Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 77.djvu/195

Rh to these two fields of knowledge. The scientific contributions of Neuman on parasites show that such organisms are the cause of many a dreadful disease, not only with man and animal, but with all avian life. The careful study of their life histories should appeal to our protozoologists and inspire them to contribute to our knowledge of those parasites which are causing an enormous mortality of our most valuable birds.

After the removal of a sick fowl from the flock a diagnosis is usually made. Very often the specific organism causing the infection is readily discovered, while, on the other hand, the most diligent scientific efforts may fail to reveal the character of the disease. Many failures are accountable because there is a lack of sufficient knowledge or a lack of thoroughness in making the investigation.

The fundamental difficulty in ascertaining more definite knowledge about our poultry diseases is the lack of enough scientific men to take hold of the situation. To-day we have no rational system of medical treatment for birds, nor can one be looked for until scientists, who are busy on anatomy and physiology of avian life, offer to the layman a definite plan of procedure, when these parasites and bacteria have made their way into the body and brought about pathological lesions.

The relation of bacteriology and parasitology to the infectious avian diseases as mentioned before, is fundamental. If bacteriologists and protozoologists will enter upon this field of avian diseases as a basis for their research in their respective fields, the results of their investigations will lead to an improvement in the conditions of our poultry yards, and give facts which are necessary before any treatment can be found. With men of this character at work upon avian pathology, success is inevitable.