180 POULTRY DISEASES 



glue has been used, wet until the cast has become 

 thoroughly soaked with warm water and remove. 

 The adhesive tape can be easily removed from 

 the leg. 



Wounds 



Birds possess a high immunity to pyogenic in- 

 fection (the germs that ordinarily infect the 

 wounds of animals) ; and wounds, whether acci- 

 dental or surgical, unless very serious, heal with 

 great rapidity. The degree of tolerance of in- 

 fection that the peritoneum (lining of the ab- 

 dominal cavity and covering of the abdominal 

 organs) of birds possesses is probably not 

 equalled by the peritoneum of any domestic ani- 

 mal or of man. For example, birds rarely die 

 from infection after caponizing. Death when it 

 occurs as a result of this operation is ordinarily 

 due to hemorrhage. Man and animals (except 

 the dog) survive abominal operations only when 

 made under aseptic precautions. 



Anesthesia 



Unlike their reaction to infection, birds are far 

 more liable to die from the. effects of anesthetics 

 than animals or man. The relatively large surface 

 of the air cells of the lungs and of the air sacs, 

 and the high temperature and active metabolism 

 render them peculiarly susceptible to anesthetics 

 and very liable to die from their use. 



R. Pearl and Frank M. Surface in an article 

 in the Journal of the American Medical Associa- 

 tion, volume 52, pp. 382 and 383, report satisfac- 

 tory results in anesthetizing birds by the follow- 

 ing method: 



Immediately before beginnning the administra- 

 tion of the anesthetic a 1-200 grain atropine sul- 



