The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-09-13
Chicken Cholera.

The following is good description
of the usual symptoms of the disease:
''The fowl has detected, sleepy,
dropping appearance, is very thirsty,
has slow, stalking gait, and gapes
often. Sometimes the fowl staggers
and falls from weakness. Comb and
wattles lose their natural color. gener-
ally turning pale, but sometimes dark.
There is diarrh9a, with greensh dis
charge, or like sulphur and water,
afterwards it becomes thin and frothy.
Prostitution comes on, the crop fills
with mucous and wind, breathing is
heavy and fast, the eyes close, and in a
few hours the fowl dies" Chicken
cholera is one of the germ diseases,
and the scientists who have studied up
the subject tell us that ..these germs
under ordinary conditions must be
taken into the stomach with the food
or drink to produce these Effects but
they don't tell us where they come
from in the first place, and that is the
part we want to know something about
The writer thinks that they are gener-
ated from filth in some form or other.
Certain it is that in the whole course OF
my poultry experience | have never
known case of genuine chicken cholera
among fowls kept where all sanitary
laws were duly observed, unless brought
on the premises by diseased fowls.
Upon this subject A. j. Hill, in his
Treatise on Chicken Cholera" says:
81 have sufficient evidence to warrant
me saying that the cause is local
wherever the disease prevails right
there is where its cause exists; and
there is the place where its cause was
generated, unless infectious matter has
been introduced by diseased fowls or
otherwise" Concerning the prevention
of chicken cholera, DR.. Salmon says
that it may be. almost entirely pre-
vented by proper use of disnfectants.
Fowls may also be made insusceptible
ko cholera by vaccination with feeble
Nirus-at least that's what the scientific
people before referred to tell us: and if
they will only hurry up and find some
way to put up the virus so that it can be
i''sent by mail post paid" to any part
iof the country in such form that any
'one possessing the intelligence of an
ordinary ''cow DOCTOR" could use it,
the poultry raisers of the South and
West will rise up and call the aforesaid
scientists blessed But Just now you
had better avoid crowding too many
fowls into one roosting place, and keep
yards, houses and everything about them
clean. Allow no stagnant water, no
filth of any kind about the premises.
Use whitewash and disinfectants freely
about the house-the disinfectants daily
if the cholera is present in your neigh
borhood.- When strange fowls are
brought on your premises do not allow
them to mingle with the other fowls for
a week or ten days. Neglect of this pre-
caution once cost me the loss of some
very valuable specimens. l suppose it
is necessary to say something about the
cure, but, honestly, | have not the
smallest atom of faith in any of the
pills. powders or anything else that is
recommended as assure cure" for chick
en- cholera There is no sure cure for
the disease; now and then a fowl re-
covers from attack of genuine cholera,
but such cases are like angel visits and
true friends-few and far between-and
l am inclined to attribute them more to
a naturally strong constitution than to
any remedies administered. When
the chicken cholera appears among
q HUN uOu 1OOl away VdludDlc
time trying different cholera cures,
but promptly kill and burn or
bury every one of the sick fowls. and
then thoroughly cleanse and disinfect
the premises, and use the disinfectants
daily until the disease wholly disap-
pears. Give the apparently well fowls
something to kill the germs that may
have been taken intotheir systems, and
for this purpose there is nothing better
than the solution of carbolic acid and
water, three or four drops to each fowl;
repeat the dose in three or four days.
Also give the Douglass mixture in the
drink. and pulverized willow charcoal
in the food daily for week or ten days.
When the. disease is taken in hand in
this way at the very outset, it can be
stamped out at once and no medicine
beyond the simple representatives. men
toned will be needed. But there are
some poultry dealers who will doctor
the sick fowls, even though they are al
most sure that it will do no good, and
for their benefit append the following:
l. Hyposulphite of soda; half level
teaspoonful in as much water as will
dissolve it Is dose for a full-grown
fowl. Five once a day for thrcs days.
2. Calomel and blue moss in two
grain doses; give twice day. boston
0leos.