DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



603 



Jittle discharge from the nostrils, but there is 

 more expectoration from the mouth if the case 

 is severe. The usual cause of this is a sharp 

 ■change of weather or a draught. If the 

 symptoms are sudden and serious, give fresh 

 ipecacuanha wine, 3 to 5 drops every three 

 hours, and, if possible, occasional inhalation of 

 steam from boiling water, on which has been 

 poured a few drops of pure terebene and pinol. 

 Less severe cases may be treated by 20 grains 

 liquorice and 10 grains ammonium chloride in a 

 quarter-pint of water. Of course the bird will 

 be taken care of in hospital ; it is no use treat- 

 ing fowls with medicine, while left exposed to 

 the conditions which made them ill. Often 

 bronchitis finally assumes a mild chronic form, 

 but obstinate. Such are usually cured by adding 

 to the fountain enough of the B. P. dilute nitric 

 acid to make the water slightly sour, with two 

 teaspoonfuls of gum arable and two of glycerine 

 to a pint. Or two or three Keating's cough 

 lozenges may be dissolved in a quarter of a 

 pint, and given as drink for a few days. 



Bumble-foot. — A corn, which may cause in 

 bad cases an abscess, under the foot. It may 

 be rarely caused in any heavy breed by bad 

 perches, or daily having to jump down from too 

 great a height on hard ground, or confinement 

 to a stony run. But it is chiefly confined to 

 five-toed breeds such as Dorkings and Houdans, 

 being thus evidently a functional weakness con- 

 nected with the fifth toe. It was once exceed- 

 ingly common in Dorkings, in conjunction with 

 greatly swelled (or apparently gouty) fifth toe. 

 But care in breeding, discarding such birds as 

 parents, has now nearly banished the trouble 

 from many yards ; and such a course should 

 always be pursued. When the ailment occurs, 

 while it is confined to a corn, this may be partly 

 pared away as on the human foot, and salicylic 

 acid ointment (10 per cent strength) applied 

 every night, which will gradually soften the 

 rest, if the exciting causes be removed. 

 Should an actual abscess have formed, the bird 

 must be kept upon straw in a pen, and the place 

 may probably need poulticing. Whether poul- 

 ticed or not, when ready an incision is made and 

 Ihe matter squeezed out, the wound cleansed with 

 Wright's Liquor Carbonis Detergens and half- 

 and-half water, and then dressed with carbolised 

 vaseline, or aristol, and tied up with rag. Some- 

 times the tumour appears hard and fibrous : in 

 that case if the incision be made in form of a 

 cross, it can be squeezed out whole in most 

 •cases ; but here the wound is better dressed with 

 boric acid ointment. Abscesses may also form 

 •occasionally in the feet from thorns, or cuts 

 ■from glass, etc. Such often appear more on the 



top of the foot, and are easily opened, but taking 

 care to remove the cause of irritation if still 

 present. These can be treated with the Liquor 

 Carbonis and carbolised vaseline, and generally 

 heal up quickly and well. 



Chicken Pox. — This disease is rare in Eng- 

 land, but frequent in hot climates, such as the 

 Cape and Australia, and in America. It begins 

 as a whitey-brown excrescence something like a 

 carrier-pigeon's wattle, generally near the base 

 of the beak, and extends rapidly, becoming more 

 yellowish as it does so : sometimes it will invade 

 the feathered parts of the head and neck. If 

 the nodules are broken, they exude matter. It 

 is manifestly contagious, and isolation and dis- 

 infection are the first measures. Small doses of 

 sulphur should be given internally, with tonics 

 and green food ; the diseased spots should be 

 washed daily with oxygen peroxide (burning 

 the bits of sponge after), and when dried painted 

 sparingly with a 2 per cent solution of formalin 

 or 5 per cent of resorcin in glycerine. 



Cholera. — It is not known whether this dis- 

 ease is really the same as Asiatic cholera in the 

 human race, but that it is of the same type 

 is undoubted ; that is, it is a highly contagious 

 disease, conveyed by bacilli, which are found in 

 discharges of the rice-water type and in the 

 blood. There are first great thirst and diarrhcEa, 

 the discharges at first generally greenish ; but they 

 soon become thin and white, often frothy. The 

 intestines are inflamed. The bird becomes 

 huddled and drowsy. The comb may be either 

 pale or very dark, and death may take place 

 either in stupor or convulsions. The disease is 

 distinguished from mere severe diarrhoea by its 

 rapid course ,ind evidently epidemic character, 

 and from contagious enteritis by the green or 

 white instead of yellow colour of the evacua- 

 tions. Death usually occurs within 36 hours. 

 The disease has caused immense losses on the 

 Continent and in America, Africa and Australia, 

 but some have said it is unknown in England. 

 We have known two or three outbreaks, and the 

 disease has also been reported on by Prof. 

 MacFadyean. Treatment of birds attacked is 

 practically hopeless ; but in the British climate 

 at least, an outbreak may be stayed by instant 

 isolation, careful collection and disinfection of all 

 infected evacuations by strong carbolic acid, and 

 the addition of 20 grains salicylic acid to every 

 pint of water. Every dead bird should be burnt. 

 Where the disease is most prevalent, recourse 

 must be had to Pasteur's vaccine ; this being, 

 in fact, the very first disease from which that 

 eminent man prepared any preventive anti-toxin. 

 The bacteria were by him cultivated in chicken- 

 broth expo.sed to the action of oxygen ; and by 



