Post Mortem Examinations.



315



POST MORTEM EXAMINATIONS.



RULES.


Each bird must be forwarded, as soon after death as possible, carefully packed and postage

paid, direct to Mr. Arthur Gill, M.R.C.V.S., Veterinary Establishment, Bexley Heath,

Kent, and must be accompanied by a letter containing the fullest particulars of

the case. Domestic poultry, pigeons, and Canaries cannot be dealt with. No

replies can be sent by post.



Pint aided Nonpareil. (Mr. N. S. O’Reilly). Turned into a small aviary

with pair Bull-finches and Bicheno-finches ; found it dead shortly after.

[Concussion of brain due to direct injury to the skull].


Pair Cordon Bleus. (Capt. B. Horsbrugh). Bought last week, turned

into greenhouse, not exposed to open air ; both died to-day. [Both

birds died of pneumonia].


White-throated Finch and Goldfinch. (Mr. H. D. Panton). 1st

Suddenly became very puffy and gasping for breath. [Acute pneu¬

monia], 2nd In song day of death, but seeming too fat I transferred

it to a larger cage; it immediately began to pant for breath, and began

to swell with tympany. I pricked skin in three places, and fearing fit,

put it in cold water. It died same evening. [Ruptured blood vessel

on brain ; bird died of pressure on brain caused by blood clot. Tym¬

panic condition I cannot account for; pricking skin was useless, and

putting body into cold water unless head was also immersed 111 ight

have caused the rupture of the blood vessel. Do not experiment on

such delicate little creatures, is my advice to you and others : many a

bird is killed by anxiety to do good when the bird might recover by

itself]. _


ROSELLA Parrakeet. (Miss Alderson). Seemed in perfect health until

day of death; had three fits. Could I have done anything for him?

[Death was due to apoplexy. A smart aperient is about the best thing

to be done if one is suspicious of apoplexy, but am afraid there are

usually no premonitory symptoms].



Grey Hen, a; Nutcracker, b. (Mr. W. H. St. Quintin). a Seemed

quite well until early in the winter, when I lost another of the same

brood from fits. The bird now sent seemed heavy and dull. I removed

her, carefully fed her with a variety of food but no maize. Found her

gasping a day or two ago ; when I caught her up she had a fit and died.

[The bird was very fat, there being liver disease of some time standing,

and recent inflammation of both lungs no doubt causing the gasping.

Being in such a weak condition from the diseases mentioned, the

excitement of catching up caused heart failure, which was the



