INVESTIGATION ON A DIARRHEA IN YOUNG CHICKS IN JAPAN

Although it was not known precisely when the diarrhea in young chicks and known as "Babatare" first occurred in our country, especially in the middle part of Honshu, its presence has been recognized for many years. It is said that the first -severe outbreak of this disease was observed by poulterers in Aichi Prefecture in 1907, since which time it has spread widely -i n various prefectures. No attempt was made, however, to determine the exact cause of this disease until 1919, when the first investigation was undertaken by me. Since the beginning of 1919 we have had occasion to examine a number of chicks but lately hatched, sent to us from various parts, all of which were found to have had severe diarrhea before death. Symptoms. -The symptoms exhibited were of a more or less different character according to the stage of infection. In one case, in which the first signs of intestinal trouble were recognized in 24 to 36 hours after hatching, the birds were found at first to have a yellowish white diarrhea, subsequently accompanied by frequent paroxysmal tenesmus. After one or two days the appearance of the diarrhea became pituitous, causing the feathers around the opening of the cloaca to be stained and to stick to one another in drying, until a stage of constipation was brought on. Moreover the skin on that part was irritated by the sticking feathers till inflammation set in. Two or three days later, the chicks were very much worse and fell into convulsions indicating the approach of death. In other cases in which the signs of diarrhea were discovered in from four to seven days after hatching, a complete loss of appetite ensued due to their separa_'tion from the flock and to their attitude in squatting, and the chicks developed severe diarrhea with the aspect mentioned in the previous case and appeared extremely dull. Death occurred