DISEASES OF POULTRY. 283 



dirt, bathed with warm water and milk, and the fowl 

 shut up so as to prevent the others abusing it; for they 

 are always ready to peck at any wound and increase the 

 injury. If it do not readily heal, but go on to ulcera- 

 tion, it maybe bathed with alum water or with ointment 

 of creosote, which will be almost certain to heal it, even 

 should it show fungous or " proud flesh." 



FRACTURES AND DISLOCATIONS. 



WHEN fowls chance to have their legs broken or dis- 

 located, unless they are of a very peculiar or valuable 

 sort, and wanted for breeding, the best thing is to kill 

 them at once. But in such a case as that recorded in 

 the old song 



I have a hen with a happity leg, 



Lass gin ye lo'e me tell me noo, 

 That every day lays me an egg, 



An' I canna' come ilka-day to woo, 



it may be worth while to preserve a fowl after an acci- 

 dent of this kind. The case must be treated according 

 to what has already been stated under wounds, and 

 more particularly under inflammation, which will be 

 certain to ensue, more or less severely, both locally and 

 constitutionally. 



PARASITIC VERMIN. 



BIRDS of all kinds, both wild and tame, are liable, from 

 some unknown causes, to be attacked, as Herod the 

 Jewish tetrarch is said to have been, with a particular 

 sort of lice which are generated on them in myriads. In 

 some instances, their feathers are so completely covered 

 as to hide their natural color, and in many places the 

 point of a pin cannot be put down without touching 

 some of the vermin. 



In the new edition of Clater, it is said, that " vermin 

 are often exceedingly annoying to the poultry, and ma- 

 terially prevent their growing and fattening. They are 

 usually to be traced to evident neglect in the manage- 

 ment of the poultry yard. The fowls are half starved, 

 or the place is all over filth, or there is no dry corner 



