The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-09-13
Chicken Cholera.

The following is good description
of the usual symptoms of the disease:
1.-THE fowl has a detected, sleepy,
dropping appearance, is very thirsty,
has a 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 diarrhGa, with grcenish dis
charge, or like sulphur and water,
afterwards it becomes thin and frothy.
PrOstration comes on, the crop fills
with mucus and wind, breathing is
heavy and fast, the eyes close, and in
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 a 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, Dir. Salmon says
that it may be almost entirely pre-
vented by a proper use of disinfectants.
Fowls may also be made insusceptible
to cholera by vaccination with feeble
virus-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
''scnt by mail post paid, to any part
of 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 cholerais present in your neigh
borhood. , When strange fowls are
brought on your premises do not allow
them to mingle with the other fowls for
aweek or ten days. Neglect of this pre-
caution once cost me the loss of some
very valuable specimens. | 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 fowl re-
covers from attack of genuine cholera,
but such cases are like angel visits and
true friends-few and far between-anc
| am inclined to attribute them more tc
a naturally strong constitution than ia
any remedies administered. When
the chicken cholera appears among
a flock don't fool away valuable
time trying different cholera cures,
but promptly kill and burn OIL
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 kin the germs that may
have been taken into their 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 a 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 a level
teaspoonful in as much water as will
dissolve it is dose for full-grown
fowl. Five once a day for three days.
?. Calomel and blue moss in two.
grain doses; give twice a day.-BoStOa
Globe.
.