ASTHENIA IN CHICKENS.
Microbiology: bacillus of colon group. Pathogenesis to Guinea pigs: rabbits, pigeons and chickens refractory to artificial cultures. Treatment.
Synonym. “Going Light,” Bacterial Infection of the Duodenum.
C. F. Dawson, in investigating a wasting disease of well fed Brahma fowls in Maryland in which there was no appreciable symptom except the gradual and extreme loss of flesh and weight found in all cases a catarrhal duodenitis, with the presence in the contents of a bacterium in pure cultures, and apparently allied to bacillus coli communis.
Bacteriology. The bacterium is 1 to 1.3μ long, by .5μ wide, with rounded ends, often in pairs. It does not stain in acid nor alkaline methylene blue, carbol fuchsin, nor alcoholic dyes, but stains easily in aqueous solutions of the same stains and by Gram’s method. It is ærobic, facultative anærobic, grows at 50° to 120° F. in acid or alkaline beef bouillon, with fœtor; in glucose, saccharose, or lactose bouillon with the production of acid; in milk causing coagulation; on gelatine, agar and potato. Growth in Bouillon ceased at 131° F. and sterilization took place at 135° to 140° F. Vitality was not lost under freezing nor drying. It was killed by a 1 per cent. solution of carbolic acid in five minutes, or by formaldehyde gas, but not by lime water.
Pathogenesis. Inoculated subcutem, in a Guinea pig caused death in 24 hours, with a necrotic œdematous condition of the adjacent tissues like malignant œdema, and containing the microbe. It was further found in the liver, spleen, abdominal exudate, heart, blood and lungs, but not in the kidneys.
It proved harmless to rabbits when injected subcutem, but fatal in 24 hours when thrown into the peritoneum. The lesions were severe duodenitis and omental inflammation, and the bacterium was found in the liver and duodenal wall.
Pigeons, rats and mice proved refractory to the artificial cultures, also chickens. The latter were injected subcutem, intraabdominally and intravenously. Yet in view of the constancy of the lesion in hens with the microbe in pure cultures and the absence of all other morbid conditions, Dawson felt justified in attributing the disease to this microörganism. It is possible that his experimental hens had become immune from a previous attack, or failed in some condition of food or environment which is essential to pathogenesis, or finally there may possibly be some other infinitesimal microbe present which escaped observation, but which furnished the occasion for the coincident development of the colon bacterium.
Treatment. The indications are: the expulsion of the offending bacterium to be followed by nutritious, easily digested food, pure water and tonics. Dawson advises castor oil in dose of two teaspoonfuls, or calomel ¼ grain repeated till purgation occurs; and to be followed by powdered fennel, anise, coriander, cinchona of each 30 grains; powdered gentian and ginger of each ½ dram; powdered copperas 15 grains. The addition of bismuth, pepsin, or orexin may be suggested.