140 DISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS 



decomposed liquids and food particles escape from the 

 mouth and nostrils. The appetite in the early stages is 

 lessened and later entirely lost. The crop when examined 

 will be found greatly distended, hard and more or less firm 

 on palpation. In some cases it is very hard, producing the 

 so-called " hard crop." When metallic substances are present, 

 it is possible in some cases to palpate them, or in case of 

 sharp objects they are sometimes found projecting through 

 the muscular walls and skin. With the aid of the Roentgen 

 rays the character and size of the foreign body can often be 

 revealed. 



Prognosis. This depends upon the character of the 

 impacted material, its duration and the condition of the bird. 

 In most cases if allowed to continue it will result fatally. In 

 some cases, the crop becomes enormously distended, pro- 

 ducing the so-called "hanging crop." 



Treatment. The early indication in the treatment is to 

 massage the crop and try to remove the contents via mouth. 

 This is best done by suspending the bird head downward, 

 and massaging and kneading the crop carefully which crushes 

 the crop contents so that they may be gently forced into the 

 mouth. Often the entire contents can be removed in this 

 manner. The administration of a small quantity of linseed 

 oil to lubricate the esophagus will often assist when applying 

 the above method. 



\Vhere this method will not suffice, it will be necessary 

 to open the crop and remove the contents through the 

 incision. The feathers should be pulled out over a space 

 about \\ inches wide and 2-3 inches long at the point of 

 greatest protrusion. The field of operation should be 

 thoroughly disinfected. The incision can be enlarged suffi- 

 ciently to admit of the crop contents being easily removed. 

 A blunt curette or pincette is useful in assisting removal. 

 The crop should be thoroughly irrigated with a sodium 

 bicarbonate solution (2 per cent.), and the edges of the 

 wound disinfected with a boric acid solution (2 per cent.). 

 The wound is then stitched with a single row of interrupted 

 sutures sufficiently close together to prevent the escape of 

 anv contents. The stitches should not be removed for at 



