POULTRV DISEASES AND TIIKIR TREATMENT. 25 



ma I State of health, so that he may at once recognize any de- 

 ])arture from tlie^c normal conditions. 



The following directions and general advice regarding the 

 making np of autopsies is taken from the English poultry jour- 

 nal " Poultry" : 



"Ifoi^' to iiialcc a post-iiiorfcin cxaiiiination. so that these vari- 

 ous oKfjaits can be Si'cii and cxatninai, and so that a genera' 

 opinion can he formed as to their condition of health or other- 

 z^'ise. Let it be understood that a very large number of poultry 

 which die are victims of some entirely simple complaint, such 

 as enlargement of the liver, or tuberculosis in the lungs. These 

 complaints are easily recognizable, and there is no reason at all 

 whv anv farmer or amateur poultry keeper should not l)e able 

 to form a general opinion as to whether his poultry are dying 

 off from some such complaint as one or other of these. Take 

 the dead bird and lay it on a wooden table or on a piece of strong 

 board. l)rea>t upi)ermost. Spread out the wings and the legs, 

 putting a small nail tbrouglT the joint of each wing and through 

 the center of each foot. It is not neces-sary for the bird to be 

 entireh- ])lucked ; it will l)e enough to pluck the breast, and when 

 this has lieen done pincli u]) the skin at the point of the breast 

 bone, and cut it straight through from the vent to the crop. 

 Having done this, draw back the skin on both sides so as tfi leave 

 the tlesh fully exposed, and tlien with a sharj) knife cut through 

 the lle>li on both sides of tlie breast bone, and with a strong, 

 blunt pointed pair of scis.sors, cut out the center of the breast 

 bone entirely, taking i)articular care in doing so not to injure 

 the heart, as a ilow of blood from tlie heart will interfere with 

 subsequent operations. When this lias been done the principal 

 organs will be seen clearly exposed." 



"First of all examine the liver. To l)e perfectly healthy, it 

 should be of a rich chocolate brown color, free from any specks, 

 anrl free from any discoloration f although there are sometimes 

 post-mortem discolorations at the edges, which are ea>il\- recog- 

 nizable). If the liver contains any specks it is unhealthy, as 

 it should not be what is known as pasty or rotten. I lealthy and 

 firm to the touch and of the pro])er color, is the general descrip- 

 tion to appl\- to the liver. The heart should then be looked at, 

 and it should aUo l)e (|uite lirni. free from any excessive cover- 

 ing of fat. and also (|uite free from little ni>hdes :>\ tubercu- 



