CAUSE AND CURE OF SICKNESS 



Apoplexy What^ is the trouble easily digested, ancf, puncture the skin 



to let the air out. In slight cases 

 where there is only a little air under 

 the skin it will disappear gradually 

 without treatment, but if there is a 

 considerable amount of air it is neces- 

 sary to prick the skin and let it out. 



with my hens? They seem healthy 

 and all at once they begin to gasp and 

 fall over dead. I cut one open and 

 it was in fine condition, fat and nice. 

 I cannot make out what it is. Mrs 

 C. S. 



Answer Your hen had apoplexy 

 from being over-fat. The oveVfat 

 condition weakens the muscles, and 

 the heart and brain give way. Give 

 the whole flock a little Epsom salts 

 in the water for a week, cut down 

 the amount of grain, especially any 

 corn or corn meal in their feed, and 

 feed more green food and more ani- 

 mal food with, of course, charcoal 

 and grit. 



Air Putf I have been a constant 

 reader of your articles and find them 

 very good 'but I have a case I never 

 remember reading about; it is a 

 Barred Rock about 6 or 7 weeks old. 

 A few days ago it went to limping 

 and I supposed it was some of the 

 others crowding but I have since no- 

 ticed its whole right side was puffed 

 away out, just the skin, and- I took 

 a needle and made a small opening 

 and there was nothing but wind in it. 

 I repeated the same operation next 

 day. It eats and drinks and aside 

 from the limping, seems to feel all 

 right. They have a nice clean run 

 and lots of green stuff. I am feeding 

 cracked corn, wheat and Kaffir corn. 

 Could you suggest a remedy and tell 

 me what the disease is? Mrs. J.N.H. 



Answer Your chick had what is 

 called "Air Puff," and you did just 

 right in puncturing the skin; you 

 saved its life by it. The trouble 

 conies from a wound or abrasion of 

 the lung tissue resulting from vio- 

 lence of some kind. After caponizing 

 a chick this trouble often develops. 

 I have seen the poor little things al- 

 most as round as a ball and so light 

 from the air under the skin that the 

 slightest breeze rolled them along. 

 Chicks that get trampled on by their 

 mothers, or cockerels that fight are 

 liable to suffer from injuries that re- 

 sult in "air puff." They become in- 

 flated with air. The treatment is a 

 good nourishing diet. I resort to 

 bread and milk in such cases. It is 



Bumble-foot I have a lame hen; 

 she limps on her left foot. She eats 

 as well as my other hens, her comb is 

 red and looks as healthy as the 

 others. 



If you will tell me what is the trou- 

 ble I will be very much obliged to 

 you. Mrs. M. M. C. 



Answer Your hen has probably 

 what is called "bumble-foot." It is 

 something like a stone bruise or a 

 corn in human beings. It usually 

 comes from a corn or bruises of the 

 feet, wounds with thorns, broken 

 glass, hard stones or other sharp sub- 

 stances. The ball of the foot be- 

 comes swollen, inflamed, hot and 

 painful. The fowl appears in pain. 

 Corns are often caused by too small 

 or narrow perches, which compel the 

 fowl to grasp them tightly in order 

 to maintain their position. This firm 

 grasp continued night after night 

 affects the circulation of the part of 

 the foot that comes in closest con- 

 tact with the perch. A similar con- 

 dition may be caused by heavy birds 

 flying from their perches and alight- 

 ing upon a stony surface or hard 

 floor. 



If it has not yet become an abscess, 

 simply cut off the thickened skin or 

 corn without causing bleeding and 

 paint the corn with tincture of iodyne. 

 If pus has developed, soak the foot in 

 warm water twice a day and poultice 

 until the inflammation is reduced. 

 After thoroughly cleaning the foot, if 

 pus has developed, open the abscess 

 freely with a sharp knife and scrape 

 out the diseased matter. Wash out 

 the wound carefully with peroxide of 

 hydrogen or carbolized water. Stuff 

 the wound full of iodyne gauze and 

 bandage it. Continue this treatment 

 daily until the wound is almost 

 healed, then apply a good ointment 

 daily until it is entirely well. The 

 bird must be kept on clean, dry straw 

 until fully recovered. 



