pori/nn' Disi'ASi'.s and 'i'iii:ik tki'.atmi'NT. i/i 



c Atom- and i)aral\-.-i> of the ilucl in which iIk' nni>cular 

 walls arc incapable of making any effective contraction at all. 



2. Complicated "egg- bound" conditions in whiidi the lunda- 

 mental source of the troul)le is not simply mechanical, and in 

 whicli usually the ])ortions of the oviduct anterior to the uterus 

 are involved. In this general category the following sorts of 

 cases are to lie included. 



a. Atony and paralysis of the upper i)ortions of the ovi- 

 duct. This condition may exist for a long time without being 



recognized. 



b. Inflammation of the oviihict leading to t.ie formation of 

 fibrous exudate whicli accumulates in the duct, until it may form 

 a mass of relatively enormous size (usually with one or more 

 yolks as a nucleus) completely obstructing the duct, and event- 

 r.allv leading either to gangrene or rupture of the walls, or both. 



c. \'olvolus, or twisting of the oviduct about its own long 

 axis, completely obliterating the cavity. 



d. Stenosis or stricture of the ovi'hv-t. This may result 

 from several causes. One frequent one is that in laying a very 

 large egg the oviduct wall becomes torn to greater or less degree, 

 and subsequently heals. The scar tissue contracts the cavity 

 and a stricture is thus caused. 



Treatment. Whether treatment is or is not likely to be ef- 

 fective depends u])on which of the two main categories above 

 defined anv given case belongs to. Simple obstruction of the 

 oviduct may be successfully treated. In cases of complicated 

 obstruction treatment is not indicated, for a variety of reasons. 

 These conditions are in the first place difficult to diagnose, and 

 offer little prospect of successful cure even after a diagnosis 

 has been made. 



The best advice w hich has come to our attention for the treat- 

 ment of the simple egg bound condition was published some 

 years ago in the English Journal "d'ouhr}" and is here quoted 

 verbatim : 



"It is a good jdan to watch those birds that are about to lay. 

 Should they visit the nest frequently during the course of the 

 day and leave without depositing an egg, it is almost certain that 

 .something is wrong aufl when a pullet is in such a state there 

 are three good remedies that ma\- lie tried. The first is: Take 

 the Ijird up gently, and hold her so that her stern is over the 

 mouth of a jug of boiling water, that the steam arising there- 



