THE POULTRY DOCTOR. 45 



of feathers. But the losses are so heavy at this period of 

 fowls 7 lives that a remedy is needed, and we believe can 

 be found in the foregoing. 



Gapes. 



Every poultry raiser knows what the malady known 

 as " gapes " is. It chiefly attacks young fowls before 

 their feathers have grown, and is manifested by a more or 

 less constant " gaping " of the mouth, or, more properly, 

 a gasping for breath. It is due to the presence of a 

 small red worm in the windpipe. Whether this worm 

 is bred without the chick, or is a spontaneous generation 

 resulting from physical causes, is an open question. In 

 all probability the disease is due to constitutional defects 

 which may be removed by the proper remedy. In a 

 disease of this sort the remedy must be prescribed some 

 what empirically, as there are no parallels between this 

 disease and the provings. German homoeopathic writers 

 assert that Drosera and Dulcamara given on alternate 

 days will cure the disease. Among suggested remedies 

 may be named Ignatia, Lachesis and China. 



If it should ever be discovered that the worms are 

 bred in the stomach and ascend thence, as is most proba- 

 bly the case, then the remedy unquestionably would be 

 Cina, or the active principle of that remedy Santonine, 



