DISEASES OF POULTRY. 



617 



distinguishable or very amenable to treatment, 

 for the simple reason of the birds being covered 

 by feathers. Those due to insects, with the 

 exception of scaly leg, are for this reason almost 

 hopeless to treat, as the whole surface cannot be 

 dealt with. Such are fortunately rare, but any 

 cases of such "mange" diseases are best stamped 

 out. Those more of a pustular or eczematous 

 character are more hopeful. It is almost im- 

 possible for any ordinary poultry-keeper — or, 

 indeed, anyone else — to find the distinctions 

 mentioned by some veterinarians, but most of 

 them answer to a little cooling medicine, rigid 

 cleanliness, ample green food of the dandelion 

 or lettuce tribe, and application of benzoated 

 zinc ointment. 



Tuberculosis. — In-breeding and late breed- 

 ing, and confinement in close houses, have made 

 this destructive disease, due as is well known 

 now to the Bacillus tuberculosis, terribly com- 

 mon amongst fowls. It is chiefly found in the 

 lungs, where it becomes " consumption," or in 

 the liver, where it is the well-known chronic 

 form of liver disease. The first sign of the 

 former is cough, but the case is distinguished 

 from bronchitis, catarrh, roup, or pneumonia 

 by the more gradual onset of the cough, the 

 absence of any acute symptoms, and the 

 gradual wasting. Liver disease is generally 

 manifested by a gradual failure of appetite, 

 emaciation or " going light," and generally a 

 shrunken comb and dull look in the eyes ; 

 on post-mortem examination the liver is found 

 studded with whitish or yellowish cheesy nodules 

 or tubercles, which may amount to quite masses 

 of its substance. Tuberculosis in the liver is 

 especially grave in fowls, because the bacilli 

 often reach the oviduct, and hence may become 

 actually included in the white of the egg, and 

 perhaps its yolk, in which case the chicks will 

 be born tuberculous, a thing scarcely possible 

 except in birds. 



Tuberculous fowls should never be bred 

 from, and are unfit for food. Some cases may 

 be apparently patched up, as it were, by removal 

 to airy surroundings, feeding on oatmeal, with 

 cod-liver oil and a little razu meat, and 5 to 10 

 grains daily of urea. But if such birds are 

 bred from, the penalty must be paid ; and as 

 there is no sacredness about their life, as in 

 the human race, the only sound policy is 

 resolute eradication. 



Vent-gleet or Cloacitis. — This arises from 

 inflammation of the lower portion of the 

 passage. It probably begins by redness and 

 swelling, but the first symptom usually ob- 

 served is a discharge, first rather milky, but 

 soon offensive, which e.xcoriates the vent and 



forms crusts. It always begins with a hen, 

 usually we believe from a broken egg or yolk 

 causing septic inflammation, but is propagated 

 in copulation, and hence may spread in a yard 

 or be imported with an infected male bird. 

 Any hen found with it should at once be 

 isolated, and the male bird carefully examined, 

 and if necessary also isolated and treated. 

 Give 30 grains Epsom salts, and twice a day 

 inject first a 4 per cent, solution of cocaine, and 

 immediately afterwards a solution of nitrate of 

 silver 4 grains to the ounce. The fifth day 

 commence a small copaiba capsule daily, and 

 inject acetate of lead, i drachm to the pint. 

 Feed rather low meanwhile, and dust any sore 

 places outside with iodoform or aristol. If not 

 well after two or three weeks, we would kill the 

 bird, as the disease is not quite free from danger ; 

 for if the operator should touch his eyes acci- 

 dentally before he has cleansed his hands, the 

 result might be a most violent inflammation.* 



Vertigo. — This is due to pressure on the 

 brain, causing the bird to stagger or run round 

 and round. High feeding is generally in fault. 

 Quiet in the dark, with low feeding and 10 

 grains daily of Epsom salts, are often effectual, 

 while immediately the bird may have its head 

 held for a long time in a gentle stream of 

 cold water. A short exposure to cold would 

 cause temporary congestion, and only do harm ; 

 but continuance removes this effect, and is 

 more analogous to application of ice to the 

 head in brain fever. 



Wattles, S'lVoHch. — This may occur from 

 injury, or from a bad state of health, especially in 

 large-wattled birds. When the skin is unbroken 

 and the swelling seems to contain no fluid, if 

 it is a bruise it should be bathed with hazeline 

 tincture ; if a swelling, painted with iodine. 

 Where there is much fluid the wattle should 

 be lanced at the lowest part of the bag, the 

 fluid evacuated, and its sac gently syringed 

 out with a warm solution of perchloride of iron, 

 10 grains to the ounce. 



White Comb. — This name is only properly 

 applied to a comparatively mild ailment shown 

 by an apparent white powdering on the comb, 

 like flour or plaster of Paris, which sometimes 

 extends over the head and down the neck, and 

 causing more or less loss of feathers. It 



* Many of the symptoms so closely resemble those of gonor- 

 ihoja, that identity has been suspected by some ; but we have 

 never been able to detect in the discharges, by any of the usual 

 microscopical methods, the true gonococcus. If any scientific 

 fancier should think he has identified this organism, we would 

 feel exceedingly obliged if he would forward to us, through the 

 publishers, a microscopical slide for examination, as the question 

 may have a wider bear:.".g than upon the immediate disease 

 before us. 



