es THE SPEAKING PARROTS. 



of the cause. As soon as such disease is rightly deter- 

 mined and heals with proper treatment, the lameness ceases of 

 its own accord. 



Wounds. — It is astonishing with what wonderful self-healing 

 power Nature has endued birds. It is only necessary to clean 

 and cool even severe wounds with a damp sponge and the place 

 will heal of itself, if only care be taken that the patient is kept 

 quiet. In parrots the injuries mostly arise either from more or 

 less severe bites, from chance cuts, or torn wounds, for instance, 

 caused by a projecting piece of wire or a nail. All bites are 

 hard to heal, because they consist of a bruise and tear at 

 the same time. They should be washed with arnica water 

 (7), or, if worse, with Goulard water (11); then smeared with 

 glycerine (25), or lead ointment (10) ; this is usually sufficient. 

 If the wound is very deep and bleeds much, lint must be 

 laid on it to staunch the bleeding, after it has been care- 

 fully cleaned with a sponge dipped in arnica water (7), 

 or it must be smeared with collodion (53). In the worst 

 cases the wound should be sewn surgically, and this is best 

 left to the surgeon or his assistant ; collodion (53) should 

 also be put on the wound when it has been sewn up. Great 

 gaping wounds, which cannot be drawn together, especially torn 

 wounds, after being washed with a sponge dipped in arnica 

 water, should be touched with carbolic acid oil (41), or a. 

 solution of boric acid (13). Wounds which heal badly, fester 

 much, and break open again and again, must be cleaned once or 

 twice daily with a lukewarm solution of carbolic acid (48), and 

 then brushed over with a liniment composed of thin gum arable 

 and carbolic acid (59), or boric acid (57). If, after the wound 

 has closed, a swelling remain, the latter should be toached twice 

 daily with spirits of camphor (40). 



BuENS. — A parrot, say, has flown upon a hot iron plate, or 

 is scorched at the door of a stove. Such injuries should be 

 treated as in mankind, with a liniment made of linseed oil and 

 lime water (58) or Goulard's extract (56); in less severe cases 

 with collodion (9), and covered with a thick dressing of wadding 

 to exclude the air, and to prevent the parrot from licking off 

 the poisonous remedy. 



Feactuees of the Bones of birds, also, heal with surprising 



