The New York herald., 1872-11-18
Hens, Chickens and Turkeys Perishing
with Mysterious Disease.
Desolation and Despair Among
the Barnyard Pets.
Mansard Roofs Appearing on
the Egg Providers.
Swelled Heads on the Thanksgiving GobblerS
and Henlluenza Devastating the
Chicken COOpS.

No sooner has the fatal epizootic began to de-.
cline than we have another disease which is even
more dangerous and speedy In It's
DESTRUCTIVE ATTACKS.
All over the United States the chickens and hens
and roosters are dying In thousands from sick
ness which strikes them IN the head, and in from
ten to eighteen hours the fowl is dead 1t Is sort
OF chicken chills and fever, and the unfortunate
fowl first catches cold or influenza, which grad
ually grows into diptheria; slime begins to bel
emitted rom the beak, and this is followed by
STAGGERING FITS
on the part Of the chicken, hen rooster, until at
last the fowl gives Its last kick and lies down to die.
In Washington Market, on last Saturday, there
were hundreds OF fowl exposed for sale which were
unfit for food.
HERALD reporter visited several
CHICKEN BUTCHERS
and poultry men who do business in the down
town markets. and questioned them in regard tOi
the chicken disease The first poultry man he saw
was not very communicative.
''What do you think OF the chicken disease Aret
there many OF the fowls dying9r
POULTRY MAN-Oh there is always chickens
dying, just Ike men and women. You don't
BELIEVE A CHICKEN
can live always, no more than any other animal or
bird, do your
HERALD REPoRTER-Wel, have you any sich
chickens yoursell2 Have you any fowl for sale
that have died OF the disease-that is what desire
to know?
POULTRY MAN-Some OF the chickens ana turkeys
that have sold for the last three or four days had
been sick, but
THEY WERE KILLED BEFORE
the disease developed ITSELF and am sure tha1
they were as sweet meat as any to be found inn
Washington Market or anywhere else. You see
fowl have risen since this sickness has begun tG
nuo II
sick. The ducks have not been touched yet, and
1t Is not likely that they will
CATCH ANY DISEASE
l refer particularly to the wild fowl; they are .
much harder bird than any domestic or farmyarG
particularly the
CHESAPEAKE BAY FOWL,
who are always safe to eat In season. Some OF the
woodcock and park partridge have been bad this
season, and quail have suffered. A desert chickenl
tw enty-sl cents q pound Just now, but II this
Sn. disease grows any faster and spreads ike the
dollar pound, and even then they will be en2
tirely
UNFIT TO EAT,
no matter how they are cooked
HERALD REPoRTER-ls there any Particular
method Of cooking chicken that Is only slightly
stricken with the disease that will render th6
fowl safe for food
POULTRY MAN--well, If 4
HAD A SICK CHICKEN
would wiring its neck rs soon as saw the first
symptoms and pluck 1t, and after cutting IT, would
purify almost anything in the way OF a dead car
cass, excepting pig which is taken with the worm
disease, and there Is no cure for that
HERALD REPoRTER-How do you suppose this
disease has taken root or Orignatedp
POULTRY Maxwell, think that it comes from
THE BARNYARD FOWL
eating the oats and seeds In the oal Of horses whG
have had the horse disease more than anything
else.
HERALD REPORTER is 1t the custom with
poultry dealers in Washington and Fulton Markets
to sell fowl that are known to be diseased to pur-
POULTRY MAN-As far as that's concerned We
can't do better. Suppose have
A CRATE FOWL
sent to me by the farmer who lives along the Huds
son River and who raises poultry by the thousand.
the nail for the poultry as they are pershabe stock
What can dor II the fowl are bad 1t is certainly
not my fault. don't give them the chicken disease,
and am not a chicken or
TURKEY DOCTOR.
If the fowl are sick am not supposed to know IT,,
and think 1t is the business OF the Board OF Health,
and not my business. to inspect the fowl and SEQ
whether they are tit to be eaten or not.
gentleman named PiersOn, who has a ''hen
factory in Union county, New Jersey, and has on
hand some two to three hundred chickens who aro
kept
had conversation with the reporter. He inI
formed the latter that he had heard of the disease
among the hens and chickens but that none Of
his iow had been attacked this season, although
many were sick last year, when they were taken
well known to chicken raisers. This complaint, he
said, was very
and arose from colds contracted. The head began
to swell shortly after the fowl was taken with the
disease, and very offensive slime was discharged
the od-fashioned "rouD" is slow, the disease rum
ming for eight to ten days before death ensues.
Any person who eats Of . chicken afnicted witlI
this complaint Is certain to be sick in few hours
a1terward, having "a
that is very disagreeablc to the person who Isl
taken sick. Mr.. Plerson states that he treated his
chickens successfully for the "roup by salivatin&
their throats with lard or butter and pepper. Then
the chickens were to be cared Tor by placing them
in a warm place and protecting them from cold and
exposure.
Yesterday there were hundreds OF sick hens and
CHICKENS on STATEN ISLAND,
at Casteton, New Brighton, TOttenve, Port
Richmond Princes Bay and other towns on the
island At Bayonne and Pamrapo great many
fatal disease. In Dutchess county there are thou1
sands OF sick hens and If the disease spreads much
further the farmers will have
TO START HEN HOSPITALS
on q large scale. In forhve and Harlem thu
disease has begun to app appear in vlrulent form.
sick chickens on Saturday which were all
affected with the staggering fits. The PUBLIC
ae 70 the
sick poultry are not safe food. and will, II eatenH
most probably cause
disease. The disease among the hogs some tw1
years ago caused sickness to spread among humaH
whole shoals OF fish in the South American waterS
appeared in rotting condition from some pestiJ
lentia disorder that was fomented from the posoiG
OF the deep.
At present 1t cannot be denied that the prospect
for
THANKSGIVING DINNERS
looks very blue. Only to think OF IL II the supply
OF turkeys is shortened by this hen disease, what
get their dinners on that day. Every housewifo
In the land is interested In this chicken dispute,
and the stands OF poultry In
WASHINGTON MARKET
and Fulton Market will be carefully scrutinized to
day, and everything from to-day until Thursday
the 2Sth OF this month, on which Thanksgiving oc-l
ours, to see II the iOwl are ut to be eaten. Tho
Board Of Health should take instant action II they
desire to prevent rinderpest among human bed
ings as fatal as that which travelled
ALL OVER GERMANY AND RUSSIA ,
q few years since. The great question now s,,
therefore, Shall we have turkey or chicken dis-
ease, that will do away with our Thanksgiving din
npry