DISEASES OF POULTRY. 261 



April, 1823, a young fowl, whose gait indicated that 

 of a tipsy animal, so much, that the peasants called it 

 the "tipsy hen." Whether standing, walking, or run- 

 ning, it reeled and staggered, advancing always in a 

 zigzag manner, frequently turning to the right, when 

 it wished to turn to the left, and to the left when it 

 wished to turn to the right ; and instead of going for- 

 ward, it went backwards, and backwards instead of 

 forwards. Its legs also often bent under it, so that it 

 fell down ; above all, when it flew high up to perch, 

 it could not govern nor regulate its movements, but 

 fell and rolled about on the ground a long while, with- 

 out being able to get upon its legs or recover its bal- 

 ance. These movements so nearly resembled those 

 which had been produced by experiment, that M. 

 Flourens was impatient to examine the brain. He 

 found the bone of the skull to be covered with black 

 carious points. On penetrating the dura mater, a 

 quantity of clear water ran out, while the cerebellum 

 was yellowish, with rust-colored streaks on the surface, 

 and in the centre was a mass of purulent coagulated 

 matter, as large as a horse bean, contained in a cavity 

 perfectly isolated, and having its sides very thin and 

 smooth. 



Dr. de Sala brought to M. Flourens, from Madame 

 Rousseau, of Pecq, near Paris, a young cock, which 

 had died of a disorder that appeared singular. This 

 cock could not stand upright for any time without 

 reeling on its legs, and it staggered when it attempted 

 to walk or run ; its neck always trembled or oscillated, 

 particularly when it stretched it or its body ; but when 

 its head or beak were supported, the oscillation ceased. 



This is evidently the same disorder which Dr. Bech- 

 stein terms epilepsy, and Mr. Clater, the megrims or 

 giddiness. The latter says that "Many promising 

 chickens are lost in this complaint. Without any kind 

 of warning, they fall, roll on their backs, and struggle 

 for a minute or two, when they rise stupid and giddy, 

 and slowly return to their food. One fit having oo 



