CURING COCCIDIOSIS 139 



a larger scale with infected birds on a small covered 

 earth-run, and on a grass-run, and was very success- 

 ful. It has also stamped out disease on several 

 large poultry - farms, where heavy losses due to 

 coccidiosis had occurred. Although the objection 

 might be raised that catechu is merely an astringent, 

 yet the great success of the treatment up to the 

 present has justified its presentation to the scientific 

 agricultural public. 



Other chemical substances, such as 10 grains of 

 sulphate of iron (" green vitriol ") per gallon of 

 water, or sodium salicylate in the drinking-water of 

 penned birds, has a tonic action, and by raising the 

 vitality of the birds, renders them the better able to 

 resist the attacks of the parasite. 



For the destruction of oocysts nothing is so 

 efficacious as quicklime. Gas lime, slaked lime, 

 salicylate of soda and nitrate of soda also cause 

 destruction of the cysts, but after longer expo- 

 sure, their efficiency being in the order of mention. 

 While nitrate of soda needs too long contact with 

 oocysts to make it of practical value, it must be 

 remembered that it is a powerful plant food, and 

 that its use, in promoting the healthy growth of the 

 plants on which the birds feed, may be of great 

 value by ensuring an easily digested, nutritious, and 

 uncontaminated food-supply. 



Coccidia of various kinds occur in other hosts, 

 such as rabbits. The rabbit parasite is much like 

 that of the grouse or fowl. It is named Eimeria 

 stieda. It seems to prefer the liver to the intestine 

 in some cases, and then large whitish spots, which 



