126 The Canary Book. 



Birds suffering from asthma should be fed on a light f 

 nutritive diet. A cake made of the following ingredients and 

 well baked will be found very suitable to their requirements: 

 Take sound wheat flour, lb. ; the best arrowroot, Jib. ; four 

 fresh-laid eggs, and 4oz. of powdered loaf sugar ; mix well 

 together, and add half-a-pint of new milk; make into a cake 

 in the ordinary way; a little of this should be placed between 

 the wires of the cage, or crumbed and placed in the egg 

 drawer for the use of the patient. It should be given fresh 

 daily. A piece of dandelion-root, previously dried and roasted, 

 should be scalded, and, when cool, the liquid should be drained 

 off and given to the bird instead of ordinary water to drink ; 

 this will be found very beneficial. Warmth is indispensable 

 in the treatment of this complaint, and it is not advisable to 

 place the invalid in a damp room; particular attention should 

 be paid to birds suffering from this vexatious disease during 

 foggy or rainy weather. 



In all diseases, but more especially in this, much depends 

 upon the time when the treatment is commenced; when once 

 constant dyspnoea (difficult breathing) is induced, depending 

 upon organic disease, little more can be done than to palliate 

 symptoms. Whenever a bird is seized with a sudden paroxysm, 

 with much wheezing and oppression of breathing, give the 

 following mixture with as little delay as possible : Ethereal 

 tincture of lobelia, ten drops; compound tincture of camphor, 

 one drachm ; syrup of ginger, three drachms ; cinnamon water, 

 one ounce; put two teaspoonfuls of this mixture to two 

 ounces of water, give it to the birds to drink in place of their 

 ordinary drinking water, and continue its use until the most 

 distressing symptoms have subsided; the dose may then be 

 reduced to one-half, and increased whenever the breathing 

 appears difficult until the symptoms have entirely disappeared. 

 Should the mixture recommended fail to give permanent 

 relief, give the patient a few drops of vin. antimon. tart, 

 (antimonial wine) and tr. hyosciami (tincture of henbane), say, 

 ten drops of each to one fluid ounce of water, to be given 

 according to the directions laid down in reference to the 



