THE POULTRY DOCTOR. 51 



plain remove the cause. The health of the flock will 

 be regained more rapidly by giving it three or four 

 dozen pellets of Solanum nig. every day in the drink- 

 ing water. 



Lice. 



The dangerous louse to poultry is the large " gray- 

 back," who works on the head, neck and vents, is hard 

 to find as it lurks close down on the skin at the roots of 

 the feathers, and is so blood-thirsty that one or two are 

 enough to kill a young chick. These lice are with 

 chickens all the time, but especially during July and 

 August. Search for them on the head, neck and throat. 



Bowel disease in summer is a sign of lice ; the sleepy 

 disease, in which the chicks are sleepy or drowsy, is a . 

 sign ; refusal to eat ; puny looking body, and slow 

 growth ; sudden deaths ; gradual wasting away ; con- 

 stant crying; loss of feathers on the head ; and other 

 symptoms that appear surprising or remarkable. Even 

 in the cleanest of houses, when not a sign of lice can 

 be seen, look on the chicks for the large lice. Not 

 only on chicks but the large body lice are nearly always 

 on adults. A chick will never get lousy unless the old 

 fowls are near, and that is the reason why brooder chicks 

 grow faster than those under hens. The large lice will 

 kill ducks suddenly. They kill nearly all the young 



