The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-11-01

~ NE of the most expert
enced writer's on grouse
A afflrms that this year
there is belt of grouse
~ disease spreading. If not
regularly, In patches,
from the Lammermuirs and Northum-
berland right across the border coun-
happens" he observes, when disease
shows itself, some moors in an affect.
ed belt seem to escape. This Is no
great assistance to them, for even If
they have large stocks, which Is not
likely, the grouse will distribute
themselves and occupy vacant sites
on other moors when spring and
breeding start again, so that escap-
ing moors in disease belts rarely avoid
reduction Of stocks to the level, or
nearly to the level, of the disease-af-
fiicted moors." It we'll be seen. there
fore, that the causes of grouse disease
are matters which are Of very great
Importance, and call for further light
from the grouse disease inquiry. the
committee Of which began its labors
in 1905.
The literature of grouse disease
may almost be characterized as volum-
nous, especially IL we include the
ceaseless flow Of contributions 10 the
newspapers by naturalists and sports
men relative to the dissemination Of
the malady
Some forty years ago DR.. Cobbold
enunciated that the main cause Of
mortality among the birds was the
mischief induced in the intestines by
a nematode worm. In 1874 DR.. r. Far
quharson, writing to the Lancet, ex-
pressed the opinion that the disease
in its acute form was an infectious
fever, of epidemic incidence, a view
which received considerable support.
New and fruitful lines OF inquiry were
developed by DR.. e. Klein. F. R. g..
who In 1892 published monograph.
the outcome Of FIVE years study, de-
failing the symptoms. pathology and
bacteriologoy Of grouse disease. He
found that the chief change in its
course resulted from acute congestion
of one or both lungs of the afflicted
bird. This congestion was marked ap-
parently in post norton examinations
and, in Klein's opinion. 1t was clear
that as in acute congestion of the lung
in man and animals, so also in the
grouse under these conditions fever
must be a prominent symptom.
Lord Lovat became chairman Of a
grouse disease inquiry which was ap-
pointed by Lord Onslow In 1905, but
which. as is not unusual when scten-
tific work Is launched In Great Brit
ain, was expected to defray the cost OF
its Investigations by private subscrfp
lions. Last year It issued an interim
report. which has not yet received the
imprimatur Of being made a govern
ment publication, and ia, consequent
iy, q rather rare document. From one
point Of view the committee has beer
decidedly unlucky in that during the
period Of its Investigations no cases
Of the acute form Of the disease, OF
that form in which the disease rum
like a FIRE through the heather, have
come under notice. The form they
have investigated Is what may b
called the chronic, or endemic, form
Of the disease. which appears to b
a wasting and usually fatal illness
In the earlier stages the bird is les
strong on the wing than ordinarily
and changes its station from tn,
heather to the green ground. In tn,
later stages the power Of flight is lost
the internal congestion becomes NOR,
acute, and the microscopic parasite
swarm inside the birds. Loss o
weight makes itself daily more notice
able, and the bird mopes about tn
banks Of The stream till death put
an end 70 IL su&s1inSA Among Ii
i usSnsttos The microscopic throad