Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-24

catarrh, become thick, purulent or
cheesy, and may obstruct the nasal
| passages, causing the mouth to be
kept open to facilitate breathing. The
| Inflammation may extend to the eye,
and the resulting secretion accumu-
lates, obstructing vision and oc-
casionally forcing the eyeball from
its socket. The fowl becomes ENACT
ated, sleepy and unconscious,
strength is soon exhausted and death
follows. Milder cases may assume a
more chronic form, symptoms being
| apparent up to six weeks or longer,
when recovery may follow, or fowls
may be more or less sick for several
years, acute attacks developing when
the vitality is lowered as a result of
cold and dampness or other unfavor-
| able conditions. It Is these chronic
cases that serve as carriers of infec-
ton and furnish the source OF new
outbreaks.
Roup spreads rapidly through a
flock, affecting large percentage
of the birds and. causing death
] of variable proportion according
to the virulence of the eontagion.
Young birds are especially suscept-
IDLE, the mortality reaching 95 per
cent at times; adult birds frequently
recover.
! Medical treatment may be under
taken with good chances of success.
One of the best methods is to plunge
the fowls head into a vessel con-
tanning a two per cent. solution of
permanganate of potash and hold it
there for half a minute. BY this
method the lining membrane of the
nostrils and mouth is thoroughly
| bathed by the solution. Previous to
the above treatment any secretiOns
which have dried over the nasal open
| ings should be removed. Affected
eyes will respond rapidly to argyrol
in fifteen-per- cent solution. One or
two drops should be placed in each
eye twice daily. AT the beginning of
an outbreak the entire flock should
be given EPSON salts in the proper
ton Of one third teaspoonful to each
adult bird. A convenient way of ad-
ministration is to dissolve the salt
in water and use the solution In mix
ing a mash.
AS the treatment Of large number
of fowls takes time and Is relatively
expensive for ordinary stock, 1t Is ap-
parent that the best method of COM
batting roup is prevention. This can
usually be accomplished by observing
proper sanitary precautions.
To successfully guard against roup
the poultryman or farmer must ap-
preciate the fact that roup Is an in
fictitious disease, resulting from the
locallzation in the head of certain
specific germs or micro organisms,
which by their rapid increase In
number and toxic action on the sys-
tenn produce the abnormal symptoms
above mentioned. These germs may
be spread by various agencies. They
may be brought to uninfected yards
on shoes or clothing of persons who
have been among infected fowls or on
Implements, incubators, etc, previ-
ously exposed: or they may be intro
duced by free-hying birds. However.
by far the most direct and usual
method of Introduction Is through
the ACQUISITION of infected fowls or
the exposure of healthy fowls tic in
fected birds or cages TT poultry
shows.
1t should be the practise Of the
poultry raiser, when buying new
stock, to ascertain as far as possible
whether the birds have been exposed
to an infectious disease of any sort,
and to further protect his flock by
isolating the new birds for period of
two or three weeks and closely OBJ
serving them. Birds exhibited at
shows should also be quarantined for
q similar period before being returned
to the HOOK. frecdutloH shoulu pe
taken to close as far as possible the
other avenues of infection.
When the disease has secured ent-
rance into a flock. thorough measures
of eradication may prevent its spread I
All sick fowls should be isolated i'm
mediately and treated If desired. Ere
quently It is better policy to destroy
those first affected, because of the
danger of the infection being carried
on the hands or clothing of the atten-
daut to unexposed fowls in other pens.