Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-11

Orono, Me-, May 10-(Spec1al)-Ine
following article on The White Plague
of Poultry was issued today from the
Maine Agricultural Experiment Sta
ton, Charles D. Woods director: :.
1t is safe to say that at the present
time there is no disease Of poultry
which causes in the aggregate any
thing like the total less that roup does
in the northern part of the United
States. Roup is widely. indeed almost
universally distributed. Everyone
who keeps poultry long enough is sure
sooner or later TO have experience with
one form or another of the disease
It's germs are probably carried not
only by poultry but also by various
| wild birds, especially the English spar
| row. The biologists OF the Maine
| Agricultural Experiment Station have
| had opportunity not only to observe
| this dread disease in all its forms, but
also to gain a very good idea of its
prevalence through correspondence re-
ceived at the Station. The best cure
of this disease is prevention. In order
that prevention may be intelligently
carried out it is essential to know
something about the causes of the dis
ease conditions which together go un
der the name of roup.
| There are to be distinguished two
diseases belonging to this general class
Of troubles as follows: Aa) roup, or
contagious catarrh, when only ca
tarrhal symptoms are present, and CD
ldiphtheritic roup and canker when
diphtherial patches and false mem
braneS are formed. Some workers
consider these different stages of the
same disease. 1t is also believed by
some that sore head or chicken pox is
also another form of the same disease
The commonest form of roup, the
nasal roup or contagious catarrh, at
tacks principally the membrane lining
the eye, the .sacs below the eye, the
nostrils, the throat end the windpipe.
The symptoms first seen are those very
similar to an ordinary cold. but there
is more fever, dullness and prostra
ton. The head is often very hot, the
body is normal or only slightly higher
than normal. The discharge from the
nasal opening is at first thin and
watery, but in two or three days be-
comes thick and obstructs the breath
ing. The Inflammation, which begins
in the nasal passages, soon extends to
the eyes and to the spaces which exist
Immediately below the eyeballs. The
eyelids are swollen, and are closed
much Of the time. They may be glued
together by the accumulated secretion.
The birds sneeze and shake their heads
in their efforts to free the air passages
from the thick mucus. The appetite is
diminished and the birds sit with their
heads drawn in. wings dropping. with
the general appearance of depression
and illness.
When the Inflammation reaches the
spaces or sacs beneath the eyes 1t
causes the formation of a secretion
very similar to that Of the nose, and
as this becomes thick it collects, dis
tends the walls Of these spaces. and
produces a warm and painful swelling.
which is seen just below the eye and
may reach the size of a hickory nut.
This swelling presses with much force
on the eyeball, which is displaced and
more or less deformed; and in ex-
IRENE cases even the bones Of the head
may give away before 1t.
The closure of the eyes prevents the
badly affected birds from finding food !;
the accumulation Of mucus in the nos
trils completely obStructs these pas
ges, so that the beak must be kept
open in order to breathe; the obstruc-
ton Of the windpipe and the smaller
air tubes causes loud breathing
sounds and difficult respiration.
In the severe and advanced cases
the birds sit in a somnolent or semi
conscious condition. unable to see or
to eat; their strength is rapidly ex
hausted, and many of them die within
a week or ten days. A part Of the af-
fected individuals recover, but others
continue weak and have a chronic
form of the disease for months, dur
ing which they continue to dissent
nate the contag1on.
This disease is distinguished from
diphtheria by the absence Of the thick,
tough and very adherent newly formed
membranes false membrane) in the
nostrils, mouth, and throat which are
characteristic Of the latter.
The course of roup is usually of long
duration. A simple, putrid discharge
from the nose may stop in three or
four weeks. But generally the symp-