THE POULTRY DOCTOR. 43 



Apocynum cannab. or Apis are the best remedies ; the 

 former, if there is heaviness and general sluggishness ; 

 the latter, if there are evidences of the disease on the 

 skin. It is better, however, to destroy a bird so 

 afflicted. 



Epilepsy. 



Pigeons are sometimes attacked by a disease called, 

 perhaps improperly, epilepsy. It manifests itself by 

 the contortions or unnatural workings of the muscles of 

 the throat, and if touched the birds seem to be in pain. 

 The disease oftener attacks the female than the male. 

 Its cause is unknown. Belladonna covers the symp- 

 toms best. 



Feathering. 



Every one knows that babies during dentition, or 

 teething, often get very sick. Something analogous 

 occurs with young fowls when their down begins to be 

 replaced with feathers; that is their " teething" period. 

 To the best of our knowledge this complaint has never 

 been classified and named. We have called it "feather- 

 ing," because the word, if homely, is certainly descrip- 

 tive. Most poultry raisers have at some time carried a 

 lot of young chicks or turkeys safely through infancy 

 only to have them, when feathers begin to sprout, per- 

 versely die. This will happen even where the care, 



