Diseases of the Alimentary Tract 63 



Treatmeiit. — As stated above, a "baggy" crop often 

 gives little or no apparent inconvenience to the fowl. In 

 the case of a very valuable bird it might be worth while to 

 operate. It is said that this defect can be remedied by 

 cutting out of the enlarged portion of the crop a diamond 

 or oval shaped piece of tissue about 2 inches long and 1 

 inch wide. The edges should be sewed together and treated 

 as directed for impacted crop (cf. p. tO). The general 

 surgical methods described in the chapter on Poultry Sur- 

 gery (Chapter XXI) should be followed. 



Inflated Crop 



Occasionally birds both old and young are found with 

 enormously inflated crops. This condition is due to the 

 pressure of gas forming bacteria. It is probably caused by 

 eating decayed food. The remedy for this trouble is first 

 to remove the cause and then give a mild intestinal antisep- 

 tic in the drinking water, such as 1 to 10,000 bichloride of 

 mercury or 1 to 500 carbolic acid. 



DISEASES OF THE STOMACH (PROVENTRICULUS) 



Inflammation of the Stomach — Gastritis 



The stomach or proventriculus in fowls is a rather small 

 organ. It is a thick, glandular walled section of the alimen- 

 tary canal lying between the crop and the gizzard. Inflam- 

 mation of this organ is usually associated with a similar dis- 

 turbance of the crop. In a few cases there appears to be 

 inflammation of the stomach alone. Diagnosis in this case 

 is very difficult. 



The cause of gastritis is usually regarded as the same as 

 that of inflammation of the crop (cf. p. 61). 



