The Fremont County record., 1881-05-14
SATURDAY, MAY II. 1881.
PREVENTION OF FOWL CHOLERA.

publish the following:
PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR GROUNDS AL.
READY INFECTED.
l. Fowls frequently die in considerable
numbers from diseases that are not conta-
gIous, and hence it is II matter of primary
Importance to decide as to the nature of the
affection when cholera is suspected. In my
own experience l have found that this
might be done with comparative certainty
by inspection of the eXcrcments. With
fowls the eNcretions of the kidneys are
Joined in the cloaca with the undigested
parts OF the food, and both solid and lquid
eScrements are consequently voided to-
gether. They are not mixed to any great
extent. however: the part eAcreted by the
kidneys is easily distinguished, as during
health ii is of pure white color, while the
bowel discharges are of various hue>. The
kidney eXcreIIon will be hereafter referred
to as the urntes. and it is the only part
which claims our attention
After fowl takes the contag0n into its
body the first and only reliable symptom is
a cOloration of the urates. AT first these
have only faint yellow tint. which rapid
ly changes. however, into deep yellow
color; mp to this time the bird shows no
other signs of the disease. its temperature
is unchanged and its eXcreInent of nor
NAL consistency. In one or more days after
this yellow color appears the urates are
greatly increased in quantity and consti-
tute the whole or Il greater part of the dis
charges and an obstinate diarrhna sets in ::
in a few cases the uratcs now become
greenish, and exceptionally they are deep
green color.
The only lesion seen in post-mortem eX-
>aminations that is likely to attract the at
tention of non-prOfessiOnal observers is the
enlarged liver, which is nearly constant-it
may be of various shades or color. Besides
this the presence of yellow urates in the
cloaca and ureters is a valuable sign and is
generally present.
.. The excrements of sick birds are the
principal means of spreading the contagion
. 4,
ease is, consequently. to destroy all which
are voiding yellow Urates. Care should be
had to make the distinction between the
urates and the bowel OBJECTIONS, for the
latter are frequently of yellow color in
health !; but little observation will pre-
clude any mistake of this kind. The kill
ing should not be by any method which al
lows the escape of blood, as this fluid is
even more yirulent than the eXcrement
wringing the neck is quick and easy
method of destroying the lie. Once killed
the bodies are to be taken beyond the lin
its of the poultry run and deeply buried.
If it is decided to keep the sick birds till
they die or recover. they should be placed
in an inclosure by themselves, as far as
possible from the henlthy ones, where they
may be cared for without entering, SO that
there will be no danger of carrying particles
of the eXcrement on the boots and spread
ing the infection.
B. If piece of land is at hand to which
the sick birds have not had ace SIS and
WHICH Is consequently Tree from inc COnIu-
gion, the healthy birds should be penned
upon il: but if all of the land is infected,
then piece is 20 be selected aud thoroug H.
ly disinfected with the solution mentioned
further on in this paper. The fowls are to
be restricted to this dIsinfected ground for
several months. or even Il year or more, il
practicable. The drinking vessels and
feeding troughs are to be new, or If used
before they must be soaked for twely .
hours with the same solution before being
placed in the new il closure.
4. Some Of the fowls. though well at the
time of removal o dlsinfected quarters may
be infected with the disease, and after the
period OF incubation, which varies sfiDm
three to twenty days. VIII sickcn. IL is
necessary. therefore. TO make careful in
spectiOn OF tile eNcrement each morning
for at least three weeks altgr the separa-
ton Of the sick fowls. If yellow urates are
discovered, the birds must be watched
until the sick one is detected. To facilitate
the carly discovery of such sick fowls and
prevent infection of the healthy ones it is
advisable, where practicable, to separate
the birds into lots of two or three each ul
the start; and this separation may always
be practiced ms last resort where the dis
ease successfully deiies our efforts for a
considerable time; but where this is i'm
possible little patience will generally en-
able one to pick out the sick before any
harm has resulted. AS soon as the sick
bird is removed the eXcremcnt must be
scraped up and burned. and the run must
be again sprinkIed with the disinfectant ::
or, the well birds may be changed to fresh
ground as before This method of manage
ment is to be continued as long as new
cases of the disease occur.
By n careful observance of these rules one
can frequently check the disease with a
loss of but one or two fowls out of large
flock.
D. For this disease we have a very cheap
and most effective disinfectant. 1t is il
solution made by adding three pounds OF
sulphuric acid to forty gallons of water
Tor lib. OF acid to 81 gallons of water and
mixing evenly by agitation or stirring
This may be applied TO small surfaces with
common watering pot, or to larger
grounds with u barrel mounted on wheels
and arranged like street sprinkler. In
disinfecting poultry houses the manure
must be first thoroughly scraped up ard
removed beyond the reach of the fowls : a
slight sprinkling is not sufficient, but the
floors, roosts and grounds must be thor
oughly saturated with the solution, so that
no particle of dust however small escapes
being wet II is impossible to thoroughly
disintect if the manure is not removed from
the rooSting places.
SulphuTic acid Is very cheap. costing at
retail not more than tweI ty-fiye cents a
pound at wholesale but five or six cents
the barrel Of disinlccting solution can
therefore, be made for less than Il dollar
and should be thoroughly applied Ii musi
be remembered, too. that suiphuric acid j.
dangerous drug TO handle. as when un-
diluted II destroys clothing and cauterzes
the flesh wherever it touches. The safest
way is, therefore, to take y fiye-gallon keg
nearly full of water to the dr. ggist and
have him place the strong acid in tlIis the
contents OF the kcg may then be safely
transported and added 10 the barrel OF
water.
o. In those cases where the disease has
been raging for a considerable time the
feathers become saturated with the con-
tagioD anC IL is necessary, before placing
tie fowls on the disinfected run, 10 III
them in close building and thoroughly
fumigatc them with sulphur. For this pur-
pose "a pan of burning cOals is taken and
flowers of sulphur thrown upon them as
long as the air can be brcathed without
danger of suttocation. When tile disease
is recognized at the outset this is not
necessary.
PREVENTIVE MEASURES EoR GROUNDS
NOT YET INFECTED.
!. When cholera IS raging in a locality,
all birds Introduced from ether flock, should
be placed in an incIosure by themselves for
at least three weeks. until ii Is certain that
they are free from the disease. No fowls
should be accepted from place known to
be infected for at least yeui after the last
known cases occur.
2, All eggs from distance to be used
for Matching must be thoroughly cleaned OF
all particles of cNcrement adhering to them
and the water with which they are washed
as well us cloths or brushes used, must be
raised TO the boiling point before being
N on dc IN, wi 4 liri h,i.