Diseases. 1 49 



distended womb with a feather, and try to press it back gently 

 with a piece of cotton wadding fastened to the end of a 

 finely-pointed pen-holder ; if you fail to replace it the hen 

 will die. 



S. 



SCARLET FEVER. Next to typhus fever, there is probably 

 no complaint from which birds suffer that is so fatal in its 

 consequences as scarlatina. Several years ago I had the mis- 

 fortune to have a visitation of this direful malady of the 

 malignant type in my family, and I lost two of my children 

 in consequence. During this visitation in my household several 

 of my birds became suddenly ill, and after lingering a few 

 days they died. At first ,1 did not take much notice of this 

 as I was in great trouble, and the whole of my children, 

 with one exception (an infant), being badly affected by this 

 fever, and most of them dangerously ill. As time advanced 

 I found that the greater part of my birds were being attacked 

 by some disease, and at this time I had a very large collec- 

 tion, among them several valuable prize birds. After a careful 

 examination of the dead birds, and a close observation of 

 the symptoms of those that were ill, I came to the con- 

 clusion that they had taken the fever from my children, who 

 were located in bedrooms on the same landing, but a few 

 yards away, there being seven rooms in all, and the birds 

 were in the one farthest away. I mentioned my suspicion 

 to the medical attendant who visited my family, and he 

 appeared amused and surprised and said he could not think 

 such a thing possible. But I was so convinced of the accu- 

 racy of my diagnosis that next day I dissected two birds 

 which had succumbed to the disorder, and from the appear- 

 ance of the tongue, throat, and viscera, I was quite satisfied 

 that my theory was correct, and I fully convinced the doctor 

 that I had made no mistake. 



I at once began to treat my patients for this complaint, 

 and out of about thirty-five birds thus affected, I saved 

 twenty-one. The symptoms of scarlatina differ somewhat from 

 those of typhus, but before I proceed further, I must mention 



