140 The Canary Book. 



6. 



" GOING LIGHT." See " Decline." 



H. 



HENS, RUPTURED. See under "Ruptured Hens." 



HEPATITIS, OR INFLAMMATION OF THE LIVER. Birds, and 

 more especially young birds, are subject to this dreadful malady. 

 It is produced by their partaking too freely of stimulating 

 food, particularly hemp seed, which acts as a very powerful 

 excitant when given to birds, and is with them a very feed- 

 ing article of diet. I have had a great number of canaries 

 and canary mules, and other birds, die from this disease ; but 

 at the time I was unable to determine its nature. I thought 

 it was some form of fever, but whether typhus or what I 

 could not be certain. I tried a variety of medicines and 

 different modes of treatment, but without any apparent 

 success; and, after losing twenty or thirty birds one season, 

 and forty or fifty the next, and as many more the next, I 

 decided to have the opinion of some eminent and practical 

 physician on the subject, so I sent one of the unfortunate 

 little victims to Dr. B. for dissection and report as to the 

 cause of death. I subjoin his reply, which is as follows : 



Dear Sir, With the exception of an enormously enlarged liver, I 

 can find nothing the matter with the canary. The exception is a very 

 important one, as I believe it is the cause of death. Of course, not 

 being learned in birds, you must accept what I say as that of one 

 who does not pretend to speak with authority. Yet, from the utter 

 disproportion of the liver with the other organs, I believe it to be, 

 as I have said above, the cause of death. No inflammation exists 

 in the intestines or stomach. 



Perhaps you can call to mind how the ortolans* are caused to have 

 auoh large livers, for gastronomic purposes. They are supplied with 

 abundance of stimulating food, and kept in a warm place. Has this 

 not something to do with the mortality amongst your birds ? I am, 

 dear Sir, faithfully yours, C. B., M.D. 



* Ortolans are birds about the size of larks, and somewhat of the appearance 

 of yellow-hammers. They are allied to the Fringillidce, and are natives of 

 southern Europe. 



