The distribution of botulinus toxin in duck sickness areas

One of the most important events in the history of the diseases of wildfowl wa the discovery of the cause of western duck sickness. Determination that this malady of migratory birds is not a chemical poisoning, as had been previously suspected, was made by Kalmbach and others in 1930-31. Thtat it is a food poisoning resulting from toxins produced by botulinus organisms was proved beyond question. An extensive review of the work leading up to this determination cannot be made in this paper, but some orientation is necessary to a proper appreciation of the subject.