THE HOSPITAL 95 



have to do this two or three times an hour 

 for a day, or even two or three days ; but if by 

 this time you have cured the exciting cause 

 with the medicine you are giving, your bird 

 will recover. 



He will probably be too weak to go down 

 for food. I have treated a bird thus for three 

 days, and fed him myself by holding his food 

 dish up to him where he sat, on the upper 

 perch, afraid to go down. He would eat all he 

 wanted, and then I held the water and let him 

 drink. He took kindly to being nursed, and 

 from a very wild bird he became perfectly 

 tame under my care. 



If a bird is contented on a low perch, it is 

 best to take out all the upper perches; but 

 some birds would be very unhappy under these 

 circumstances, and you must carefully avoid 

 making him discontented or disturbing him 

 in any way. 



While under treatment it is important to 

 keep a bird warm, quiet, and rather dark. 

 Nature alone is a good nurse, and observing 

 the above conditions, with a wholesome "let- 

 ting alone," will frequently bring a bird as well 

 as a beast back to health. 



