136 The Canary, 



of white bread, about the size of a nut, into a teacupful of 

 milk, boiling it and stirring it all tlie time with a wooden 

 spoon till it is of the consistency of pap. It must be 

 quite cold before it is given to the birds, and must 

 always be made fresh, for if sour it will prove injurious. 

 This paste, which they are very fond of, purges them 

 sufficiently, and sensibly relieves them. In very violent 

 attacks nothing but this paste ought to be given for two 

 or three days following, and this will soon give the de- 

 sired relief. When the disease is only slight or only 

 begun, it is sufficient to give the bread and milk once 

 in three or four days. When employed under similar 

 circumstances this treatment has cured several very 

 valuable birds." We give the remedy as we find it, as 

 it is one easily tried, but we ourselves have little faith 

 in its efficacy, if the disease be anything but a tempo- 

 rary effect of some external cause, such as the giving 

 of too much hemp-seed or the exposure to too much 

 heat, which, of course, will vanish with the removal of 

 the cause. Beyond this, we doubt whether there be 

 any cure for a disease which has its seat in the delicate 

 organs of the throat and chest, and w^hich though re- 

 lieved almost invariably lasts as long as the patient is 

 alive, whether it be man, bird, or beast. 



This completed the list of cases in our infirmary, 

 and these, under ordinary circumstances, will be found 

 to be the chief ailments of the canary. The medicines 

 we used were the homoeopathic tinctures, which are far 

 more convenient and efficacious than any other form of 

 medicine for the feathered tribe. As Ave have proved 

 their efficacy in the case of man and beast for many 



