DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



6'5 



less: those of the less severe type may often be 

 treated successfully by perfect quiet and the 

 administration of five drops of tincture of hyos- 

 cyamus three times a day for a few days, with a 

 little brandy occasionally. Steaming over boil- 

 ing water is also most useful, which can be done 

 gently by keeping the bird in an open basket, 

 and holding this over a hot can. 



Pip. — This word was once popularly applied 

 to almost any disease ; later it became identified 

 with a hard and horny appendage at the tip of a 

 fowl's tongue. In common with other writers, 

 we formerly did not consider this as any definite 

 disease, but as the effect of a dry mouth when 

 the nostrils were obstructed, to be treated chiefly 

 with cooling medicine, and perhaps applying 

 honey and borax to the tongue. There are in 

 truth many such cases. Dr. Salmon believes 

 that there are others due to some inflammatory 

 affection, causing secretion which deposits and 

 dries at the edges of the tongue, the dry coating 

 and epidermis gradually separating from the 

 skin beneath. This may perhaps be the cause; 

 but whether so or not, our experience has, in 

 this matter as in some others, justified the 

 popular idea against would-be scientific sneers, 

 and convinced us that, although they are not 

 common, there are occasional cases of a real 

 epidemic, which causes death unless relieved, of 

 which this is the distinguishing symptom, and 

 with no "dry" mouth at all. Three outbreaks 

 in different yards have come under our notice, 

 and in two of them the scale at the tip of the 

 tongue was nearly as thick, and quite as hard, as 

 the nib of a quill pen, while the edges were 

 almost as sharp as a knife. The fatal results we 

 believe to be due to the soreness produced by 

 these keen edges quite preventing the fowl from 

 swallowing. It was unmistakably " about " in 

 these yards. If a fowl apparently well in the 

 main, is seen to pick up and then drop its corn, 

 the mouth should be examined. If such a hard 

 and sharp scale (very different from the ordinary 

 rather hard and sharp tip of a fowl's tongue) be 

 found, it should be removed by the thumb-nail, 

 and the spot dressed a few times with honey and 

 borax. Give soft food for a day or two, and 

 a couple of morning doses of 20 grains Epsom 

 salts, and the bird will speedily be well. 



Pneumonia. — Inflammation of the lungs. 

 Besides the cough, which might hardly be dis- 

 tinguished from that of bronchitis, there will be 

 evident distress in breathing, like gasping or 

 panting, and generally considerable matter 

 coughed up from the mouth rather than the 

 nostrils : the bird spends much of the time lying 

 down. A good ear can detect " crepitation " if 

 brought in contact with the back. The patient 



must be put in a warm place, and fed on a little 

 bread and milk only. Rub in a little turpentine 

 between the shoulders among the roots of the 

 feathers, or paint on some strong iodine liniment 

 as a counter-irritant ; and, if observed early, give 

 a tabloid or drop of B.P. tincture of aconite in 

 a spoonful of water every half-hour. Later, or 

 as another good alternative treatment, give two 

 drops of antimonial wine or ipecacuanha wine, 

 in water, every hour. If improvement sets in, 

 give only half as often. If the bird is very weak, 

 give brandy and e.^^. Very young chickens 

 reared artificially often succumb to pneumonia, 

 owing to coming from a far too hot and foul 

 brooder into cold air. The heat should at once 

 be reduced if this occurs ; but for those affected 

 special care, counter-irritation, and a little aconite 

 or medicated wine in their water, is all the 

 treatment such tiny creatures are capable of 

 undergoing. 



Poisons. — Acute inflammation of either crop, 

 stomach, or intestines, or of all, is sometimes 

 caused in this way, and is rarely discovered till 

 too late for treatment. The most usual are the 

 following. I. Unslaked ///«<; may be eaten, when 

 used to disinfect runs. 2. Phosphorus may be 

 eaten from rat poison, or a dropped box of lucifers. 

 3. Arsenic may also be picked up from poison 

 laid about. The main symptom is obvious, acute 

 suffering, of rather sudden onset : when this is 

 observed, it should at once be considered whether 

 any of the foregoing have been accessible, and 

 treatment adopted accordingly, though usually 

 too late. Phosphorus can be smelt strongly. 

 For lime, give two large tablespoon fuls of oil, 

 and then linseed tea or gum-water. For phos- 

 phorus, avoid oil, which makes things worse, but 

 give thin cream of calcined magnesia, and then 

 white of egg. For arsenic, give calcined mag- 

 nesia freely, and a little later olive oil. Unless 

 discovered and treated promptly, it is better to 

 kill the poor birds. 



Rlieumatisin. — This is to be distinguished 

 from mere weakness by pain, and from gout by 

 absence of swelling and heat ; also by pretty 

 evident connection with cold or wet, and by 

 affecting both se.xes and all ages. Affected 

 birds should not be bred from, the tendency 

 being hereditary. Treat by well rubbing in any 

 stimulating liniment, such as EUiman, or Jacob's 

 oil, or belladonna liniment, and put some salicin 

 in the water. If this fails, try rubbing in Chaul- 

 moogra oil, and give two drops of same oil three 

 times a day. Another useful treatment is 30 

 grains salts, followed by 10 grains each of 

 biqarbonate potass, iodide of potassium, and 

 salicylate of soda in half a pint of drinking 

 water, for a fortnight, painting the joints and 



