728 IOWA DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE 



The closure of the eyes prevents the badly affected birds from find- 

 ing food; the accumulation of mucus in the nostrils completely ob- 

 structs these passages, so that the beak must be kept open In order to 

 breathe; the obstruction 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 rap- 

 idly exhausted, and many of them die within a week or ten days. A 

 part of the affected individuals recover, but others continue weak and 

 have a chronic form of disease for months, during which time they 

 continue to disseminate the contagion. 



This disease is distinguished from diphtheria by the absence of the 

 thick, tough, and very adherent newly formed membranes (false mem- 

 branes) in the nostrils, mouth, and throat which are characteristic of 

 the latter. There may sometimes be a deposit of yellowish material on 

 the walls of the mouth and throat, but it is easily broken up and re- 

 moved. 



Treatment. — The medical treatment of this disease may be very suc- 

 cessful if properly applied. The sick birds should be removed from the 

 fiock and put in a warm, dry, and well-ventilated room which is free 

 from drafts of air. The affected mucous membranes should then be 

 treated by applying antiseptic and healing mixtures. The best method 

 is to use a good spraying apparatus; but, lacking this, a small syringe, 

 an oil can, or even a medicine dropper can be made to answer the pur- 

 pose. 



It has been recommended that the bird's head be plunged into a 

 basin or bowl of the mixture and held there a few seconds, but not long 

 enough to cause suffocation. 



The remedies most suitable for such treatment are: Boric acid, 1 

 ounce; water, 1 quart. Or, permanganate of potash, 1 dram; water, 

 1 quart. Or, boric acid, I14 ounces; borate of soda, % ounce; water, 1 

 quart. Or, peroxide of hydrogen, 1 ounce; water, 3 ounces. 



"Where the inflammation has progressed to the eye, excellent results 

 have followed the use of argyrol. One or two drops of a 15 per cent 

 solution is introduced between the eyelids twice daily for a period of 

 several days. 



Before applying these remedies it is well to wash the eyes and 

 mouth with warm water containing 1 teaspoonful of common salt to 

 a quart, using a pledget of absorbent cotton and rubbing gently, while 

 at the same time pressing and massaging about the nostrils and under 

 the eyes to loosen the accumulated secretion. If there is much swell- 

 ing under the eyes, it must be carefully opened with a sharp, clean 

 knife, all the secretion removed, and the cavity washed with one of 

 the above-mentioned solutions. A pledget of cotton moistened with the 

 solution may be left in the opening for an hour or two, or it may be dusted 

 with iodoform powder. When the swelling under the eye is not very 

 large or hard, it may often be reduced by massaging It in such a manner 

 as to press the contents toward the nostril. After treating the birds 



