142 The Canary Book. 



in equal parts in infinitesimal doses; open the bird's beak 

 as wide as possible, keep the tongue down and the head well 

 back, and, having the powder in a piece of writing-paper, 

 made funnel-shape, slip it well down into the throat, and 

 drop a few drops of water upon it to help the patient to 

 swallow before you allow it to move from the position in 

 which it has been placed in order to administer the medicine, 

 or the powder may be placed in a piece of quill, cut open 

 at both ends, carefully put in the bird's mouth, and gently 

 blown into the throat of the patient. In the next place, roast 

 a piece of dandelion-root, which has been previously washed 

 and scraped, and put it in the drinking water. About an hour 

 after you give the powder follow it up by giving two or three 

 drops of castor-oil, and if it does not operate freely in a 

 short time say, from half-an-hour to an hour repeat the 

 dose. You may likewise add a few senna leaves to the drinking- 

 water, as well as the dandelion-root. In all cases of inflamma- 

 tion of the liver it is necessary to act promptly upon the 

 bowels and intestines, as in this disease, in either form, the 

 biliary secretion is much impeded, and even when restored the 

 fluid is far from healthy at the beginning. On this account, 

 and to prevent chronic indurations, or the chance of present 

 suppuration, it is necessary to reinstate the biliary secretions 

 as soon as possible. This can only be effected by such medi- 

 cines as act on the biliary organs, such as the hydrarg. chlor. 

 (calomel), James' Powder, &c. 



The diet should consist chiefly of stale bread soaked in new 

 milk, or a little arrowroot biscuit and ground rice made into 

 a paste with the same vehicle. In some cases, however, these 

 means may and will prove unavailing, and more particularly 

 if the bird affected is not of a robust constitution. 



If the hepatic tumour continue to grow, despite these 

 remedies, the bird will become weaker and weaker; it will 

 pine away to a mere skeleton, the shiver ings become more 

 frequent, and it will have a sour, sweaty smell. This is a 

 sign that suppuration has begun, and the treatment must be 

 changed. Remove the dandelion-root and senna-leaves, and 



