THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 101 



remedies, never having tried them ; but we do know that spirits of tur- 

 pentine will not harm fowls if it does not do them any good. The remedies 

 are certainly simple, and no doubt well worthy of trial. 



Gout or Dwelled Legs. It is recommended for this disease to rub the leg 

 of the fowl affected with fresh grease of any kind once a day for a week, 

 when a cure will be effected. Another remedy is to give a grain of calomel 

 at night, and three drops of wine of colchicum twice a day, care being taken 

 as to warmth, diet, etc., of the fowl. 



Leg Weakness. This disease occurs in highly-fed, fast-growing chickens. 

 Give them animal food once a day, and in warm weather dip the legs for a 

 few minutes daily in cold water ; also give them every day three or four 

 grains of ammonio-citrate of iron dissolved in water and mixed with meal- 

 feed. Keep them from the wet grass. 



Pip. The pip is occasioned by the forming of a dry, horny scale upon 

 the tongue the beak becomes yellow at the base, the plumage becomes 

 ruffled, the bird mopes and pines, the appetite gradually declines to extinc- 

 tion, and at length it dies, completely worn out by fever and starvation. 

 Give the bird, three times a day, for a week or so, two or three grains of 

 black pepper in fresh butter, which will effect a cure. 



Rheumatism. This disease is caused by exposure in cold, damp and wet 

 henneries. It may be prevented by placing the fowls in warm and dry loca- 

 tions, free from chilling rains and cold, bleak winds. Feed cooked Indian 

 meal and potatoes, made into a mash, mixed with ale, blood warm, twice a 

 day. Local applications are useless. 



Roup. The symptoms of this disease are somewhat similar to those of 

 catarrh. The bird has a frothy substance in the inner corner of the eye ; the 

 lids swell, and in severe cases the eye-ball is entirely concealed, and the fowl, 

 unable to see or feed, suffers from great depression, and sinks rapidly ; the 

 foetid smell being unbearable. In aggravated cases the following will be 

 found beneficial: Powdered sulphate of iron, half a drachm; capsicum 

 powder, one drachm; extract of licorice, half an ounce; make into thirty 

 pills ; give one at a time three times a day for three days ; then take half an, 

 ounce of sulphate of iron, and one ounce of cayenne pepper in fine powder. 

 Mix carefully a teaspoonful of these powders with butter and divide into 

 ten parts ; give one part twice a day. Wash the head, eyes, and inside of 

 the mouth and nostrils with vinegar ; it is very cleansing and beneficial. An- 

 other remedy for this disease, one which rarely fails to cure, is to take nitric 

 acid, strip a feather to within half or three-fourths of the end, dip the feather 

 into the acid, and thrust it into the nostril of the sick bird, giving it a twist 

 while in. Repeat this twice or three times a day, removing the burnt scab 

 before applying the acid. It is rarely necessary to make a fourth application, 

 and very frequently one is sufficient. Mrs. ARBUTHNOT'S remedy is confine- 

 ment alone in a warm, dry place ; a tablespoonful of castor oil every morning 



