdomen prominent be¬ 
hind, and they peep much of the time. In these cases, after death, one finds the 
yolk unabsorbed, or only partially so, and the intestines are more or less 
full. Chicks that hatch in late fall, winter or early spring are freer from 
this disease than summer hatched. This may be explained by the fact that 
hens with diseased ovaries gradually become poorer layers as the disease 
processes advance, and hence, only lay in late spring or early summer when 
nature intends reproduction of birds. Finally the hen may cease laying 
altogether. 
In the coccidian form the symptoms as studied by the writer are similar 
to those of the bacillary form, except that, as a rule, the heavy death rate 
takes place later. 
MODE OF SPREAD.—In the bacillary form the ovaries of laying hens, 
diseased but still functioning, may be infected by the germ. The germ can 
be isolated, particularly from the yolk, of at least some of the eggs formed 
in such an ovary. The chicks from infected eggs, as a result, have the dis¬ 
ease more or less developed when hatched, as conditions which favor hatch¬ 
ing also favor the multiplication of the germs to such an extent that sufficient 
toxic poisons have already been produced in the young to cause the disease, 
or at least manifest itself within a few hours after hatching. From these 
chicks the whitish, frothy, pasty bowel discharge, more or less sticky and 
with a tendency to paste up the vent, is laden with the germ, and others of 
the flock soon become infected from contaminated food picked up from the 
ground. In the bacillary form, chicks may begin to die soon after hatching; 
in the coccidian form in from three to ten days, a few dying each day. 
The death rate is high, reaching in many cases, 75 per cent or more. 
Those that recover are stunted and do not make satisfactory growth. The 
greatest loss is from the first few days to two or three weeks. It is probable 
that the disease carriers are recovered chicks, which have established im¬ 
munity, but still carry the organism, especially in the ovary, as typhoid 
carriers among people do in the infected kidneys or bowel ulcers. 
Coccidian form.—The mode of spread of this form is at present prob¬ 
lematical. It is possible that a chronic type occurs in some birds and thus 
perpetuates and scatters the organism. 
POST MORTEM.—In the bacillary form the liver in general is usually 
pale, showing areas of active and passive congestion and cloudy swelling. 
The yolk is only partially absorbed and congestion of the intestines may or 
may not be present. The kidneys are normal size, but show congestion and 
cloudy swelling, and the carcass is more or less pale and emaciated. 
Coccidian form.—Upon post mortem examination the conditions are 
found to be similar to the bacillary form, except that there will be noted 
more or less congestion of the intestinal lining with ulcers in the intestines, 
principally the caeca. The caeca appear to be interfered with functionally, 
containing considerable ingesta. Figure 21 shows a transverse section 
through an ulcerated area. In these areas we find cloudy swelling followed 
by retrogressive changes and death of the cells. The remains of the dead 
cells forms a cheesy mass. It will be noted in this drawing that only rem- 
