TREATMENT OF GAPES. 135 



constantly leads to " gapes," and direct experiment has shown 

 that the disease may be introduced in healthy chickens by 

 feeding" them with the worms or ova. The theory of Dr. 

 Walker that was published at length in Nature of August 

 2nd, 1888, by Lord Walsingham, that the eggs were hatched 

 in the bodies of earthworms which are eaten by the young 

 pheasants or fowls, has been entirely disproved by more 

 carefully conducted experiments, as " gapes " appear in fowls 

 on land where earthworms do not exist, and birds, such as 

 the woodpecker, martin, and others, suffer from this disease 

 though they do not eat earthworms. 



With regard to the treatment of this disease, the plan 

 of giving remedies internally to remove the worms is objec- 

 tionable, as the medicine has to be absorbed, pass into the 

 blood, and act powerfully upon the body of the bird before 

 its purpose can be accomplished ; its direct application to 

 the worms is therefore preferable. This may be accom- 

 plished by stripping the vane from a small quill feather, 

 except half an inch at its extremity ; this should then be 

 dipped in a mixture of one part of oil of turpentine and 

 two of olive oil ; and the chick being securely held by an 

 assistant, the tongue may be drawn forward by catching 

 the barbs at its base in a lock of cotton wool, and then 

 pulling it forward so as to expose the small opening of the 

 windpipe, down which the feather is to be passed sufficiently 

 far to come into contact with the worms, and then turned 

 round between the thumb and finger. 



The application at once kills the parasites, and invariably 

 excites a fit of coughing, during which they are expelled : 

 this mode of treatment requires some manual dexterity, and 

 at times the irritation proves fatal ; olive oil in the place of 

 turpentine is sometimes employed. 



Removing the worms by a feather is troublesome, and 

 the operation is not always successful. Fumigation with 

 tobacco smoke is rarely of much avail. The administration 

 of turpentine or camphor is attended with danger to the 



