590 HORSE, SWINE AND POULTRY DISEASES 



wound will be healed. Feed sparingly on whole grains until the 

 wound heals, and do not give any water for twenty-four hours. 



Diarrhea. This is caused by some irritation of the digestive 

 system, and may be due to the quantity of the feed, the quality of 

 the feed or drinking water, or to climatic conditions to which the 

 fowl has been exposed. There is a general depression, roughness 

 of plumage, and a loss of appetite, and usually frequent expulsion 

 of soft, whitish, yellowish, or greenish excrement, the droppings 

 becoming more liquid until severe diarrhea is present. When the 

 affection is at all serious, the excrement may become mixed with 

 mucus or blood. It is important that the cause be sought out and 

 removed. See that the birds have comfortable quarters and that 

 they are not exposed to drafts, cold or dampness. If taken early, 

 diarrhea can often be checked by reducing the amount of green 

 and animal feed and feeding largely on dry feed, eliminating the 

 moist mash. Give a tablespoonful of sweet (olive) oil as a laxative 

 to carry off any irritating matters that may be in the intestine. 

 In severe cases give 5 to 10 drops of laudanum to each bird. 



Freezing^ (frostbite"). If the comb or wattles of fowls become 

 frozen, and it is discovered before they thaw out, apply snow or 

 cold water to remove the frost, for this gradual thawing will often 

 save them. Then apply vaseline to the affected parts twice a day. 



Scaly Legs. This is caused by a mite which burrows under 

 the scales of the feet and shanks, and is considered to be infectious, 

 but does not spread rapidly. It is noticed most frequently in old 

 fowls. The scales can be removed by soaking the feet and shanks 

 in warm, soapy water and by rubbing or brushing them off with a 

 toothbrush or nailbrush. After the scales have been removed apply 

 Bulphur ointment or equal parts of melted lard and kerosene. The 

 frequent application of kerosene has also been found effectual 

 without the previous soaking in water. 



Chicken Pox, or Sore Head. This is a contagious disease 

 caused by a fungus, and occurs in chickens, turkeys, pigeons, and 

 sometimes in geese. It is quite prevalent and very destructive 

 among young chicks in the Southern States. The disease appears 

 as an eruption of yellow nodules about the beak, nostrils, eyes, and 

 other parts of the head. These nodules reach their full develop- 

 ment in five or ten days, when they emit a watery discharge, which 

 later changes to a thick yellowish matter. As the disease prog- 

 resses the birds grow thin and weak, and death results. In cases 

 of spontaneous recovery, the nodules dry up and form crust, which 

 later crumble away. The parasite causing it penetrates the skin 

 of a healthy individual either through an abrasion, through punc- 

 tures caused by bites of lice, etc., or less frequently through the 

 normal skin. The disease is most prevalent during warm, damp 

 weather, and consequently is most fatal to late-hatched chicks. 



The following preventive measures should be employed : Keep 

 affected birds from the premises; keep the houses clean and dry, 

 and batch the chicks early. Sick birds may be treated by applying 

 carbolic ointment, or glycerin containing 2 per cent carbolic acid, 



